Aloha Voter - December, 1978: Have You Heard... What the League Did on Election Day?

November, 1978

December, 1978

January, 1979

General Meeting - Earth Resources
Have You Heard... What the League Did on Election Day?
Update: Federal Funds Committee (Barbara Farwell)
Media Workshop
Let's Earn $ for League
Membership
Contributors

What the League Did on Election Day?

Comments made and heard:

--Confused and indecisive voter, "How much will I be fined if I don't vote?"
--Written on bottom of ballot: NONE OF THE ABOVE
--A disgruntled voter wrote, "How come I don't know any of these people?" and no vote.
--Some diehard voters wrote "I, R & R" (Initiative, Referendum & Recall) on ConCon ballots that the computer did not compute but manual counters noted.
--Computer Center workers got fed plate lunches (choice of oriental or haole); poll workers at the precincts were not. Is this a subtle discrimination?

LWV gives aid in all phases of the election process, starting at League office answering calls from puzzled voters, to the polls helping in the official election, conducting neighborhood board elections in the computer counting center, and all year long on the Election Advisory Committee of the Lt. Governor's office.
NEIGHBORHOOD BOARD ELECTIONS: took place in Kailua, Kaneohe and Waimanalo. Out of an expected 13,00O, only 7,000 votes were counted from nine polling sites. Vote count was scheduled to begin at 1:3O but ballots didn't arrive until 3:15. Seventeen eager workers Kaffe Klatched till then. A special thanks to Cecil Keesling who served as ballot CMO (problem-solver). The job was pau at 10 p.m. A special note: League earned $746.50 through this effort.
AT THE COMPUTER COUNTING CENTER: According to our election laws, official observers are required to be present at vote counting centers. There are 14 of these who represent political parties, news media and interested community groups. In addition, 15O workers prepare the ballots to be counted by computers, a time consuming and exacting process. Your ballot is processed by hand in at least four steps from the time it reaches the center until it is actually counted. After it is counted, other teams check the computer for accuracy. Precinct poll books are checked and a manual audit is done and those numbers and the computer's results are compared.
The task of the observers is to insure the accuracy and integrity of this counting system, in addition to testing the computer several days prior to elections. The observers are responsible for insuring secrecy and accuracy of the vote. Nancy Guille has been League's representative on the Election Observer Corps for the 1978 ConCon primary and general election.
ELECTION ADVISORY COMMITTEE: Though there is no statutory requirement, the Election Advisory Committee has been in existence for about 10 years. The Lt. Governors have used this method to insure citizen involvement in the election system. The Election Advisory Committee was called upon primarily to observe elections and, occasionally to aid in making decisions about the election system or equipment used. Since Nelson Doi became Lt. Governor, the Advisory Committee has met all year long not only in election years, but between elections and is involved in the voter education system and the efficiency of the election process. The League's representative the last five years has been Jerry Hess.

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