qReorganizing Arrangement Parliamentary Threshold: Coalition Party Political as an Effective Strategy Reduce Wasted Vote

The Parliamentary Threshold (PT) in Indonesia's election system aims to consolidate political parties and stabilize governance but systematically disenfranchises millions of legitimate votes, known as wasted votes, thereby contradicting constitutional principles of popular sovereignty and fair representation. This study critically examines the PT under Law No. 7 of 2017 and explores the inclusion of a pre-election coalition mechanism as a potential solution. Using normative legal research with statute, conceptual, and comparative approaches, it analyzes Indonesia’s electoral laws and compares PT implementations in Turkey, Poland, and the Philippines. The findings confirm that the PT generates significant wasted votes—reaching 17.3 million in 2024—while comparative models demonstrate that legally regulated coalitions allow smaller parties to collectively meet thresholds, thereby reducing wasted votes without sacrificing stability. The study concludes by proposing an amendment to Article 414 to formally institute a pre-election coalition system, enabling parties below the 4% threshold to merge votes, register with the KPU, and gain parliamentary representation. This reform is expected to minimize wasted votes, enhance electoral justice, and better align the system with constitutional democratic ideals.