09-14-2010, 11:14 AM
Remembering an event in 2000 when the HPP ballots took several hours to deliver to Hilo and in the middle of the night the District 5 council race changed hands from Steve Hirikami to Gary Safarik I made some inquiries of the Elections Office about poll watching.
It seems that poll watchers are only provided for in the law for the registered political parties. Independents and nonpartisan poll observers need not apply.
It seems to me that any party or individual with a pragmatic interest in the smooth and even handed operation of voting should be allowed to poll watch.
The County Clerk's office has a mandate to be non-partisan but a nonpartisan individual or a group of non partisan individuals are excluded.
When I talk to the nice lady at Elections she seemed genuinely surprised. Apparently she had not encountered this question before.
Lastly, considering that our council races are "nonpartisan" why the heck are non-partisan people excluded from poll watching. Doesn't this mean that on a council level there can be no poll watchers?
It may be that no one has ever applied on that basis before and the context could change is someone did. Allowing only people nominated by registered political parties seems to mean that only people with a vested interest in the results can poll watch. Would it not be practical and of good purpose to allow people who are pragmatically interested more in the process than in the outcome?
Just pondering it all....
http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent...1-0077.htm
It seems that poll watchers are only provided for in the law for the registered political parties. Independents and nonpartisan poll observers need not apply.
It seems to me that any party or individual with a pragmatic interest in the smooth and even handed operation of voting should be allowed to poll watch.
The County Clerk's office has a mandate to be non-partisan but a nonpartisan individual or a group of non partisan individuals are excluded.
When I talk to the nice lady at Elections she seemed genuinely surprised. Apparently she had not encountered this question before.
Lastly, considering that our council races are "nonpartisan" why the heck are non-partisan people excluded from poll watching. Doesn't this mean that on a council level there can be no poll watchers?
It may be that no one has ever applied on that basis before and the context could change is someone did. Allowing only people nominated by registered political parties seems to mean that only people with a vested interest in the results can poll watch. Would it not be practical and of good purpose to allow people who are pragmatically interested more in the process than in the outcome?
Just pondering it all....
http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent...1-0077.htm
Assume the best and ask questions.
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