LIHU‘E — Saturday’s lowest-ever percentage turnout for a primary election on Kaua‘i is somewhat offset by the highest-ever number of registered voters for the general election. The primary turnout may show a lower interest in local elections, but the high
LIHU‘E — Saturday’s lowest-ever percentage turnout for a primary election on Kaua‘i is somewhat offset by the highest-ever number of registered voters for the general election.
The primary turnout may show a lower interest in local elections, but the high number of registered voters may be a preview of turnout for the November presidential election, according to Kaua‘i Democratic Party Chair Steven Nishimitsu. The numbers should generate enthusiasm because every vote counts, he said.
“There is no presidential primary as each party elects their representative to the general election ballot,” said Nishimitsu. “The increased voter count for this year implies higher numbers forecasted for the general election.”
The overall precinct turnout was 15,605 on Kaua‘i, or approximately 39.2 percent of the 39,834 registered voters, according to Hawai‘i Office of Elections. This number includes the absentee turnout of 8,797, which was higher than the actual precinct turnout of 6,808.
The lowest primary turnout in recent memory was 2000, when just 13,464 of 33,999 registered voters turned out. The 39.6 percentage in 2000, however, is still slightly higher than 2012.
Kaua‘i County Clerk Ricky Watanabe said the election appears to have gone well, with no reports of eligible voters trying, but unable to vote for any reason. He said it is disappointing that the 39.2 percent turnout appears to be the lowest on record for a primary election.
“It takes a tremendous amount of time and resources, and hundreds of volunteers to provide voting services,” Watanabe said. “So we urge voters to exercise their right to vote and get involved in the selection of our elected officials.”
The 2010 primary brought out 43.2 percent, or 17,208 of 39,790 registered voters in Kaua‘i. In 2008, around 46.2 percent, or 17,941 of 38,874 registered voters turned out.
“Kaua‘i usually has a lower primary turnout compared to the general election,” Nishimitsu said.
Factors related to low primary turnout include the lack of a mayoral election, Nishimitsu said. There was also a smaller field of county council candidates.
The abrupt six-week change of the primary date was also significant, Nishimitsu said. The campaigns have since revamped strategies to adjust to the additional time, he added.
The 10-year district realignment was a factor even though Kaua‘i was not much affected. He said the state elections office withheld reapportionment due to pending lawsuits, and this commonly translates into some confusion.
The statewide primary election turnout was at 42.3 percent, or 290,653 of the state’s 687,500 registered voters. The actual precinct turnout of 148,239 outnumbered the absentee ballot total of 142,414.
The major party turnout totaled 237,004 registered Democrats, and 49,435 Republicans statewide. There were 13,592 Democrats and 1,818 Republican voting in the Kaua‘i primary, with third party registered voters numbering 195 votes collectively or less than 1 percent.
The non-partisan, Green, Libertarian, special interest and multi-party voters totaled 4,614 votes collectively statewide. The third-party votes are lower on Kaua‘i when compared to 413 in 2010, and 935 in 2008.
Tracy Ryan, vice chair of the Libertarian Party of Hawai‘i, said that institutional, logistical and cultural barriers tend to narrow the field of choices in the electoral process.
“People don’t vote because experience has told them they have little chance of impacting the outcome,” Ryan said. “Even in ‘hotly’ contested races, the choice is usually that of a lesser of evils.”
Organizing alternative ideas to challenge the system is a daunting task as laws concerning ballot access and campaign finance favor those in power and create barriers for outsiders, said Ryan.
“Media contributes to the problem by dismissing under-funded candidates as ‘unelectable’ and promoting the idea that voters must choose among those who have well-funded campaigns,” he said. “Special interest money flows into support insiders while outsiders face a plethora of problems raising money from ordinary citizens.”
Hawai‘i Green Party Secretary Bob Jacobson, a former Hawai‘i County councilmember, said voters must believe that they impact outcome. It worked when Hawai‘i County approved district representation for councilmembers, he said.
“To engage voters and promote participation by greater numbers of the people on Kaua‘i, I would encourage the adoption of district representation, and this would require a charter change at the next election,” Jacobson said.
“Secondly, I would encourage Kaua‘i voters to ask the Legislature to fund publicly financed elections on Kaua‘i, or better yet, statewide, using the existing funds in the account fed by voters who choose to fund the account,” he added.
• Tom LaVenture, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or tlaventure@thegardenisland.com.
