HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-06-25 County Clerk Proclamation - Precincts 04-03 adn 04-04 absentee mail onlyPROCLAMATION
WHEREAS, the Primary Election for the State of Hawaii is scheduled for
August 11, 2018; and
WHEREAS, on May 3, 2018, the Governor of the State of Hawaii and the
Acting Mayor of the County of Hawaii each issued emergency proclamations
relating to the volcanic activity in the East Rift Zone of Kilauea volcano; and
WHEREAS, on May 9, 2018, the Governor of the State of Hawai'i issued a
supplementary proclamation; and
WHEREAS, due to the uncertain nature of the volcanic eruption, voters
assigned to Pahoa Community Center (District Precinct 04-03) and Pahoa High &
Intermediate School (District Precinct 04-04) are at risk of not being able to vote
because their polling placemay serve as an emergency shelter for those
impacted by the volcanic activity or alternatively, due to their polling place being
inaccessible; and
WHEREAS, election officials must make judgments based on the
information available at the time and the unique circumstances of the occasion;
and
WHEREAS, delaying a decision regarding the conduct of the Primary
Election in District Precincts 04-03 and 04-04 may cause confusion and disrupt
the election; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 15-2.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS),
the Chief Election Officer and the County Clerk may determine that the opening
of a designated polling place will adversely affect the health and safety of voters
or precinct officials as a result of a natural disaster, and the. Chief Election Officer
and County Clerk, by written order, may require the registered voters of the
precinct to vote by absentee ballot; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 11-92.3, HRS, if the extent of the damage
caused by a natural disaster is such that the ability of voters to exercise their
right to vote is substantially impaired, the Chief Election Officer or the County
Clerk in the case of county elections, may require the registered voters of the
affected area to vote by absentee ballot pursuant to Section 15-2.5, HRS, and
that notice of the requirement to vote by absentee ballot shall be given in the
affected county or precinct prior to the opening of the precinct polling place by
whatever possible news or broadcast media are available.
NOW, THEREFORE, the Chief Election Officer and the Hawaii County
Clerk hereby determine that a natural disaster exists that substantially impairs
the ability of voters to exercise their right to vote in District Precincts 04-03 and
04-04 in the Primary Election scheduled on August 11, 2018. As such., the
election in District Precincts 04-03 and 04-04 will be conducted by absentee mail
ballot and the absentee ballots will be mailed to all registered voters in the
affected precincts sufficiently in advance to permit the voters to return the ballots
by 6:00 p.m. on election day. •
Election officials will notify registered voters in District Precincts 04-03 and
04-04 of the issuance of this Proclamation.
Election officials will mail absentee ballots to all registered voters in the
affected precincts during the week of June 25, 2018.
DONE at the Office of Elections in Pearl City,
Hawaii, this 7th day of June, 2018.
Chief Election Officer
DONE at the Office of the County Clerk in Hilo,
Hawaii, this 7th day of June, 2018:
EWART MAEDA ,
County Clerk
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