The 2024 Riau Islands gubernatorial election was held on 27 November 2024 as part of nationwide local elections to elect the governor and vice governor of the Riau Islands for a five-year term. The previous election was held in 2020. Incumbent Governor Ansar Ahmad of Golkar won re-election with 55% of the vote. His sole opponent, Batam Mayor Muhammad Rudi of the NasDem Party, received 44%.
Electoral system
The election, like other local elections in 2024, follow the first-past-the-post system where the candidate with the most votes wins the election, even if they do not win a majority. It is possible for a candidate to run uncontested, in which case the candidate is still required to win a majority of votes "against" an "empty box" option. Should the candidate fail to do so, the election will be repeated on a later date.
Candidates
According to electoral regulations, in order to qualify for the election, candidates were required to secure support from a political party or a coalition of parties controlling 9 seats (20 percent of all seats) in the Riau Islands Regional House of Representatives (DPRD). Golkar and Gerindra, both winning 9 of 45 seats in the 2024 legislative election, are eligible to nominate a candidate without forming a coalition with other parties. Candidates may alternatively demonstrate support to run as an independent in form of photocopies of identity cards, which in Riau Islands' case corresponds to 150,974 copies. No independent candidates registered prior to the General Elections Commission (KPU) deadline of 12 May 2024.
Potential
The following are individuals who have either been publicly mentioned as a potential candidate by a political party in the DPRD, publicly declared their candidacy with press coverage, or considered as a potential candidate by media outlets:
- Ansar Ahmad (Golkar), incumbent governor.
- Muhammad Rudi (NasDem), mayor of Batam.
- Yan Fitri Halimansyah, head of the Riau Islands provincial police.
Political map
Following the 2024 Indonesian legislative election, eleven political parties are represented in the Riau Islands DPRD: