Hawaii Democrats will gather for their presidential preference poll this weekend in what is expected to be a large turnout driven in part by new party members who signed up in recent months to support U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Supporters of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, have mobilized an array of prominent Hawaii Democrats to endorse and support her, including former Democratic Govs. Ben Cayetano, John Waihee and George Ariyoshi.
A Hawaii Poll published early this year showed Clinton had the support of 52 percent of the people who said they usually vote Democratic, compared with just 18 percent of Democratic voters who said they prefer Sanders.
However, the Sanders supporters have campaigned hard and pushed to sign up new members. Stephanie Ohigashi, chairwoman of the Hawaii Democratic Party, said the party has signed up about 7,000 new members since late November.
Only 1,358 people turned out to participate in the presidential preference poll in 2012, but party officials expect much larger crowds this year.
Ohigashi predicted turnout will be higher than the 37,519 who participated in the presidential preference poll of 2008, when Honolulu-born U.S. Sen. Barack Obama was seeking the presidency. She said the party printed 100,000 ballots to ensure no precincts run out.
The presidential preference poll will begin at 1 p.m. Saturday, and party officials are encouraging people to arrive early.
Voting is open only to party members, but party officials will be able to sign up new members at the door. The Democrats are urging voters to sign up for the party in advance to make the check-in process quicker and more efficient. People can join the party online at hawaiidemocrats.org/join.
Voters must report to the precinct where they are listed on the party rolls because that is the location where they must vote. Party officials are encouraging people to prepare for Saturday by visiting hawaiidemocrats.org to make sure they know where to go.
THREE of the four Democratic candidates who are on the Hawaii presidential preference poll ballot are still active, including Sanders, Clinton and Rocky De La Fuente. Also on the ballot will be Martin O’Malley, who has suspended his campaign. Voters at the preference poll will also be able to vote “uncommitted,” if they choose to do so, said Ohigashi.
The polling will help decide which candidates will get the support of most of Hawaii’s delegates this summer at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.
Hawaii will send 34 delegates to Philadelphia, including nine “superdelegates” who are free to support their favorite candidate regardless of the outcome of the Hawaii preference polling Saturday.
At least five of those superdelegates have already committed to Clinton, including Hawaii U.S. Sens. Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz, and U.S. Rep. Mark Takai.
U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, who is also a superdelegate, is supporting Sanders and has campaigned for him in Michigan and Florida.
