By TOM CALLIS
By TOM CALLIS
Tribune-Herald staff writer
Hawaii County is taking extra steps this year to increase voter participation.
County Clerk Jamae Kawauchi said her office has expanded its voter registration locations and events to target newcomers to the state or those who have never registered, and is also encouraging more absentee voting to get more voices heard during the Aug. 11 primary and Nov. 6 general elections.
“I come from a philosophy of inclusion,” she said. “We’re doing everything we can to make sure … we’re helpful and accessible.”
Kawauchi said the office is giving additional focus to the west side, which has been on the periphery of voter registration efforts in the past.
With 101,822 registered voters on the island, registration is already fairly high.
But that doesn’t always translate into voter participation, Kawauchi said, which is also another reason why the office wants to make itself available to the public.
The 2010 general election saw a turnout of 53 percent with 101,009 registered voters.
Additionally, the office sees absentee voting as a way to bump up voter tallies since it provides more time for submitting ballots.
The office, Kawauchi said, has mailed permanent absentee ballot forms to each registered voter.
So far, 7,000 forms have been returned.
“Permanent absentee voting is all about choice,” she said. “It provides the voter with more opportunity to vote than just come on election day.”
Last spring, the office also pre-registered 700 high school students.
Pre-registering allowed those students to vote for members of the first High School County Council. The council, made up of high school students, was formed to give teenagers first-hand experience with local government.
The high schoolers proposed five resolutions to the County Council this year, most of which were adopted.
The registration events also allow the office to answer questions about redistricting.
Every 10 years, the state redraws district lines for elected seats to adjust for population shifts.
This means that some voters will find themselves in different districts this year for local and state offices.
“It’s challenging but it’s going smoothly,” Kawauchi said of the process.
Yellow cards, which tell voters which districts they reside in, will likely be mailed the first week of July, she said.
Here is a list of voter registration events:
l Sunday, June 24, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., Puna Farmers’ Market.
l Tuesday, June 26, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. KTA,50 E. Puainako St., Hilo.
l Tuesday, June 26, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Honokaa High School cafeteria, 45-527 Pakalana St.
l Wednesday, June 27, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Hilo Walmart, 325 E. Makaala St.
l Saturday, June 30, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Kailua-Kona Kmart, 74-5456 Kamakaeha Ave.
l Tuesday, July 10, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Hilo Council Chambers
The last day to register for the primary election is July 12; Oct. 8 is the last day to register for the general election.
Voter registration forms can also be attained and dropped off at the county Election’s Office in Hilo, 25 Aupuni St., and Kailua-Kona, 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway.
For more information, visit www.hawaiicounty.gov/lb-clerk-elections/.
Email Tom Callis at tcallis@hawaiitribune-herald.com.