HILO — Three West Hawaii precincts that opened late on primary election day were among the four with the worst voter turnout in the county, a trend that leads at least one candidate to question whether the late openings cost her crucial votes.
HILO — Three West Hawaii precincts that opened late on primary election day were among the four with the worst voter turnout in the county, a trend that leads at least one candidate to question whether the late openings cost her crucial votes.
A West Hawaii Today analysis of the county’s 40 precincts shows that Kahakai Elementary School, the polling place that opened the latest at 8:40 a.m., had a dismal 29.1 percent voter turnout, compared to the county average of 42.6 percent. Second came Waikoloa Elementary School. It opened at 7:45 a.m. and ended the day with a 32.7 percent turnout. Kona Palisades Community Center, which opened at 7:52 a.m., had a 33.8 percent turnout. Polls were supposed to open at 7 a.m.
The analysis calculated complete voter turnout, adding early walk-in, mailed absentee ballots and election day voting in an attempt to take into account the impact of this year’s surge in absentee ballots. Comparing turnout to the last mayoral primary election, in 2008, was difficult because absentee ballots weren’t reported by precinct that election year.
However, all three precincts showed at least 100 more election day voters in the 2008 primary than this year.
A West Hawaii Today reporter was on the scene at Kahakai Elementary before it opened on primary day.
Kailua-Kona resident John Repasky Sr. and his wife, Barbara, arrived at 7:10 a.m. to cast their ballots. They waited roughly 90 minutes to vote. They heard five people explain that they only had an hour from their employer to vote. After the five were told by poll workers to wait or come back, the Repaskys watched all five people leave, clearly upset because they didn’t get to vote.
“They put the election in jeopardy,” John Repasky said. “For the people running, they lost about two hours of votes.”
In all, 13 precincts opened late that day, although four of those were less than five minutes late, and five opened within half an hour, according to a report released Thursday by the state Office of Elections. The election got off to such a rocky start that Gov. Neil Abercrombie issued a proclamation giving Hawaii County polling places an extra hour and a half to remain open.
The six-page report from state Chief Elections Officer Scott Nago blasted County Clerk Jamae Kawauchi for not having control over the election and then, once problems cropped up, not providing enough information for the state to make good decisions.
“The county clerk on election day is supposed to be like a field general with a plan of attack, who acts confidently and has the support of his or her troops,” the report said. “The county clerk was in no way, shape or form that type of leader.”
Kawauchi, in an emailed response, said she disagreed with Nago’s assessment, adding he was being “overly critical.” She said she met with West Hawaii precinct officials Wednesday and discussed the mistakes and came up with ways of preventing them in the General Election.
“This tells me that Hawaii County is moving forward to doing everything that we can to have a fair and well-run election in the general,” she said.
Hilo Councilman Dennis Onishi, a frequent critic of the county clerk, questions whether people knew about the extended hours in time, or whether they were able to change their schedules to return to the polling places.
Onishi is expected to lead the questioning of Kawauchi at a special County Council meeting Monday. The agenda for the meeting, which begins at 10 a.m., says only that Kawauchi will give a detailed report. No council action has been agendized.
“People have a right to an open and fair election. I felt they didn’t, especially on the west side, people weren’t able to vote when they went in,” said Onishi, who won re-election without a challenger. “Their rights were violated. When the people went there, they couldn’t vote.”
Former state Sen. Lorraine Inouye, who garnered 69 fewer votes than the winner for the District 4 state Senate Democratic primary, Malama Solomon, has hired legal counsel and will likely file a petition with the Hawaii Supreme Court under state law governing “contests for cause.”
“I know I would do well in Waikoloa,” Inouye said. “I could have easily made 69 votes.”
The report from the state Elections Office, however, disagrees with Inouye’s assessment.
“The irregularities complained of, while unfortunate, do not rise to the level of changing the election results,” the report said.
The report criticized Kawauchi for not being more clear on how many polls opened late and how late. Because she was unclear, the governor had no choice but to issue the emergency proclamation, the report said.
“The county clerk lacked the ability to definitively articulate the nature of the problem. … This resulted in the need for the governor to conduct triage,” the report said. “The public’s confidence was rocked by this emergency proclamation, which normally is only issued when a natural disaster or emergency occurs.”
The problems with the county Elections Division started in January, when Kawauchi fired Elections Administrator Pat Nakamoto and three other employees when evidence surfaced about a private sign-making business and drinking parties being held at the county elections warehouse. The county has a zero-alcohol tolerance policy.
Following a union grievance process, Nakamoto and one of the other employees were reinstated. But Nakamoto, who was supposed to return to the job July 30, didn’t come back, Kawauchi said.
Kawauchi’s shortage of seasoned staff was exacerbated just days before the election, when the acting elections administrator and two other key employees unexpectedly took sick days and didn’t show up for work until the following week.
As the boss, Kawauchi was taking full responsibility for the election problems Thursday. But still, she questions whether the two main problems that caused the late openings — three misdelivered election “cans” bearing poll books and passwords, and an employee failing to program phone numbers into cellphones delivered to polling places — could have been anticipated.
“I don’t want to make excuses,” Kawauchi said, “but I do want the public to be aware there were circumstances I couldn’t control.”
PRECINCT LOCATION RGSTRD EDAY ABWALK ABMAIL TURNOUT %TURNOUT OPENED
06-02 Kahakai Elementary School 3,770 543 146 407 1,096 29.07% 8:40 a.m.
07-02 Waikoloa Elementary School 3,934 677 120 491 1,288 32.74% 7:45 a.m.
02-02 Edith Kanakaole Tennis Stad 1,916 275 105 263 643 33.56% on time
06-05 Kona Palisades Comm Ctr 2,870 501 158 310 969 33.76% 7:53 a.m.
07-01 West Hawaii Civic Ctr 1,338 177 91 201 469 35.05% on time
06-04 Kealakehe High School 3,385 541 193 471 1,205 35.60% on time
05-02 Ocean View Comm Ctr 1,851 401 35 234 670 36.20% 7:02 a.m.
04-03 Pahoa Comm Ctr 3,066 625 155 336 1,116 36.40% on time
07-03 Kohala High and Elementary School 3,762 700 100 576 1,376 36.58% 7:01 a.m.
06-03 Kekuaokalani Gym at Kailua Park 2,843 455 146 454 1,055 37.11% on time
05-08 Kona Vistas Rec Ctr 3,720 647 164 576 1,387 37.28% 8:40 a.m.
01-07 Puueo Multi-Culture Ctr 1,656 321 112 202 635 38.35% on time
05-03 Milolii Halau 545 116 14 79 209 38.35% 7:20 a.m.
03-03 Pocket precinct- Pahoa 182 0 1 70 71 39.01% on time
04-02 Keonepoko Elementary School 5,244 1,182 214 669 2,065 39.38% on time
03-05 Mountain View Elementary School 2,450 540 117 311 968 39.51% on time
07-05 Waimea New Hope Church 1,570 290 113 226 629 40.06% on time
05-07 Konawaena High School 2,095 385 99 364 848 40.48% 7:20 a.m.
05-05 St Benedict Catholic Church 769 185 19 109 313 40.70% on time
05-04 Hookena Elementary School 634 135 14 113 262 41.32% 7:29 a.m.
06-01 Holualoa Elementary School 1,054 214 45 177 436 41.37% on time
03-04 Keaau High School 4,621 955 276 697 1,928 41.72% on time
07-04 Waimea Civic Ctr 3,945 659 459 528 1,646 41.72% on time
04-01 Hawaiian Paradise Comm Ctr 5,570 1,346 262 753 2,361 42.39% on time
05-01 Naalehu Elementary School 1,336 314 27 238 579 43.34% on time
02-03 Keaukaha Elementary School 1,460 374 98 174 646 44.25% 7:01 a.m.
05-06 Konawaena Elementary School 2,854 621 100 544 1,265 44.32% on time
02-01 Hilo High School 3,705 569 302 777 1,648 44.48% on time
01-01 Honokaa High Sch 2,765 600 86 545 1,231 44.52% on time
03-07 Ka‘u High School 876 218 12 162 392 44.75% 7:10 a.m.
01-03 Papaaloa Gym 955 212 24 221 457 47.85% on time
01-05 Kulaimano Community Ctr 1,724 416 111 319 846 49.07% on time
01-10 Kaumana Elem School 1,665 375 114 331 820 49.25% on time
01-04 Honohina Hongwanji 294 92 9 44 145 49.32% on time
03-06 Cooper Ctr 1,785 510 100 306 916 51.32% on time
01-06 Kalanianaole Elem/Inter Sch 1,354 308 92 298 698 51.55% on time
01-02 Paauilo Elem Sch 885 221 44 193 458 51.75% 7:30 a.m.
03-02 Pocket precinct- Keaau 415 0 22 193 215 51.81% on time
02-04 Waiakea Elementary School 5,226 1,033 462 1,249 2,744 52.51% 7:03 a.m.
01-08 Ernest B DeSilva Elem Sch 4,634 978 402 1,144 2,524 54.47% on time
03-01 AJA Memorial Hall 3,718 874 303 934 2,111 56.78% on time
02-05 Waiakea High School 3,287 661 341 1,005 2,007 61.06% on time
TOTAL 101,728 20,246 5,807 17,294 43,347 42.61% 13
Source: State Office of Elections data