I did the early walk in voting, and am glad I did because of Iselle, but it sure wasn't the nice experience I get voting in my own area. Voting in Hilo felt like being moved through the assembly line and was busy. My normal polling spot is Kalaniana'ole School in Papa'ikou, and it's like walking into Cheers -- someone knows your name and they smile as they go through verifying the ID as they know who you are already.
I would miss that option.
In California, the League of Women Voters sends out a whole booklet with all races and issues listed and an unbiased description plus pro and opposition statements on all initiatives. (This makes me realize how simple to vote a ballot without a whole list of nearly incomprehensible initiatives and legislative propositions.)
Always had this booklet great tool to pre-study and mark my choices in and that made it easy. Here I do not see the ballot until I get in the booth. No wonder there is low turnout when people don't even get materials apprising them of the choices, unless as Carol says they vote absentee.
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Oregon sends out a voters guide with all the candidates statements, actual language of the initiatives (which become law if passed) and then pro or con groups buy pages to advocate for their positions. The year that made me switch they had to split the voters guide into two booklets because one would have been too heavy to mail.
I always loved the process of going in and voting in person, but exercising your right to vote at your kitchen table has a lot going for it too, you can take your time without the feeling the pressure of all the people waiting in line. Voting rates went way up after the switch, especially in rural areas and places prone to lousy weather in March and November.
Carol
Carol
Every time you feel yourself getting pulled into other people's nonsense, repeat these words: Not my circus, not my monkeys.
Polish Proverb
Yes, that's the same as California. They also print the entire proposed initiative. I haven't seen one since I moved here, but that's what I was used to getting, and it was extremely helpful. As in Oregon, it did grow in size. At some point it became a real homework assignment to get through it. But there was no obligation to vote on initiatives if one didn't feel up to figuring them out. Which is a bit scary, how much law was voted in by "the people" who couldn't make head or tail of what it meant.
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how much law was voted in by "the people" who couldn't make head or tail of what it meant.
That would be the point. In fact, most Federal legislation is carefully named to imply the exact opposite of what the law seeks to accomplish.
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Oregon is a relatively easy and cheap place to get initiatives on the ballot and advertising is relatively cheap. National special interest groups use it as a testing ground for initiatives they want to push in places like California that are far more expensive and complicated to places to get the initiative on the ballot and passed. So Oregon gets flooded with initiatives.
I wish the Women's League of Voters was more active here, in some states they produce wonderful non partisan election materials, but I was told by one member here that they have trouble getting Hawaii candidates, especially neighbor island candidates, to respond to their surveys and position questions.
Carol
Carol
Every time you feel yourself getting pulled into other people's nonsense, repeat these words: Not my circus, not my monkeys.
Polish Proverb
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The one thing that stood out the most during the entire hearing was that Nago went through a multi-page position piece putting the onus on every possible person or organization and not once did he apologize, offer sympathy, or otherwise express any consideration or remorse to the voters or people of Hawaii.
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Don't speak unless you can improve on the silence.
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Don't speak unless you can improve on the silence.
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The other thing about Nago is that darned, ever-present smirk. It doesn't help. Can someone teach him a new facial expression? Maybe acting lessons so he can look as if he cares about anything?
