Native Hawaiian organizations are staging several get-out-the-vote events around the state in advance of the Nov. 8 general election.
“Walk to the Box 2022” sign-waving and group walks/drives to ballot drop-off boxes were held this week on Oahu, Maui and Hawaii island. The effort aims to encourage Native Hawaiians and their youth to be engaged in the election process.
“This movement is really a rally call to get Native Hawaiians out to vote, and encourage them to show that Native Hawaiian issues need to be looked at,” said Jacob Aki, one of the facilitators for the events.
Organizers have also rallied high school student leaders to engage their classmates at the events as many of them will be voting for the first time, Aki said. “Part of our goal is to ensure that our next generation of leaders understands the importance of why we’re doing this,” he said. Also important, Aki added, is “giving them a platform to really share their concerns and their voice.”
Cheyenne Sato, a senior at Kamehameha Schools’ Hawaii campus, attended a “Walk to the Box” event Wednesday in Hilo along with several others in her grade. Although she isn’t old enough to vote, she hopes the events will inspire others to cast ballots, especially those around her age.
“Just showing that young people are interested in it, that can be the catalyst,” Sato said. “Students will start to realize it’s something significant and important and it’s something that we need to understand for adulthood.”
Including students at events creates an environment where they can practice voicing their concerns and opinions on current events, Aki said. “Events like this provide that leadership-building moment for them,” he said.
Among the matters addressed at the events is an apparent misconception that “Native Hawaiians don’t vote,”Aki said. Hailama Farden, president of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs, said the misconception is “very harmful” to the Native Hawaiian community.
Countering perceived voter apathy, a 2022 study — conducted in collaboration with Kamehameha Schools’ Strategy & Transformation Group, the Lili‘uokalani Trust, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and Papa Ola Lokahi — found that the majority of Native Hawaiians who participated in the survey planned to vote in the upcoming general election, indicating a rate nearly identical to that of non-Hawaiian voters.
While Hawaii has a history of overall low voter turnout in many election cycles, layering on a perception that Native Hawaiians don’t care and don’t vote could add to the sense of complacency, Aki said. By stepping up Native Hawaiian civic engagement, both Farden and Aki also hope to encourage decision-makers in the community to address more Native Hawaiian issues.
“Really, my hope is that people understand that Native Hawaiians are organizing, we are paying attention and that we will be voting,” Aki said.
Next week’s “Walk to the Box” sign-waving events are slated for 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at Kalanianaole Beach Park in Nanakuli and 4:30 p.m. Thursday at Waianae Mall. For more information, go to oha.org/vote.
Linsey Dower covers ethnic and cultural affairs and is a corps member of Report for America, a national service organization that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues and communities.
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