The State Chief Elections Officer and the Hawai'i County Clerk have responded to a demand letter from the ACLU of Hawai'i. That letter expressed concerns about the constitutionality of the Office of Elections’ original voting plan for precincts 4-03 and 4-04, which did not allow for in-person voting and registration on election day. Both of these precincts have been affected by the ongoing volcanic eruptions.
In a new proclamation dated July 6, 2018, the Office of Elections and the Hawai'i County Clerk’s Office announced they will now open the Pahoa Community Center as a walk-in polling place for area residents to vote and register on the primary election day, August 11, 2018 (see https://elections.hawaii.gov/main/8868/).
Executive Director Joshua Wisch said: “The ACLU of Hawai‘i extends our sincere thanks to Chief Election Officer Scott Nago and Hawai'i County Clerk Stewart Maeda for the new proclamation issued today. As a direct result of their decision, taken in coordination with County of Hawai'i Civil Defense, Hawai'i Island residents who have been affected by the volcanic activity will now be able to fully exercise their right to vote. These voters will be able to benefit from same-day registration and be able to vote in person on election day. This is a great development for the voters of Hawai‘i Island. We applaud these officials and their teams for making it happen and are pleased to help spread the word.”
July 6, 2018 - 4:14pm