Synopsis: This article reveals the fact that only 39% of the Hawaiian population is registered to vote. In 1873, Hawai‘i held a vote to choose the next monarch, with 3,049 individuals participating in the election and being active in Hawai‘i politics. We encourage our community to register and vote, just as our kūpuna did, and to stay civically engaged.

Koho Balota! Koho Balota! E nā hoa makamaka akamai o kēia pae ‘āina nei, mai ka puka ‘ana o ka lā i Kumukahi a hiki i ka mole ‘olu o Lehua, e koho balota kākou! Ke hiki mai nei ka wā e koho balota ai ka lehulehu ma ka lā 5 o Nowemapa. I kēia au, ‘a‘ole nui ka po‘e Hawai‘i e hoihoi nei i ka hele aku i ka hale koho balota e koho balota ai. Pehea lā kākou e pono ai? ‘Auhea ‘oukou e ka pū‘ali koa o Hawai‘i nui kuauli? ‘Auhea ‘oukou e nā hono a‘o Pi‘ilani? ‘Auhea ‘oukou e nā lei ‘ohu‘ohu o O‘ahu o Kākuhihewa? ‘Auhea ‘oukou e Kaua‘i ulu wehiwehi o Manokalanipō, a me nā kama a Kahelelani? Auē, ‘a‘ohe wahi leo o ‘oukou? ‘A‘ohe mana‘o i ka holomua ‘ana o ke ola o ka lāhui?

I ka makahiki 1853 i puka mua ai ka hua‘ōlelo ‘o “balota” ma ka nūpepa Hawai‘i. Ua hō‘ike ‘ia ka lehulehu o nā koho ma o ka balota i ka hui ‘ana o ka ‘Aha ‘Ōlelo. Ua makemake nā luna o ka ‘Aha ‘Ōlelo e ho‘oka‘a‘ike aku, i mua o ka lehulehu, i ke kuleana a me nā kānāwai hou o kēlā manawa. Iwakālua makahiki ma hope o ia ‘atikala, ua lanakila ke ali‘i nui ‘o Lunalilo ma ka lā 1 o Ianuali i ka makahiki 1873. Wahi a kahi nūpepa ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i, Ka Lau Oliva, ua koho balota he 3,049 maka‘āinana no ke ali‘i nui. Ua hele nui mai ka po‘e a ua koho! E ho‘olohe kākou i nā kūpuna i hala. Eia nō iā kākou ka mana koho balota i kēia wā, a hala a‘e ia wā, mali‘a, ‘a‘ole pono i koe.

I kēia makahiki, he 1.4 miliona po‘e o kēia pae ‘āina ‘o Hawai‘i. Eia nō, ua hiki i ka hapa nui o kākou po‘e maka‘āinana ke koho balota i kēia Po‘alua mua o Nowemapa e hiki koke mai ana. Kainō ua ‘ike ‘ia ke ko‘iko‘i o ke koho balota ‘ana, eia kā, i ka makahiki 2022, he 853,874 kānaka i kau inoa no ke koho balota ‘ana, a he 340,139 wale nō na‘e kānaka i koho balota. He 39 wale nō pakeneka ia o ka heluna nui. Auē nō ho‘i ē! No ka po‘e Hawai‘i, he mana ko ka leo. ‘O ke koho balota ‘ana kekahi “leo” o ka lehulehu. Pēlā e hō‘ike ai i kā lākou moho e kāko‘o ana. Inā e koho balota ‘ole ana, mai nō a uē ke lanakila ka moho āu i makemake ‘ole ai. Aia nō a koho balota, a laila, hiki nō ke namunamu.

‘A‘ole nō māua nei e paipai ana i kekahi moho kiko‘ī e koho ai, eia na‘e, ke ho‘omaopopo aku nei māua i ke ko‘iko‘i loa o ko ‘oukou leo ke koho balota. He mana ko ka leo, a he minamina ho‘i ke lohe ‘ole ‘ia ua leo nei ma o ke koho balota ‘ana. He minamina ho‘i ke hulikua ka hapa nui o ka po‘e i ke koho balota. Inā he ‘i‘ini ko loko e ‘ike ai i ka huli ‘ana o ke aupuni, ‘o ka mea mua e pono ai, ‘o ia ka huli ‘ana i ka pepa koho balota e hō‘ike ai i nā moho a kākou e makemake ai. E ka mea heluhelu nei, e hele ana māua i ke ke‘ena koho balota e kau inoa ai no ke koho ‘ana i kēia pule a‘e, a he leo kono kēia iā ‘oukou pākahi a pau e hele pū me māua e mahalo ai i ka mana o ke koho!