Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 21, Number 7, 1 July 2004 — Make voting a priority this election year [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Make voting a priority this election year

Aloha mai kākou. We have just seen six months of the year 2004 pass. If you thought time just whizzed by, the next few months will seem faster and bring on a lot more excitement, especially since this is an election year. Yes, I did say "election year," for those of you who'd like to run for the nearest shelter when those two provoking words are mentioned. Actually, an election year ean be very stimulating for folks who love to scrutinize the very beings of candidates who promise what they ean to prove themselves the better candidate. Four OHA seats are to be decided in the General Election. For OHA candidates, there is no primary election. Eaeh OHA seat carries a four-year term: 1 - At-Large (no specific residence requirement) 1 - Kaua'i/Ni'ihau (residence required on Kaua'i or Ni'ihau) 1 - Moloka'i/Lāna'i (residence required on Moloka'i or Lana'i) 1 - Hawai'i (residence required on Hawaii'i)

If you value your Hawaiian heritage, you must vote in this election! To assist and educate us about voting, we ean rely on the Office of Elections, a government agency of the State of Hawai'i, whose mission is to provide accessible, convenient and secure election services to citizens statewide. Check out the Office of Elections' website www.hawaii.gov/elections. You'll find it very informative and helpful. One website banner reads, "Voting is an essential part of our democratie process. By voting you choose the representatives who will make decisions whieh affect you, your family and your community. If you care about the future of Hawai'i, register and VOTE!" Hawaii'i has two types of eleetions, a Primary Election, whieh is Sat., Sept. 18, 2004 and a General Election, whieh is Tues., Nov. 2, 2004. To vote in the Hawaii'i Elections, an individual must be properly registered to vote. You must be a United States citizen and a resident of Hawai'i to register to vote. To register to vote, you

will need to fill out a "Wikiwiki Voter Registration" form. Forms are available over the Internet at www.hawaii.gov/elections, or at the following locations statewide: Satellite City Hall locations, all puhlie libraries, all U.S. Post Offices, Office of the City/County Clerks and most state agencies including the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Shortly after registering to vote, you should receive a "Notice of Voter Registration Address Confirmation" (yellow) card from the county clerk's office. This card will tell you where your polling plaee is. The most eommon way of voting is to go to the polling plaee assigned to you on the designated voting day. But, you have two other choices to the traditional election day polling plaee voting method. The first ehoiee is to vote via a mail-in absentee ballot. The second method is to vote at an absentee walk-in polling plaee before the designated Election Day. Either ehoiee requires the voter to fill out the

"Application for Absentee Voter Ballot." If you choose the mail-in alternative, a ballot will be mailed to you to vote prior to the designated Election Day. This option is a wise ehoiee for those who cannot vote at your polling plaee for whatever reason. I have heard that this is good for those who like to vote with your 'ohana sitting around the dinner table enjoying a kūkākūkā session and picking the candidates of your ehoiee. And there you have it; the steps to voting in Hawai'i are quite simple. The hard part is choosing the right candidate. But that is your job, your responsibility ! Learn as mueh as you ean about the candidates running for office so that your vote really counts. May all your candidates win! As always, my staff and I invite your comments on the above or any other concerns within our purview. My OHA access numbers are: phone 594-1854, fax 594-0210 and e-mail address - dantec@oha.org. A hui hou, mālama pono. ■

[?]

Dante Keala Carpenter Trustee, O'ahu