EFEKTIVITAS PENANGANAN TINDAK PIDANA PEMILIHAN KEPALA DAERAH DI KABUPATEN MALANG TAHUN 2024

The Regional Head Election (Pilkada) is a form of direct democracy at the regional level and should be conducted in a free and fair manner. However, violations and fraud often occur, undermining the integrity of the election process. Malang Regency, as a region with high vulnerability, still faces violations, such as village heads openly supporting a candidate pair and involving children in the campaign process. The Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu), with the authority to receive and follow up on reports, along with Sentra Gakkumdu, should play an active role in addressing violations, particularly electoral criminal offenses. This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of handling electoral criminal offenses and the obstacles affecting the process in Malang Regency in 2024. Using an empirical juridical method, the research combines field data with primary, secondary, and tertiary legal sources. The findings indicate that handling electoral criminal offenses in Malang Regency has not been fully effective due to unmet factors of legal effectiveness. Improvements in the violation handling process include updating and refining election laws to be more operational, enhancing law enforcement capacity, strengthening the independence of relevant institutions, improving facilities and infrastructure, developing a transparent reporting system, and utilizing technology to monitor violations. Additionally, strengthening public socialization and legal education will help increase active participation and public awareness of their rights to report violations.