Perilaku Memilih Religius-Rasional Santri Pemilih Pemula pada Pilpres 2024: Studi Kasus Pondok Pesantren Al-Amanah Al-Gontory

The 2024 Indonesian Presidential Election was marked by the extensive use of religious identity in political campaigns, particularly through religious symbols, pesantren visits, and endorsements from Islamic figures. This phenomenon raises questions regarding how first-time voters from Islamic boarding school backgrounds perceive and respond to such strategies. This study aims to analyze the voting behavior of first-time santri voters and to explain the interaction between religious values and rational considerations in their electoral decision-making process. Using a qualitative case study approach, this research was conducted among alumni of Pondok Pesantren Al-Amanah Al-Gontory who voted for the first time in the 2024 Presidential Election. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews with nine informants and analyzed using the interactive model of Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña. The analysis draws upon sociological, psychological, and rational choice approaches to voting behavior. The findings reveal that the informants did not accept religious identity politics uncritically. Religious values functioned primarily as a moral framework for evaluating candidates, while electoral choices were largely determined by considerations of track record, leadership capacity, debate performance, family influence, and information obtained from social media. The study concludes that first-time santri voters demonstrate a pattern of religious-rational voting behavior, combining religious moral standards with rational political evaluation.