But when Indonesians go to the polls in legislative and presidential elections Wednesday, 40-year-old Haeruddin will not be among them.

“I’m golput,” he told The Washington Post, referring to the golput, or “white,” movement, named for the white part of a ballot paper rather than a candidate’s party logo.

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“I would not be voting if the government doesn’t pay attention to the people here,” added Haeruddin, who uses one name, as do many Indonesians. “All my neighbors will be golput, too.”

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His decision reflects a growing trend across Indonesia as many potential voters say they will vote for no one for president. The idea is to send a message of dissatisfaction to Widodo, who is seeking a second term, and his competitor for a second time, Prabowo Subianto, a former military commander.

It’s unclear whether the blank-vote drive will have any major sway over the election results. Most opinion polls give Widodo a comfortable lead.

But there is little doubt that in places such as Palu, the anger is directed mostly at Widodo and his administration for the uneven response to last year’s twin disasters. Elsewhere in Indonesia, others who proclaim themselves golput are self-identified progressives dissatisfied with the president.

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But they also appear reluctant to back Prabowo, who allegedly committed human rights abuses in the past. Prabowo was accused of kidnapping dissidents during the “New Order era” under authoritarian president Suharto more than two decades ago.

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Widodo also has faced some criticism for his choice of running mate, Ma’ruf Amin, known for his belligerent stance on minority rights.

Under Widodo’s watch, Indonesia’s handling of the Palu twin disasters was roundly criticized, as were its outdated warning systems that failed to predict the incoming tsunami. The government also limited foreign help afterward, opting to handle the response largely by itself as the death toll in Palu and surrounding areas reached about 4,000.

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Six months later, the recovery has stalled. Yusrin Banna, who led protests in Palu and neighboring cities last month, said many people are restless because aid promises never materialized.

“We’ve met with victims. We went to shelters and temporary residences. In the end, after hearing their grievances, [we learned that] they’re growing nonchalant about politics. They’re too busy minding themselves,” he said.

Damage in Palu, Indonesian authorities said, cost more than $1.6 billion. Some of the aid comes in different plans and installments — all of which are at times hampered by discord between the central and local governments.

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Indonesia’s vice president, Jusuf Kalla, was angry, according to news reports, that pledges for daily relief allowances — the equivalent of 70 cents for each family member — have been caught up in red tape.

Haeruddin, too, said he has yet to receive the allowances and the promised rebuilding fund of about $3,500. He and his 4-year-old son recently moved in with his parents because their temporary residence “was too hot and couldn’t withstand rain.”

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About 600 of the 1,200 temporary shelters initially planned have been built, according to Arie Setiadi Moerwanto, who leads the government’s program to rebuild housing in Sulawesi.

Opinions of elections among survivors of Indonesia’s natural disasters are varied, said Titi Anggraini, director of the monitoring group Association for Elections and Democracy.

“Some of them got in contact with aid groups, so they became more humanitarian with their outlook,” she said, referring to her findings in Aceh province, which was struck by a tsunami in 2004 that killed more than 150,000 people in Indonesia and tens of thousands more across the Indian Ocean region. “They may also tend to care for their well-beings, rather than politics.”

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Golput rejectionists are not new. The movement goes back to the 1970s, when activists protested that elections under the Suharto regime were mere formalities.

Indonesia held its first direct presidential election in 2004, six years after the toppling of Suharto’s regime. Widodo won in Central Sulawesi by almost 10 points against Prabowo.

Despite leading the protests last month, Yusrin said he will be voting but noted that many others will probably not.