Hawaii County elections officials are proceeding with elections preparations, including mailing updated voter registration cards, as though the state’s district maps are finalized. Hawaii County elections officials are proceeding with elections preparations, including mailing updated voter registration cards, as though
Hawaii County elections officials are proceeding with elections preparations, including mailing updated voter registration cards, as though the state’s district maps are finalized.
A state representative and five Hawaii voters filed a lawsuit earlier this month challenging the state’s reapportionment plan. The primary election is just four months away, on Aug. 11. It is the second legal challenge to the reapportionment plan.
Every 10 years, following the federal census, a state committee convenes to redraw the lines for state representatives and senators. The process, called reapportionment, allots the state’s legislators based upon population. A similar process, undertaken at the same time, is completed on the county level. Hawaii County refers to the process here, which establishes County Council districts, as redistricting.
County Clerk Jamae Kawauchi said state elections officials told her during an April 10 meeting to proceed with the map the reapportionment committee approved that gave Hawaii Island an additional state senator. That map was filed and approved after several Big Island residents challenged an earlier version. The Hawaii Supreme Court upheld Hawaii Island residents’ request to throw out the committee’s first plan, on the grounds that the committee counted nonresident military members. Counting those nonresidents allowed Oahu to retain its current number of senators.
The decision angered many Oahu legislators, where redrawn district lines pitted incumbents against each other.
“We are proceeding according to the latest rendition of the map,” Kawauchi said. “I don’t have any other instructions.”
Her office will be mailing out updated voter registration cards, reflecting the new district boundary lines, in early summer, she said. The yellow cards will inform each voter of voting districts and precinct information for Aug. 11 primary and Nov. 6 general election.
Kawauchi said voters should expect to see new polling places, based on the new districts. Hawaii County also drew new council district lines, based on the county’s Redistricting Commission’s recommendation.
