2000-03-08 Charter Commission Minutes

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minutes 03-08-00Page 11 of 35 one person gets the 50% + 1 in the first election, then they’re elected outright. MARTIN: Okay. YUEN: Now, if you only have two running, it’s guaranteed that one person will be elected outright unless they absolutely tie, the way it was voted on by the Commission the first go round. MARTIN: Okay. Now, the 50 + 1 number is based on what? YUEN: It’s based on people actually casting valid votes for candidates. It does not include blank and spoiled ballots. Spoiled ballot would be like an over-vote, where, say it’s a Council district election, you only get to vote for one and you vote for two people. They don’t count that. It’s an over-vote and you would not include that in determining what is the 50%. MARTIN: So, only clean ballots cast in that particular district. YUEN: That’s right. HERKES: Says excluding blank and spoiled. HIGASHI: Only votes counted. MARTIN: Right. HERKES: It excludes spoiled too. MARTIN: Correct. Thank you, Roland. YUEN Right. RAY: Any more question or comments in regard to the non-partisan elections? I encourage everybody to take notes and make sure we all understand these, and help me, remind me, to bring out these points. As much as we can bring out at the public hearings, I think, will be real helpful. HERKES: You don’t want us to look dumb? RAY: I just want to answer as many questions as we can up front. And by the way, the order of these, Chris wanted me to make it real clear, and make it clear at the public hearings, that this is just preliminary listing, so this is not necessarily how things will appear, in this order, or whatever. Okay, so the Second - Council to include the at-large seats. So, does everybody understand this one-time exception? I got some phone calls on that so I’ve explained it. Basically, the 4 two-year terms kicked in in 1996, so should this pass, it would take effect in 2002, and what we’re suggesting is that there would be a one-time exception that anybody that were in office then, and all the present people will have served 6 years by then on their term limits, anyone would be allowed to run for an at-large seat. So, if they did win an at-large seat, they would be able to be in office for 10 years vs. 8. MARTIN: Or possibly longer, because some people are still in office that was preceding that date. RAY: Right, yes, like Mr. Arakaki, who has already been in office - But the term limit didn’t start until ‘96 so he could have been in office 20 years total. HERKES: I’d like us not to get distracted by that, and stay on the issue of representation. The issue of how long term limits and people can run, and can they run again, that will disappear in about two elections. RAY: Still, it’s a very important issue to people. I got more phone calls in regard to that and specific Councilmen than anything else, so people do focus on that. file://\\coh01\cohweb\council\charter_commission\minutes\minutes 03-08-00.html7/1/2011