Question: Why are ballot drop boxes still in place more than a week after the primary election? Are they planning to leave them until November?
Answer: Yes. “As it was with the 2020 election, the drop boxes will remain at their locations for use in the general election. Leaving the boxes at their locations raises awareness of their location, utility and the upcoming general election,” said Doris Lam, a spokesperson for the elections division of the Honolulu city clerk’s office.
There are 15 ballot drop boxes on Oahu. The large, bright orange receptacles will begin accepting ballots for the general election Oct. 21, according to the state Office of Elections website. The general election is Nov. 8. The primary election was Aug. 13.
Q: Will the state consider redesigning the ballot return packet so that the voter’s signature is not visible on the outside of the envelope, where the voter’s name and address also is visible? Perhaps election officials have overlooked privacy concerns as the reason for low voter turnout, which was expected to be higher with mail-in ballots.
A: There are no plans to do so, Lam said. You are one of numerous readers raising this concern, pointing out that a person’s signature is prized by identity thieves and that crimes associated with identity theft have risen during the pandemic. You and several other readers said you didn’t feel comfortable signing the outside of the envelope and then dropping the envelope in the mail, where it might be handled by multiple people before reaching the elections office. We shared your concerns with Lam and a spokesperson for the state Office of Elections. Lam responded:
“There are no plans to redesign the ballot return envelope. Voters concerned with exposing their signatures may utilize any one of our official drop boxes where handling of the envelope is limited to election officials. Alternatively, the voter could also nest their return envelope into a larger envelope, however, postage will be borne by the voter.”
Hawaii’s mail-in ballot packet includes a ballot, a privacy sleeve and a ballot return envelope. The registered voter must sign the outside of the envelope for the ballot inside to count.
Just under 40% of Hawaii’s registered voters turned out for the primary election.
Q: They are repaving the lot on Keahole Street by the dog park. How long with that take? I like the farmers market there.
A: Repaving of the Hawaii Kai Park & Ride parking lot on Keahole Street near the intersection of Kalanianaole Highway is expected to be finished by Friday, according to Honolulu’s Department of Transportation Service.
The People’s Open Market is expected to occur as usual Saturday, on the mauka side of the park and ride, DTS said in a news release.
During the week of repaving, the dog park and parking lot will be closed, DTS said. City buses will continue to use the transit area, it said.
Q: Can dogs catch monkeypox?
A: Yes. “People with monkeypox should avoid contact with animals, including pets, domestic animals, and wildlife to prevent spreading the virus,” according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Likewise, infected animals can spread monkeypox virus to people, it says. Pets whose owners have monkeypox require special care, which you can read about on the CDC website at 808ne.ws/cdcpet.
Mahalo
Mahalo to the folks on the beach at Three Tables who came out to help our visitor from Taiwan make it back to shore on Aug. 18. One man physically carried her in while others gave her water and made sure she was OK. She’s fine and has another good reason to come back to the islands. — A reader
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
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