Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 7, Number 7, 1 July 1990 — Information on voting for, or running for office of trustee [ARTICLE]

Information on voting for, or running for office of trustee

Are you Hawaiian?

Eaeh person who registers to vote in the OHA eleehon will be issued an OHA ballot along with the regular eleehon ballots when they go to vote at their regular pollinq plaee.

T o vote in the OHA eleehon a person must be of Hawaiian ancestry of any blood quantum, a citizen of the United States, a resident of the State of Hawai'i, and 18-years-old or older. Hawaiians do not need to show proof of Hawaiian ancestry at the hme they register. However, they must sign an affidavit sweaiing and affirming that they are Hawaiian. If challenged, they must be able to prove they are Hawaiian. Noblood q> antum is required.

Challenges may be made before eleehon day by writing to the citu or county clerk or. on eleehon day. at the polling plaee. The election of trustees for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs is held every two years. There are nine trustees, five must be resident of the island for whieh they are running, four trustees are elected from state-wide votes cast by Hawaiians, not by island residency. Trustees serve staggered fourterms. In 1990 there are five seats vacant, two have residency requirements, O'ahu and Maui. Three openings are "at large" and just require residence in the State of Hawai'i.

Absentee Voting People may vote by absentee ballot if they • annot be at their regular polling plaee for any of the following reasons: if they Kve in a remote area, if they are house-bound, if they are in an institution, hospital or are disabled, if they are going to be away from the county of district on e'eehon day. if they are in prison for a misdemeanor or awaiting trial, if they hold a conflicting religious belief. Walk-in absentee balloting is possible approximately 10 days before the OHA election. This is done by going to the city or county clerk's office. The absentee polling places are open during regular business hours on weekdays and on Saturday morning.

Absentee voting by mail is available. To vote by mail, a registered voter must submit a written request to their city or county clerk's office no sooner than 60 days, or later than seven days before the eleehon. All absentee ballots must be returned to the clerk's office at the closing of the polls at 6 p.m. on Eleehon Day.

To Run for OHA Trustee A candidate for the OHA Board of Trustees must be a registered OHA voter. This means the candidate must be of Hawaiian ancestry of any blood quantum. 18-years-old or older, a resident of the State of Hawai'i and a citizen of the United States of America. The candidate must not hold another office or be a candidate for any office other than OHA trustee.

Nominahon papers may be picked up at the office of the I t. G vernor on O'ahu or at any County Clerk's office on the neighbor islands. Papers must be signed by no less than 25 people who are registered OHA voters. The nominahon papers must be filed at the office of the Lt. Governor (or at County Clerks' offices on the neighbor islands) no later tha' Sept. 7, 1990. NOTE: Employers, by law, must allow emplovees time off to vote if their normal working hours coincide with the pol)ing hours. For further informahon, contact the Lt. Governor's Office.

4 (This is not a legal notice. This guide was prepared from information obtainedfrom the office of the Lt Gouernor. It is a guide, not a legal notice. Anyone who has questions. or wants to file trustee candidacy papers should be sure fhey understand and are cnrrectly using the information and are advised to comact the nffice of the I t. Governor or any counfv clerk's otfice on a neighbor island.)

Office of the Lt. Governor — 548-2544 City/County Clerks Honolulu 523-4293 100 Honolulu Hale, 530 S. King St., Honolulu, Hawai'i, 96813. Hawai'i 961-8277 25 Aupuni St., Hilo, Hawai'i, 96720 Kaua'i 245-4785 4396 Rice Street, Lihue. Hawai'i. 96766. Maui 244-7825 200 South High St., Wailuku, Hawai'i 96793. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs Honolulu 946-2642 Kaua'i 245-4390 or 245-4303 Maui 244-4219 Hilo 961-7496 Kona 329-7368 Moloka'i 533-3611

Background The Office of Hawaiian Affairs IOHA) was established in 1978 by an amendment to the state Constitution. The purpose of t' e establishment o' OHA is "to promofe the betterment of conditions of Hawaiians."

OHA is the pnneipal agency that coordinates programs affecting Hawaiians. OHA receives qrants and donations for Hawaiian programs and services and serves as trustee for any reparations received now or in the future from the state or federal government. OHA receives its ineome from revenues from the public land trust (for Hawaiians of more than 50 percent native blood) and from general funds (for Hawaiians < f less than 50 percent native blood )

OHA is governed by an elected nine-member Board of Trustees that appoints an administration to carry out policy set by the board. OHA is the single self-determined voice of the Hawaiian people as eaeh trustee is an Hawaiian, elected by other Hawaiians using a secret ballot in state-wide elections on the national general eleetion day under federal and state eleehon laws.