Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 5, Number 12, 1 December 1988 — Four OHA Trustees Win Re-Election [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Four OHA Trustees Win Re-Election

In a season of some surprising political upsets in loeal Hawai'i elections, the four incumbent members of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees, handily won re-election in the OHA Eleetion November 8. Returning for a new four-year term starting November 29 will be Trustees Moanikeala Akaka (Hawai'i), present chairman Louis Hao (Moloka'i), Thomas K. Kaulukukui, Sr. (At-Large), and Moses K. Keale, Sr. (Kaua'i and Ni'ihau). Eaeh expressed their mahalo to the many voters who expressed confidence in them by voting. The number of registered OHA voters this year was 63,452, an increase of 16,443 voters from the 59,895 registered in the Iast election in 1986. The actual votes cast this year amounted to 48,238, a 76 percent turnout. In 1986 the actual ballots cast amounted to 47,420, or 79.2 percent turnout. Part of the reason for the increased numbers of registered OHA voters was due to a strong Hawai'i voter registration campaign this spring conducted

by the Office of Lieutenant Governor Benjamin J. Cayetano. The $250,000 campaign was launched to reverse a ten-year decline in statewide voter registration. It brought the eligible number of voters for the November 8 general eleehon up to 443,742. OHA also implemented its own plan to augment the statewide registration of OHA voters. Its aim was to add an additional 20,000 voters and increase actual turnout to 80 percent. Volunteer deputy voter registrars were recruited and trained, and from April up to the registration deadline of October 11, the 12 volunteers and coordinator Solomon Loo put in 232 hours "where the people were," and signed up 861 OHA voters at sports events, stores, community meetings, festivals, and through the 'ohana networks. See Election Results, page 2

OHA Trustees take the oath of office administered by Chief Jusitce Herman Lum.