Office of Elections
Just click on the cover graphic to browse the guide.
This 91-page voter guide was prepared by the Office of Elections, and has been available at least since July.
It’s well done and full of useful information about candidates, ballot issues, and the election process.
But where has it been hiding?
It apparently only exists in online form, as far as I can tell. PDF version is available so that it can be downloaded and printed.
It’s featured prominently on the Office of Elections website, but that’s not exactly a “must read” for more people.
A look back shows it received only minimal news coverage. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser mentioned it in a brief August 4th “Kokua Line” column. And it received one earlier mention on July 18, buried at the bottom of page A10 as an “Off the News” item, right below two paragraphs about the appointment of a new acting director for Honolulu’s Ocean Safety Department. Not exactly front and center news.
I reviewed prior minutes of the Election Commission, but couldn’t find any mention of the voter guide, its content or distribution plan, during any meeting this year. I hope I just overlooked it.
There apparently is no printed version available, and the digital version is only useful if you know it’s there. However, the state does not appear to have promoted its availability through a public service advertising campaign. And there’s no mention of the voter guide in news releases distributed by the Office of Elections this year that are available on the website.
At one time these voter guides were printed and mailed to registered voters. Expensive? Yes. But it more effectively put the inforation in the hands of those who needed it. It would be interesting to see data on the number of visits or downloads of this latest version.
So despite being a useful resource, this year’s General Election Voter Guide was only minimally supported and distributed.
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Ian, care to,wade into some of the amendments at the end of the ballot?
Many of my neighbors who have no computers would have welcomed the info. One of my neighbors wondered about the amendments that she knew little about. I would have thought that copies available at the Public Libraries would have been helpful. Instead just more State incompetence.
Comparing Hawaii vs Medford, OR VOTER PAMPHLET: our mailed doc is about 1/4” thick n covers the OR State offices, US REPRESENTATIVE, Supreme Court Judge n Circuit Court Judge..Jackson County includes four (4) city offices. Also there are five (5) Measures (pro n con arguments ). In addition, there are online translations for 12 languages. whew!!
Maybe one reason, HAWAII city and county doesn’t publish their voter pamphlet may be cause many offices are running un-opposed?!?
I.e. mostly Democrats? Any comment?
Mahalo, Ian… I could have used this when I voted last week – couldn’t find one anywhere… good to know where to look for the next election in Hawaii. I finally did okay with a researcher’s journalistic approach to hunt and peck…
This reminds me so much of our urban forestry – Honolulu plants plenty of trees, but so many of them don’t get watered and they die.
It’s not just forests. Nearly all landscaping at government buildings, plantings along freeways, in roadway islands, within sidewalks, and planter pots are dead or overgrown shortly after planting. Sad example is what happened to plants at the Alapai Transit Station. Unless maintaining the landscaping is an obligation under a government lease to a third party, the government neglects its plants as badly as it neglects its buildings.
Thank you, Ian. The guide is, indeed, helpful.
These days we don’t need to spend on printing and mailing a 92 page book to every voter.
Maybe next time they can package the same updated information into an easily searchable website. Then print the web address on the outside of the mail in ballot envelope. I think it would be very convenient way to do it.