Recount confirms County Council outcome

LIHU‘E — An automatically triggered recount conducted Thursday evening confirmed the previously reported results of the Kaua‘i County Council race.

The new Kaua‘i County Council is now incumbent Luke Evslin (13,118 votes, 11.26 percent), incumbent Bernard Carvalho (12,332, 10.58 percent), Dr. Addison Bulosan (11,494, 9.86 percent), former council member Mel Rapozo (11,134, 9.55 percent), incumbent KipuKai Kuali‘i (10,894, 9.35 percent), incumbent Felicia Cowden (10,372, 8.9 percent) and incumbent Billy DeCosta (10,070, 8.64 percent).

Not making the cut this year are former council member Ross Kagawa (9,909, 8.5 percent), Fern Anuenue Holland (8,735, 7.5 percent), Lila Balmores Metzger (5,032, 4.3 percent), Rachel Secretario (4,353, 3.74 percent), Shirley Simbre-Medeiros (4,009, 3.44 percent), Nelson Mukai (2,567, 2.2 percent) and Roy Saito (2,511, 2.15 percent).

Results were slow to be released due to an unprecedented number of ballots submitted close to deadline.

“Staff and operations were overwhelmed by the record volume of mail ballots returned and in-person voters casting ballots at the Voter Service Center on General Election Day,” said Lyndon Yoshioka, Office of the County Clerk Elections Division elections administrator.

He reported that 37 percent (8,700) of the mail ballots were processed after 7 p.m. on election day, along with 870 in-person votes.

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Guthrie Scrimgeour, reporter, can be reached at 808-647-0329 or gscrimgeour@thegardenisland.com.