2024 Bengkulu gubernatorial election

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.^[1] 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.^[2]

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 Bengkulu Regional House of Representatives (DPRD).^[3] Golkar, with 10 seats from the 2024 legislative election, is the only party eligible to nominate a gubernatorial candidate without forming a coalition with other parties.^[4] However, following a Constitutional Court of Indonesia decision in August 2024, the political support required to nominate a candidate was lowered to between 6.5 and 10 percent of the popular vote.^[5] Candidates may alternatively demonstrate support to run as an independent in form of photocopies of identity cards, which in Bengkulu's case corresponds to 149,483 copies.^[3] One independent pair of candidates registered with the General Elections Commission (KPU): Dempo Xler–Ahmad Kanedi, who claimed to have submitted 184 thousand proofs of support.^[6] Following verification, KPU announced that only 118 thousand proofs were verifiable, and provided five days for Xler and Kanedi to submit further proofs or update rejected proofs.^[7]

The following candidates qualified to contest the election:

1
Candidate from PAN and PDI-P
Helmi Hasan	Mian
for Governor	for Vice Governor
Mayor of Bengkulu (2013–2023)	Regent of North Bengkulu (2021–2025)
Parties
25 / 45 (56%) PKB (3 seats) Gerindra (6 seats) PDI-P (6 seats) PAN (6 seats) Demokrat (4 seats)

2
Candidate from Golkar and Independent
Rohidin Mersyah	Meriani
for Governor	for Vice Governor
Governor of Bengkulu (2021–2024)	Public Figure
Parties
16 / 45 (36%) Golkar (10 seats) PKS (2 seats) Hanura (3 seats) PPP (1 seat)

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:

• Rohidin Mersyah (Golkar), former governor.^[8]
• Ahmad Hijazi [id], former two-term regent of Rejang Lebong.^[9]
• Dempo Xler (Independent), member of Bengkulu DPRD.^[10]

• Ahmad Kanedi (Independent), two-term senator from Bengkulu (as running mate).^[11]

Following the 2024 Indonesian legislative election, ten political parties are represented in the Bengkulu DPRD:^[4]