INDONESIANS had been punching two holes - one for the candidate, one for the candidate's party - in their ballot papers for 50 years, until a provision was introduced in this year's legislative election law.

The law changed the method of voting from punching holes to marking an 'X' with a pen.

It also allowed only one marking. Ballots with two markings would be considered invalid.

Political parties are worried that voters are too used to the old system, and that there is not enough time to re-educate all 170 million of them.