Posted on: Friday, July 30, 2004
Elections official questions report on low voting rate
By Timothy Hurley
Advertiser Staff Writer
A state elections official yesterday questioned the accuracy of a Census Bureau report that stated Hawai'i had the nation's lowest percentage of registered voters for the 2002 election.
Rex Quidilla, voter services coordinator with the Office of Elections, said the report's numbers don't match the state's registration and voting statistics.
According to the Census Bureau, an estimated 425,000 Hawai'i residents registered to vote out of 801,000 citizens eligible, a rate of 53.1 percent. The Census also reported that about 363,000 people went to the polls — 45.4 percent of the state's adult citizens.
But Quidilla said state registration was actually much higher — 676,242 — while the number of voters was 385,462.
"I'm not saying there isn't any merit to their report, but you've got to question the accuracy," he said.
According to the 2000 Census, Hawai'i had the nation's largest percentage of citizens in the armed forces, accounting for nearly 5 percent of the state's population.
Nevertheless, Day said the percentages and rankings cited in the report are accurate — based on scientific sampling conducted across the country two weeks after the election.
The Census report, Voting and Registration in the Election of 2002, stated that a record number of Americans registered to vote in the 2002 election but Hawai'i brought up the rear among the 50 states in registration numbers.
And despite a hotly contested governor's race, Hawai'i also saw a lower percentage of voting-age residents (18 years and older) who voted in 2002 — 45.4 percent — than in the country as a whole, at 46.1 percent, the Census said.
Efforts to boost voting here are being planned. 'Olelo Community Television and the Office of Elections are launching "Vote! 2004," a series of cable television programs airing over the next four months and intended to stir interest in voting and create a more informed electorate.
The programs will include a series of forums to discuss local issues, opportunities for candidates to air their positions on issues and 40 live debates between those vying for office.
In addition to the television programs, 'Olelo is also sponsoring a series of public service print ads — "Take Control!" — to encourage voter turnout.
Reach Timothy Hurley at (808) 244-4880 or thurley@honoluluadvertiser.com.
Jennifer Day, one of the report authors, conceded that the numbers in the Census report are estimates, not official statistics. That is due to any number of reasons, including the fact that the Census doesn't count citizens living in jails and nursing homes or people in the military.
To register:
• Mail-in voter registration forms are available at public libraries, post offices and other locations across the state, or you can visit the office of the city or county clerk where you reside.
• Driver's license application forms also contain an application for voter registration, allowing anyone to apply simultaneously for a driver's license and register to vote.
• The registration deadline for the Sept. 18 primary election is Aug. 19. The deadline for the Nov. 2 general election is Oct. 4.
• For more information on voter registration in Hawai'i, go to www.state.hi.us/
elections/voterreg.html
