Kaua‘i voters are expected to turn out in droves today to cast their ballots in a historic election on both the national and local levels. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 6 p.m. The state Office of Elections
Kaua‘i voters are expected to turn out in droves today to cast their ballots in a historic election on both the national and local levels.
Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 6 p.m. The state Office of Elections recommends avoiding long lines by voting during non-peak hours: from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., or from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Eligible citizens must be registered to vote and present a valid photo ID.
Not sure where to vote? Visit hawaii.gov/elections and click on “Polling Place Locator” or call the county Elections Division at 241-6350.
County Clerk Peter Nakamura said yesterday that the Elections Division is hoping for a high turnout, but longer lines are likely.
He said there are 1,449 new registered voters on Kaua‘i since the Sept. 20 primary, bringing the total number of registered voters for the general election to 40,323.
Early voting is also up compared to the last presidential election in 2004 when 9,296 voters cast absentee ballots.
Some 5,114 voters took advantage of early walk-in voting, which ended Saturday. As of Friday, 5,916 mail-in ballots have been counted with more coming in.
Nakamura said the Elections Division mailed 7,590 absentee ballots to voters for the general election this year, up 23 percent over the primary.
At the top of the ballot this year is the race between leading presidential candidates Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama. The winner of the 22-month battle will serve in the White House for the next four years.
If McCain wins, his vice presidential running mate Sarah Palin will be the first woman to serve in that slot. If Obama wins, he will be the first black elected to the nation’s top post. More than $1 billion has reportedly been spent between the two campaigns, which have been running neck-and-neck.
Also at the federal level, Rep. Mazie Hirono, D-2nd District, is looking to hold onto her seat for another two years against challengers Republican Roger Evans, Libertarian Jeff Mallan and Independent Shaun Stenshol.
At the state level, Lawrence Fillhart is racing against incumbent Maggie Cox for Kaua‘i’s Board of Education seat.
For the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Kaua‘i voters will help decide an at-large race between Haunani Apoliona, Helene Honda, Colin Kippen and Sol Nalua‘i. Donald Cataluna was unopposed for Kauai‘i’s seat. The term is four years.
Voters will also decide if Sen. Gary Hooser, D-Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau, should serve another four-year term or if Republican JoAnne Georgi should take office.
Kaua‘i County’s three state representatives in the Legislature were unopposed.
At the local level, Kaua‘i is having a special election for the two years left on the late Mayor Bryan Baptiste’s term in office.
After Baptiste unexpectedly died June 22, Council Chair Bill “Kaipo” Asing stepped down to serve as the county’s chief executive until Dec. 1 when newly elected candidates take office.
Former Councilman Daryl Kaneshiro was appointed to fill the vacant seat, essentially adding a non-elected incumbent to the race when he later announced his intention to seek a full two-year term.
With Council members JoAnn Yukimura, Mel Rapozo and Shaylene Iseri-Carvalho not returning since they decided to run for other elected offices, there will be at least two new faces on the legislative body.
Incumbents Jay Furfaro, Ron Kouchi and Tim Bynum joined Asing and Kaneshiro in the list of top seven vote-getters at the primary along with newcomers Derek Kawakami and Dickie Chang.
They will be looking to hold onto those positions at the general election against the other seven candidates: KipuKai Kuali‘i, Bruce Pleas, Lani Kawahara, Christobel Kealoha, Rhoda Libre, George Thronas Jr. and Ron Agor. The terms in the at-large non-partisan race are two years.
Aside from electing candidates, Kaua‘i voters today will decide several issues.
Six proposed County Charter amendments deal with the logistics of county elections, the application of the State Sunshine Law in council executive sessions, conflicts of interest, the establishment of a county auditor and revisions to the General Plan.
Statewide voters will determine if a Constitutional Convention should be held to review the state’s principal governing document. Voters are asked the question every decade but the last ConCon, as it is called, was in 1978.
For more information, visit hawaii.gov/elections.
