Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 9, Number 9, 1 September 1992 — Registration count down for primary election [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Registration count down for primary election

Oct. 5 deadline to register for general, OHA election

Primary eleehon day is Sept. 19 but there may be fewer voters turning out due to record low registration rates. Lt. Governor Ben Cayetano announced in mid-July "We have about 40,000 fewer people registered for the upcoming primary election than were registered for the 1990 primary election." Cayetano said "Approximately 440,000 were registered for the 1990 primary; just under 400,000 are currently registered." Cayetano said voter registration had been on the increase in 1988 and 1990.

Aug. 20 was the last day to register to vote in the primary election. However. voters may still register by Oct. 5 to vote in the general and OHA elections. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Cayetano added, "What is most disturbing is that districts whieh could least afford to lose their proportional electoral voice have actually and substantially lost voters. In 1990 nine districts had less than 50 percent of the eligible populahon registered and no districts were under 40 percent. Today, 19 districts are registered at a rate less than 50 percent and six of those districts are registered at less than 40 percent."

"This means districts like the 30th (Iwilei/Mapunapuna), 29th (Kapalama) and 43rd (Nanakuli/Barber's Point) with rates of less than 40 percent and about 5,000 registered voters, actually have about half the number of voters compared to

districts with about double the rate of registration such as the 17th (Kahala), 13th (Lihu'e) and the 14th (Waimea/Ni'ihau). This effectively reverses the intention of reapportionment, to attempt to

make eenain that all districts are equal." Hawaiians are seriously under-registered as voters. Though Hawaiians make up about 20 percent of the state population, their actual voting numbers may be only 10 percent, at best guess. In some dis-

tricts there are estimated to be more unregistered eligible Hawaiians than there are registered ones, according to OHA government affairs officer Jalna Keala. Statewide about two-thirds of eligible Hawaiians are not registered, she said. To change that outlook, Keala is onee again spearheading OHA's involvement in Hui Ho'ala, a voter registration and education outreach project,working with the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, that includes other Hawaiian organiza-

tions such as Alu Like, Kamehameha Schools / Bishop Estate, Lunalilo Home, State Council of Hawaiian Homestead Associations, the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs and Bishop Museum. Volunteer registrars will be setting up voter registration tables in targeted communities, at shopping centers, and public events. In 1990, an additional 17,000 OHA voters were registered in statewide signups. The OHA eleehon that year had the highest ever registcred voters and turnout,

Under reapportionment, even though Hawaiians are the largest population in a district, if they ar e not registered or if they do not vote, their issues will eonhnue tqgo un-addressed. Above, district registration on O'ahu.