Winner today will complete Mink term
By James Gonser
Advertiser Staff Writer
Residents of rural O'ahu and the Neighbor Islands head to the polls today to choose one person from among 38 candidates to fill the remainder of the late U.S. Rep. Patsy Mink's term in the 107th Congress.
The winner will fill the last five weeks of Mink's current term, until Jan. 3. Although that person will serve in Congress for just a month with a salary, office space and staff, the winner will most likely never cast a vote on the House floor as the body is not in session
Mink, who had served Hawai'i in the U.S. House for 24 years, died of viral pneumonia Sept. 28, two days too late to have her name removed from the general election ballot. Voters honored her with a clear victory on Nov. 5.
The 2nd Congressional District consists of state House of Representative Districts 1 through 16 covering all of the Big Island, Maui, Lana'i, Moloka'i and Kaua'i and Districts 40 and 44 through 51 on O'ahu covering Kapolei, the Leeward Coast, Wahiawa and the North Shore and the Windward side.
Absentee voting by mail and walk-in totaled 13,510 for this special election. By county, absentee voting totaled 4,765 on the Big Island; 3,377 on Maui; 2,404 Kaua'i; and 2,959 in Honolulu.
No election results will be available until tomorrow afternoon because all of the ballots are being flown to Honolulu for counting after precincts close.
Rex Quidilla, state Office of Elections spokesman, said the number of polling places has been consolidated for the special election from 192 to 91, which will save the state about $2,000 per site by not having to hire people to staff the precincts.
Quidilla said polling sites which have been consolidated into another precinct will have a notice posted telling voters where to go to vote. All voters should have received blue postcards directing them to the proper precinct, he said.
"If (voters) drive up, a sign will tell them where to go elsewhere," Quidilla said.
The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Anyone in line at the closing will be allowed to vote.
The special election will cost between $1.3 million and $1.7 million.
A second special election will be held Jan. 4 to fill Mink's seat in the 108th Congress. Absentee ballot applications for the Jan. 4 special election will be accepted until Saturday, Dec. 28. Absentee walk-in voting will be held from Dec. 19 to Jan. 2.
For more information, call the state Office of Elections at 453-8683.
Reach James Gonser at jgonser@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2431.
