Beleaguered county Elections Office deals with firings, redistricting

Beleaguered county Elections Office deals with firings, redistricting

By Nancy Cook Lauer

Stephens Media

It took three trips to the Hawaii County Elections Office for Councilman Donald Ikeda to file papers to run for a state Senate seat.

“They didn’t have anybody qualified to take my papers for the state. I went three days in a row,” Ikeda said last week. “It was kind of funny, really.”

Concerns about an Elections Division in disarray have prompted Hilo Councilman Dennis Onishi to ask the state Office of Elections to intercede. Among the problems, Onishi said Wednesday, are clerks not qualified to accept state filings, voter lists for candidate campaigns delayed until June and longtime volunteers bowing out because of controversies over Elections Office firings.

“Their rights are being violated and something needs to be done about it,” Onishi said. “There are a lot of problems. We need to have the state guys stepping in.”

Onishi said he wrote to state Chief Election Officer Scott Nago, describing the problems and asking for assistance, but Nago replied in an April 17 letter that Onishi needed to take the issues up with the county clerk.

The concerns are whether the Elections Division can handle a complex election during a redistricting year after its manager and three other employees were fired. State Elections Office spokesman Rex Quidilla said the state office made some inquiries, and decided that what happened to Ikeda was a fluke.

“It’s definitely not a daily occurrence,” Quidilla said. “We determined the Hilo office is capable of filing candidates.”

The employees were fired after an investigation by County Clerk Jamae Kawauchi found evidence of alcohol use and running a private business at the warehouse where election equipment is stored. Warehouse manager Glen Shikuma; his boss, Elections Program Administrator Pat Nakamoto and two other employees were fired. Three have filed claims against the county, asking for their jobs back and $500,000 each in damages.

Kawauchi said Wednesday she’s been filling positions and is confident the office can handle the election-year rush.

“To date, the office has assisted 62 potential candidates and 29 have filed,” Kawauchi said. “I’ve not received a single complaint.”

Kawauchi said staff had been undergoing training in Honolulu but there was always someone available in Hilo to assist with filings. Quidilla said his understanding was that there are two qualified staff in the Hilo office, but one was at lunch and one was in Honolulu being trained when Ikeda came in with his papers.

Currently, there are five permanent staff in the office. Two permanent positions are vacant, and their responsibilities are being filled by temporary clerks brought in for election year, Kawauchi said. In addition, there are three temporary warehouse workers that are hired in staggered months of hire, beginning next month.

In all, there are 10 temporary clerk staff positions hired by contract in staggered months of hire, beginning in January, again in March and again in June 2012. Currently, there are seven temporary staff persons, six in Hilo and one in Kona. Three more will be hired in coming months, she said.

Email Nancy Cook Lauer at ncook-lauer@westhawaiitoday.com.