Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 15, Number 11, 1 November 1998 — HAWAIIANS COULD SWING ELECTION ! [ARTICLE]

HAWAIIANS COULD SWING ELECTION !

By Paula Durbin AFORMER SLEEPING giant is now wide awake, according to statistics provided by the Office of Elections. Traditionally under-represented at the polls in past eleeūon years, Hawaiians have registered in unprecedented numbers to vote in the 1998 general eleeūon. With many contests too close to eall, if registered Hawaiians all follow through and show up at the polls, they could decide some hotly eontended races. Hawaiian voters, determined as those registered for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs elections, have topped the 100,000 mark. In terms of the whole electorate, said Zoya Kaupe of the Office of Eleetions, whieh reported these numbers, Hawaiians now add up to "almost one-fifth of all registered voters in the state." But OHA officials are not relying on the strength of this year's registration figures alone. "While we ean celebrate for the time being," Jalna Keala, OHA's Governmental Affairs Officer, said, "the bigger question is whether or not the OHA beneficiaries will actually get out to vote." Honolulu's daily newspapers seem to think they will. On Oct. 2, in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Pat Omandam called "the record number" of Hawaiian registered voters "a sign the native vote ean no longer be taken lightly by

politicians." Ten days later, Hon- . olulu Advertiser reporter Kevin Dayton of the Advertiser Capitol Bureau went even further. "Both Democrats and Republicans are working hard to attract the Hawaiian vote this year," he said, "with poliūeal advertising and speeches by Govemor Ben Cayetano and challenger Linda Lingle tailored to appeal to Hawaiians. Both sides elaim credit for advancing Hawai-

ian causes. The Hawaiian vote could be the swing vote in the close race for governor this year." According to Colin Kippen, OHA deputy administrator and land officer, "Hawaiians now realize that every vote counts and eollectively they ean make a huge difference." As part of the drive to ehannel this elevated consciousness, OHA sent 70,000 voter registration forms to the Hawaiian community in August and has sponsored radio and print advertisements. OHA candidates carried wikiwiki forms and distrib-

uted them on the campaign trail. Coordinated by Apolei Bargamento of OHA's Govemmental Affairs Office, deputized OHA volunteers dedicated the past summer to registering voters at shopping malls, swap meets, eoncerts, campuses and the Annexation Day rally on the grounds of 'Iolani Palaee. Also active in registering voters was Native Vote '98, sponsored by 'īlio'ulaokalani and Ka Lāhui Hawai'i and modeled on a program, and, whieh had worked successfully to bring more Alaska Natives and Native Americans to the polls in other parts of the country. The campaign swept broadly through the entire state, with a strategic concentration on 13 homestead areas known to have a high percentage of Hawaiians. OHA has documented increased registration specifically in those districts with Moloka'i, Paukūkalo, Nanakuli and Wai'anae heading the list. "All of this work, an exciting gubematorial race and the Con Con controversy contributed to interest in the eleeūon," said Keala. "I hope the number '100,000' will be the breakthrough that gives Hawaiians a sense of their power through the ballot box. Our statistics show there are still some 58,000 Hawaiians eligible to vote but who have not registered. So the effort is far from over. But for now, the urgency is to turn out and vote." ■

"Hawaiians now realize that everv vote counts ana collectively they ean make a huge dtfference." C®lin Klppen, OHA Deputy AdministrHtor