Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 7, Number 12, 1 December 1990 — Record turnout at polls [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Record turnout at polls

Voters sweep in new OHA trustees

In an election year where many incumbents in other statewide races were overwhelmingly reelected, only one incumbent Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustee, A. Frenchy DeSoto of Wai'anae, will return for a new term. However, O'ahu trustee Clarence F. T. Ching, Maui trustee Manu Kahaiali'i and Rod Burgess, trustee at-large, were outnumbered in the balloting by newcomers. A fifīh trustee, Kevin M. K. "Chubby" Mahoe, did

not seek re-election after one term on the board. Taking office with DeSoto for a four-year term to 1994 will be four new Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustees. Filling the O'ahu seat will be former state senator Clayton Hee. Retired Maui poliee chief Abe Aiona will fil! that island seat. Elected as new trustees at-large with DeSoto were Rowena Akana, a counselor for Alu Like, and Kamaki A. Kanahele, former OHA administrator.

The five new trustees will join the other four trustees on the nine-member board. Trustees with two years remaining to serve in their term are: OHA board chairman Thomas K. Kaulukukui, Big Island trustee Moanikeala Akaka, Moloka'i-Lana'i trustee Louis Ha'o, and Kaua'i island trustee Moses K. Keale, Sr.

Following a waiting period of 20 days for contesting an eleehon, certification of eleehon results may take plaee. New trustees were to take the oath of office on Nov. 29 in the State Supreme Court chambers of Chief Justice Herman Lum. A formal investiture ceremony was planned for Dec. 5 at Kawaiaha'o church. The first meeting of the new board will be on Dec. 14. Of 65,773 registered OHA voters this year, 49,231 (or 75 percent) turned out to vote for the 29

candidates running for office of trustee. The final eleehon report of the elections division, Office of the Lt. Governor, showed the following results in the OHA eleehon (• indicates incumbent). At-Large candidates (3) Votes received Akana. Rowena 18.318 DeSoto, A. Frenchy* 17.581

Kanahele, Kamaki A. 13,800 Burgess, Rod* 12,033 Wong, Edwina 7,606 Dela Cruz, Linda 7,380 Freitas, Bob 5,838 Kamakea, Radine 4,726 Kekipi, Velma P. 4,681 Peters, Sam M., Jr. 4,568 Kepo'o, Arthur F. 4,211 Kapana, Abraham 4,077 Kahaialii-Kaopio, Kaipolani 3,998 Sallas, Dennis 3,370 Peters, Wilson 3,094 Wasson, Dawn 2,477 Pratt, Herbert N. 2,461 Manaku, James K. 1,573

Maui (1) Votes received Aiona, Abe 19 612 Maxwell, Charles 7 577 Makekau, Clinton K. 7 11] Kahaiali'i, Manu* 5 733 O'ahu (1) Hee. Clayton jg 495 Ching, Clarence F T.« 5 621 Kaina, Enoeh N. 5 583

Hoohuli, Josiah L. 5,152 Nihipali, R. Kunani 5,028 Hubbard, Lela Malina 2,379 Tanouye, Charles Y., Jr. 1248

In the 1990 OHA Board of Trustees eleehon, voter registration and turnout were the highest yet of six elections held since 1980. There were 65,773 registered OHA voters in this year's election, an increase of 17,535 newly-registered voters from the last election in 1988. Actual voter turnout was 49,231 (75 percent) a gain of 993 voters. An active drive to reach and register eligible Hawaiian voters was conducted this fall by Hui Ho'ala, an allianee of pro-Hawaiian organizations, in conjunction with the Elections Division of the Office of the Lt. Governor.

Hui Ho'ala volunteers targeted communities known to have high percentages of Hawaiian residents and conducted door-to-door visits and signup days in community centers. The volunteers also tried to make transportation arrangements for persons needing help to get to the polling plaee. Lending their support to the efforts of Hui Ho'ala were Alu Like, ine., the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate, Lunalilo Trust, Lili'uokalani Trust, E Ola Mau, Bishop Museum, the State Council of Hawaiian Homesteads, the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs, and Papa Ola Lokahi.

Top row: Trustees elected to new fouryear terms. Bottom row: Outgoing trustees.

Abe Aiona

Rowena Akana

Frenchy DeSoto

Clayton Hee

Kamaki Kanahele

Rod Burgess

Clarence Ching

Manu Kahaialii

Kevin Mahoe

OFFICE OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS VOTER REGISTRATION AND TURNOUT 1980- 1990

Year 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 Averages:

Registered Voters 54,083 63,950 59,204 59,895 63,452 65,773 61,059

Turned Out To Vote 42,848 42,390 43,064 47,420 48,238 49,231 45,141

Percentage Voting 79% 66% 73% 79% 76% 75% 74%