I have voted in every election since the days of John F. Kennedy. This year my candidates seem 99 percent certain to win. It’s no contest. But I was really rarin’ to go about voting for the constitutional amendment ballot measure to increase public school financing. I fervently support Hawaii’s public schools and consider them to be absolutely central to our democracy.

When the Hawaii Supreme Court threw out that ballot choice, for the first time in my life I considered not voting. I was baffled by the decision and felt the court was, perhaps unwittingly, striking a blow in favor of privatizing public education.

Although stripped of my main reason for voting this year, I nevertheless decided to keep my seven-decades-long voting streak intact and sent my ballot in. But I think I already know who is going to win, and that may be one reason Hawaii has trouble getting voters to the polls.

Hank Chapin

Manoa

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