Ke Alahou, Volume I, Number 10, 1 December 1980 — OHA ELECTION RESULTS [ARTICLE]

OHA ELECTION RESULTS

The November 4th election for the trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs was predictable as well as perplexing. The trustees elected at large are: Roy L. Benham (4,668 votes cast or 14.3%); Rod K. Burgess (5,229 or 16.0%); Frenchy De Soto (9,298 or 28.5%); and Thomas Kaulukukui (3,836 or 11.7%). Representing Hawaii county: Malama Solomon (8,801 or 27.0%); representing Maui county (Maui and Lanai): Joe Kealoha (7,918 or 24.3%); representing Molokai: Walter Ritte (13,502 or 41.4%); representing Oahu county: Peter K. Apo (5,317 or 16.3%); and representing Kauai couifty (Kauai and Niihau): Moses Moke Keale (12,545 or 38.5%). Their election and those candidates in the upper percentages of the coimted yojtes ean be generally said to fall in these three areas of reason}ng: 1) name recognition 2) previous community activities 3) well-financed eampaign. It seems to be a Qpmbination of the above or at least one attribute of the above to give justification for the voting results. However, these elected trustees, appear to represent a cross-section of our community. There are businessmen, government workers t eommunity activists, educators; and several are known to be active in Qhurch, Civic Clubs 4 political movements and land devel.Qpment. Their|?iajor task in the near future will be to 14re a staff and administratordirector and procuring the operation funds from the State. / There was a turnout of 42,848 voters out of a total of 54,083 registered wters, or 79.2%. One must also remember that there ai£ 10*289 or 24.0% and henee were noi counted in the election. These were votes that were blank, over-voted or invalid. Totals from the different islands were: (7,446 registered; 6,156 voted or 82.6%); Maul county (Lanai and Molokai) - (6,336 registered; 4,760 voted or 75.1%); Oahu (37,346 registered; 29,499 votedor,7a.9%); and Kauai (Niihau) - (2,955 re§istered; 2,433 voted qr 82.3%). There was estimated to be 85,780 eligible Hawaiians in the State, and this indicates that the elected trustees are actualli r minority candidates. The. trustees at large received somewhere in the percentage range of 11,7% to 41.4%. There are 53,367 or 50.1% .of people who by ehoiee did not participate in this election and this factor must notbe ignored by the trustees, Their decisions and actions must also i , eflect or cqnsider this larger amount of people. There have been many suggestions and criticisms of the eleeiion, and one of tbem is that Lanai and Niihau had no direct, representation. The results from Niihau seem to be contrary to this argument. There is, however, a more perplexing issue at stake. The results from School precinct show 147 registered, 66 voted or 44.8%* This is the lowest turnout ia tlie entire state - 3 votes were ca4ifor Hartwell K, Blake; 62 or 93.9% for Moses Nloke Keale (a Niihauan] and 1 blank vote, It is quite evident that those who did vote there voted for someone who seems to represent their island 4 in fact he is a Niihauan and the only trustee who speaks Hawailan, However, the question remains as to why this small island community, in particular the B1 other voters 4 chose not to vote, Eesults fromJUw High School aud «how 77 yesristyed; 46 voted or 62.3%. 5 voted tor Rfchwd K mopil Sr,; 2 for Joe Kealoha»* 2 for HwoM K, Leei 6 for Heleu Lindsey* " for K, Mahoe; 10 rorphartes Ma\well 4 l for Rod Kftnhanui Paahana; and 6 Nani S .. to these flgures is the fact that Maui eounh

(Districts 5 & 6) voted for Richard K. Hoopii Sr. (646 and 684 votes); Charles K. Maxwell (485 and 532); and followed by Joe KealoheT(267 and3l9). Kealoha, through the support of Hawaii and Oahu counties, won the trusteeship and Maui county remains the exception to the rule as M outside n influence did not affect the outcome of the other islands. Since there were so many candi4ates.running, the data is extremely di|ficult to analyze. We eannol yet tell if there were any vpting patterns in our community. The overall voter turnout for the areas with the highest number of registered voters are in District 21 — Waianae (6,077 registered, 4,417 voted or 72.6%); MailiJĒlementary School (1,077 registered, 744 voted or 69,0%); Nanakuli Rec. Center (1,839 registered, 1,344 voted or 73.0%);and Makakilo Elem, School (558 registered, 400 voted or 71.6%). DiStrict 26 — Waimanalo Elem/Interm. School (2,111 registered, 1,061 voJed or 75.8%). The lo>vest tumout (again) at Niihau Schoo| precinct of Kauai county with 44,6% and the highest for a district with a large amount of registered voters vvas District 8 (WaialaeKahala to Aina Oahu county) with 834 registered, 718 voted or 86.0%. nole: There have been recently made public cf!ticlsms and ā mass of rumors being circulated about the Office, tts trustees, and the V.O.H.A. Whether or not thesq statemen\s are true we do not know, however s w r e >jvUl not judgment one \vay or anothfr unt!l something \s actually done. We would hope that others inllie cQinmunity wouldhold the same constraint. | 1 ! - i i *