Case Title: Hoff v. Nakamura

Citation: 

Docket Number: 

State: hawaii

Court: Hawaii Supreme Court

Date: 2006-10-10T00:00:00Z

Document:
no. 28178

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF RAWAT'T

SO
JOHN HOFF, Plaintitt =
vs. SF
Eom OF
PETER NAKAMURA, County Clerk for Ss c
the county of Kaua'i, Defendant 5
8

ORIGINAL PROCEEDING

a FACT, CONCLUSIONS 0}
(By: Moon, C.J., Levinson, Nakayama, Acoba and Duffy, JJ.)

We have considered Plaintiff John Hoff’s' Election
Complaint, Defendant Peter Nakamura’s motion to dismiss and the
affidavit and exhibits appended to each. Having heard this
matter without oral argument and in accordance with HRS § 11-
273.5(b) (Supp. 2005) (requiring the supreme court to “give
judgment fully stating all findings of fact and of law” and
“decide what candidate was nominated or elected”), we set forth
the following findings of fact and conclusions of law and enter
the following judgment.

EINDINGS OF FACT

1. Plaintiff John Hoff was one of five candidates for
the office of mayor of the County of Kaua'i in the September 23,
2006 Kaua'i county primary election.

2. The primary election results for the office of
mayor of County of Kaua'i were: (1) Bryan J. Baptiste: 8,173
votes; (2) Jesse Fukushima: 4,725 votes; (3) John R. Hoff: 1,984
votes: (4) Bruce J. Pleas: 1,083 votes; and (4) Janee M. Taylor:

377 votes.
 

on September 26, 2006, defendant county clerk Peter
Nakamura determined that candidate Bryan J. Baptiste received a

majority of the votes cast for the office of mayor.

 

on September 26, 2006, defendant Nakamura declared
that candidate Baptiste was elected mayor in the September 23,
2006 primary election in accordance with Section 1.03.B.1 of the
Charter of the County of Kaua‘l.

5. On September 29, 2006, plaintiff Hoff filed a
complaint contesting the September 23, 2006 Kaua'i county primary
election for mayor.

6. The complaint contests the election results for
mayor based on plaintiff Hoff’s allegations of the possibility of
two different margins of error in the primary vote tabulation,
the possibility of inconsistent procedures in processing absentee
and walk-in ballots, the possibility of the erroneous addition of
794 votes to candidate Baptiste’s vote count, the absence of
certain official observers at the primary election, the failure
of precinct officials to remind voters to vote both sides of the
ballot, voter difficulties with electronic voting machines, the
inability of voters to vote for “none” of the mayoral candidates
and the failure of county attorney Lani Nakazawa to recuse
herself from the mayoral election decision.

7, Plaintiff Hoff seeks judgment from the suprene
court directing an audit of the primary election results for
mayor and a declaration that Bryan J. Baptiste was not elected

mayor in the September 23, 2006 county primary election.
8. Defendant Nakamura filed a motion to dismiss the
complaint for failure to state claims upon which relief can be
granted.
CONCLUSIONS OF Lat

1, When reviewing a motion to dismiss a complaint for
failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted, the
court must accept plaintiff’s allegations as true and view then
in the light most favorable to the plaintiff; dismissal is proper
only if it appears beyond doubt that the plaintiff can prove no

set of facts in support of his or her claim that would entitle

him or her to relief. Wo: jealth
Welfare Trust Fund v, Bosque, 110 Hawai'i 318, 321, 132 P.3d

1229, 1232 (2006).

2. The court's consideration of matters outside the
pleadings converts a motion to dismiss into one for summary
judgment. Fovtik v, Chandler, 88 Hawai‘l 307, 313, 966 P.2d 619,
625 (1998). Summary judgment is appropriate where there is no
genuine issue as to any material fact and the moving party is
entitled to a judgment as a matter of law. Estate of Dos v. Paul,
Revere Ins, Group, 86 Hawai'i 262, 269-270, 948 P.2d 1103, 1110-
121 (1997).

3. A complaint challenging the results of a primary
election pursuant to HRS § 11-172 fails to state a claim unless
the plaintiff demonstrates errors, mistakes or irregularities
that would change the outcome of the election. Akaka v. Yoshina,
84 Hawai'i 363, 387, 935 P.2d 98, 102 (1997); Elkins v. Arivoshi,
56 Haw. 47, 48, 527 P.2d 236, 237 (1974); Funakoshi v. Kina, 65
Haw. 312, 317, 651 P.2d 912, 915 (1982).

 

A plaintiff challenging a primary election must
show that he or she has actual information of mistakes or errors
sufficient to change the result. Akaka v. Yoshina, 84 Hawai'i at
388, 935 P.2d at 103; Funakoshi v, King, 65 Haw. at 316-317, 651
P.2d at 915.

5. It is not sufficient for a plaintiff challenging a
primary election to point to a poorly run and inadequately

room for abuse or

 

supervised election process that evinc
possibilities of fraud. An election contest cannot be based upon
mere belief or indefinite information. Akaka v. Yoshina, 64
Hawai'i at 387-388, 935 P.2d at 102-103.

6. The possible irregularities in the processing and
tabulation of the September 23, 2006 Kaua's county primary
election votes do not amount to actual information of mistakes or
errors sufficient to the change the election results for mayor.

7, The matters concerning primary election voting and
the county attorney's participation in the primary election
decision do not demonstrate that the results of the September 23,
2006 Kaua'i county primary election for mayor would have been
changed.

8. In a primary election challenge, HRS § 11-173.5(b)
(Supp. 2005) authorizes the supreme court to “decide what

candidate was nominated or elected.”
9. The remedy provided by HRS § 11-173.5(b) (Supp.
2005) of having the court decide which candidate was nominated or
elected is the only remedy that can be given for primary election
irregularities. Funakoshi vs King, 65 Haw. at 316, 651 P.2d at
ous.

10. An audit of the September 23, 2006 primary
election for mayor of the County of Kaua'i is not a remedy
authorized by HRS § 11-173.5(b) (Supp. 2005).

11, There is no genuine issue of material fact related
to plaintiff Hoff"s primary election contest.

Zupavenr
Based upon the foregoing findings of fact and

conclusions of law, judgment is entered in favor of defendant

 

Peter Nakamura, County Clerk for the County of Kaua'i. Bryan J.
Baptiste was elected mayor of the County of Kaua'i in the
September 23, 2006 county primary election.

The clerk of the supreme court shall forthwith serve a
certified copy of this judgment on the county clerk for the
County of Kaua'i in accordance with HRS § 11-173.5(b) (Supp.
2005).

DATED: Honolulu, Hawai'i, October 10, 2006.

John Hoff, Gp
plaintiff’ pro se

on the complaint BoibEirecee.

Christiane 1. Nakes-Tresier
Christiane TN Pustu O. ears
for defendant Peter Nakamura 2. ~

on the motion to dismiss Y