East Honolulu voters might learn today or Wednesday when and how they’ll cast a vote for their City Council member, City Clerk Glen Takahashi said Monday.
Meanwhile, Council Chairwoman Ann Kobayashi announced that the eight current members will meet in two special meetings Monday to pick an interim Council member to represent Council District 4 (Hawaii Kai to Waikiki) until that election is held.
The Hawaii Supreme Court on Friday invalidated the results of the November special election that showed incumbent Trevor Ozawa beating challenger Tommy Waters by a mere 22 votes. Waters challenged the results, citing potential impropriety.
The invalidation triggers a “do-over” vote — most likely between only Ozawa and Waters. While neither the court ruling nor the clerk’s office has made it entirely clear whether the election would be limited to a rematch between Ozawa and Waters or be open to others who might want to run, both specified that the second special election was invalidated and did not reference the first special election in August with five candidates. Ozawa and Waters were the only two candidates on the second special-election ballot in November.
The city Elections Division, part of the clerk’s office, is tasked with conducting special elections for Oahu offices. A full explanation will be given “within the next day or two,” Takahashi said.
“We are presently working with the City Council and the governor to recommend a timetable for their consideration,” Takahashi said. State law says when there is a vacancy, a new election needs to be held no later than 120 days after a judgment is filed.
Besides reviewing various federal, state and city election laws and processes, he said, other issues that need to be considered include procurement, military and overseas voter laws, and general logistics, he said.
The last time a special election was held for a Council seat outside of the regular state primary and general election process was in December 2010 after Todd Apo resigned to to join a private business.
The clerk’s office conducted an “all-mail” election where voters were mailed ballots to be returned via mail. Voters were given the option to cast ballots in person at Honolulu Hale and Kapolei Hale.
Tom Berg, with 2,308 votes, emerged as the winner over 13 other candidates to fill the last two years of Apo’s term. Only 3.3 percent of the Waianae Coast-Ewa district’s registered voters participated.
Mayor Kirk Caldwell told reporters Monday that he wants the election done as quickly as possible. “I do think it’s important to get this election process started without further delay,” he said.
Kobayashi said that the eight members will meet twice Monday to pick a temporary District 4 representative — first as an eight-member Legislative Matters Committee at 10 a.m. and then as the full Council at 11 a.m.
“It is vitally important that Council District 4 have representation at the City Council,” Kobayashi said, noting that the Council is schedule to take up major issues including the budget, as well as bills dealing with residential vacation rentals and “monster” houses.
Council members are being asked to submit names for the temporary replacement, and anyone wishing to have a person from the district considered should contact their respective Council member, she said.
Council members have been given until Friday afternoon to submit names.
Kobayashi said last week that, as in the past, someone who is not running for the permanent seat will get the temporary post.
After Charles Djou resigned at the East Honolulu Council member to run for Congress in June 2010, the eight remaining members picked former Police Chief Lee Donohue to fill the final six months of the term.
Stanley Chang won a four-year term that fall.
