Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 7, Number 1, 1 January 1990 — Be sure your vote is counted [ARTICLE]

Be sure your vote is counted

By Ann L. Moore and Deborah L. Ward Ballots for the single definition vote were mailed Dec. 5 and should now be in the hands of all OHAvoters who were registered as of Dec. 15. A postal card reminder will be sent to all voters who have not returned their ballot. Part of the card is a detachable return card whieh may be used to request a replacement ballot through Jan. 15. Anyone who has not received a ballot may request a replacement up to Jan. 15 when the final replacement mailing will take plaee. To be counted, a voter's ballot must be postmarked no later then midnight, Jan. 25. The postal cards and ballots are return-postage-paid. The plebiscite is being funded by general funds of the state, appropriated by the 1989 legislature specifically for the purpose of conducting the plebiscite. No OHA funds are involved. The plebiscite being conducted by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs asks: As it defines the beneficiaries of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs trust and entitlements, should be term "Natiue Hawaiian" mean all descendants of the indigenous people inhabiting the Hawaiian Islands prior to 1778? Thomas K. Kaulukukui, chairman of the OHA trustees, said on the KHON — TV broadcast on the plebiscite that the voting affects OHA only. "lt has nothing to do with the Hawaiian Homes Lands." Further, Kaulukukui noted the double definition is pulling the Hawaiian community apart. "We are all one family. We are all Hawaiian," he said. Changes have been incorporated in this year's balloting based on weak-

nesses identified following the 1988 plebiscite. The board of trustees endorsed the following at its Dec. 7 meeting at the OHA Honolulu offices: • A re-phrasing of the question to explicitly include the language of the proposed single definition; • Inclusion of the board-approved policies on the ballot stating that the single definition will not affect the beneficiaries of the Hawaiian Home Lands Trust and that, based on demonstrated need, preference is assured to the Hawaiians of 50-percent-or-more-blood; • There will be an English-Hawaiian language wording of the ballot to assure understanding among OHA voters; • There will be a Honolulu mailing point and first class postage to assure prompt delivery and forwarding when possible; • There will be close coordination with the state Election Advisory Committee, the Lieutenant Governor's office and county clerks in the identification of OHA voters, generation of mailing labels, conduct of the plebiscite and the collection and counting of ballots; and • Finally that rules will be developed to guide the integrity and accuracy of the plebiscite. The result of the plebiscite vote is due at the state Iegislature by Jan. 31, 1990. Among the rules guarding the conduct and aecuracy of the 1990 plebiscite on the single beneficiary class definition for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs are the following: • Ballots will be mailed to qualified OHA voters. Such voters are those who are currently registered to participate in OHA elections, those who were registered but did not participate in the 1988 OHA general election and those who registered by

Dec. 15, 1989. • In order to be counted ballots must be cast by qualified voters using the official OHA plebiscite ballot; a ballot must be received with a postmark of no later than midnight of Jan. 25, 1990. Eaeh voter must sign the back of the return-mail envelope. This is to attest the voter is the person to whom the ballot was mailed. It is similar to signing the poll book when a person votes. If the back of the return envelope is not signed, the vote will not be counted. If more than one ballot is returned (in the instance of a replacement ballot having been mailed) the first affirmed ballot will be counted and all others discarded. • The first "yes" (" 'Ae") or "No" ("A'ole) will be considered the vote cast. The baIlot in its own sealed envelope will remain secret because, after the signature is checked against the label, the outer envelope is separated from the secret ballot envelope and discarded. The secret ballots are then collected for counting.