OHA launches voter-registration drive for election of 'aha delegates

Advertiser Staff

Leaders at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs yesterday said they are hoping the voter drive to be launched at 11 a.m. tomorrow will draw at least 100,000 adults of Hawaiian ancestry to elect delegates to an 'aha, or constitutional convention.

The kickoff for the drive will take place at Ali'iolani Hale, near the Kamehameha statue.

Clyde Namu'o, OHA administrator, said there are 220,000 Native Hawaiians in Hawai'i and about as many living elsewhere. The target, at least initially, is to build a voter roll of about 100,000, he said.

OHA trustee Dante Carpenter called it a reasonable goal, judging by the fact that OHA's Hawaiians-only voter rolls had about 90,000 names.

The voter drive is timed to coincide with the observance of the monarchy's overthrow, which occurred 111 years ago tomorrow.