Abstract
This study examines the transformation of social assistance into an instrument of electoral politics during the 2024 Legislative Election in Kupang Regency, Indonesia. While previous studies have widely discussed clientelism and vote buying, limited attention has been given to the management of social assistance as a political business at the local level. This research employs a qualitative case study approach through in-depth interviews, document analysis, and field observations involving political actors, bureaucrats, village heads, campaign teams, and aid recipients. Data were analyzed using thematic-critical analysis. The findings reveal that social assistance functions not only as a welfare instrument but also as electoral capital managed through patronage networks, personal funds, legislative initiatives, and bureaucratic intermediaries. Assistance distribution was used to maintain loyalty, political memory, and reciprocal obligations among poor communities. Many recipients perceived aid as a personal favor rather than a social right guaranteed by the state. This study introduces the concept of the political business of welfare to explain how poverty is transformed into an electoral resource through the personalization of social assistance. The study contributes to the literature on welfare politics and electoral clientelism in local democratic contexts.