As officials go over the returns from this week’s state primary election, it is a good time to check back when Hawaii as a state first voted for U.S. president.
New-kid Hawaii obviously had something to prove when it voted as the 50th State in 1959, with the local enthusiasm showing in voter turnout.
A total of 174,335 voters went to the polls, giving Hawaii a turnout of 84.4%, ranking as this state’s highest-ever voting percentage. The presidential election the next time would see Hawaii’s voting percentage move to 50%.
That 1960 presidential election was, according to the archives, a fairly robust affair.
A news summary of the election said initial counting had Democrat John F. Kennedy winning by 92 votes.
Then a recount showed that it was a 141-vote victory for Republican Richard Nixon.
Today the vote counting process has been much streamlined. Recounts are automatic if the vote margin is 100 votes or less or 0.25% of the total votes cast in the contest, whichever is smaller.
Back in 1960, both Republicans and Democrats were saying the vote count was questionable.
Acting Gov. James Kealoha certified Nixon’s 141-vote victory on Nov. 28. But then another court-ordered recount in December showed a different result: Kennedy was winning.
According to an account on “Taking Care,” a legal website self-described as devoted to legal issues surrounding the presidential exercise of political power, both the Democratic and Republican electors met at ‘Iolani Palace to “cast competing electoral votes for Nixon and Kennedy just one minute apart.”
Also, according to a November 2000 report by the late Honolulu Star-Bulletin writer Burl Burlingame, “By the time it was decided that a new certificate was necessary, only two days remained before Congress convened on Jan. 6, 1961, and reviewed a letter to Congress saying a certificate was on the way being rushed out by registered air mail.
“It arrived in time. In the congressional roll call of delegate votes, Hawaii went to Kennedy when Nixon decided not to contest the reversed vote,” Burlingame reported.
By that time, the national vote had already been decided, with Kennedy winning the presidency and Hawaii’s recounts becoming a forgotten piece among all the drama of national presidential political elections.
Now as officials go through the results of this weekend’s election, we have strong evidence that being one of those who makes a decision and votes, will put them with those who know that voting does count.
Richard Borreca writes on politics on Sundays. Reach him at 808onpolitics@gmail.com.
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