GOP to fill top precinct posts Jan. 4

Advertiser Staff

Dozens of Republican Party members will be hired to staff the top polling place positions for the Jan. 4 special election to replace the late Patsy Mink in the U.S. Congress because state law requires that precinct chairs be filled by people in the same party as the governor.

With the election of Republican Gov. Linda Lingle, the state Office of Elections must recruit and train Republicans for all precincts in the 2nd Congressional race, which covers rural O'ahu and the Neighbor Islands. During the election, Lingle spoke out against the party restriction rule.

Democrats, who had been in charge of the polls since 1970, will be reduced to filling the secondary role of voter assistance officials.

U.S. Rep. Ed Case won the Nov. 30 special election to fill the last five weeks of Mink's term in the 107th Congress and is a candidate for the upcoming special election along with 43 others.

Mink died of viral pneumonia Sept. 28.