The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-05-19
MIXED BY
COUNTY ACT
Six Voting Precincts
Are Divided by Dis. = =
trict Lines.

The changing of district boundary
lines by the County Act has given rise
to some decidedly serious complica-
tons. There are six places where the
lines have been changed, two on Maui,
two on Hawaii and two on Kauai. with
the result that six voting precincts are
another, and the voters in those pre-
cfncts will have to vote, some of them
for one Supervisor and Deputy Sheriff,
and some for another. And in these
precincts the election officers will have
to set up two sets of ballot boxes,
count two sets of returns and find out
in and issue to him his ticket-and see
that he votes right.
For instance on the island of Maui,
the line that divides the districts of
Wailuku and Lahaina runs right
through the fourth voting precinct.
Therefore, the voter in that precinct,
when he goes to vote must state to
the election officers whether he lives
| in Lahaina or Wailuku. and he will
thereupon be given a ticket contain
ing the names of the candidates for
district wherein he lives. And he wni
be supposed to vote for those officers.
But, say for the sake of argument,
that a man running for Supervisor in
Lahaina has a sure shot on his cleo
ton, and has a friend whom he wants
to see elected from Waikiki who is
having a close fight. What is to pre-
vent the man who has a sure thing
saying to few of his supporters in
the fourth precinct, you say that
you live in Wailuku, and vote for my
friend for Supervisor from THEREOF
Will not the result be that the will of
the actual voters of Wailuku will be
in danger of being overthrown by the
votes of men who do not live in the
business of election officers to deter
mine in what district a man lives? The
word of the voter himself, it would
seem, is the best evidence of that And
registration is by precincts. A man
registered can vote, and the officers
cannot stop him. There are 100 voters
in the fourth precinct of Maui.
The fifteenth precinct of Maui with
n voters, is in precisely the same case
as the fourth with reference to the
districts of Makawao and Hama.
The fifth precinct on Hawaii is split
by the district line between North and
South Hilo There are 11S voters in
the precinct.
The fourth precinct on Hawaii with
292 voters, is split by the district line
between North and South Kona.
The fourth precinct on Kauai, with
81 voters, is split by the district line
between Koloa and Waimea.
The seventh precinct on Kauai, with
Isl voters, is split by the district line
between Lihue and Kawaihoa.
And in Olaa and Keaau, on Hawaii,
a complication distinctly different has
come out of the County Act. These
two districts under the old law, are
within the jurisdiction of the District
Magistrate of Puma. OF course, there
fore, court processes for the districts
are issued by the Puma court, and are
served by the Puma Deputy Sheriff.
But, under the County Act, the voters
of Olaa and Keaau vote for the Deputy
Sheriff elected for South Hilo. And
here is a state of things, where voters
vote for an official who has nothing
whatever to do with their concerns. and
yet whose election may be altogether
dependent upon their votes. In a small
way it is like a man in New Jersey
voting for Governor of New York. Ana
it would seem that this, of itself,
should come pretty near invalidating
the County Act.
) However, it is not known whether
the attorneys will go into this feature.
In fact. nothing is known, absolutely,
about what the attorneys will do con-
corning. the County Act. Neither side
made any sign yesterday.
Incidentally to this county election
matter. there are % different sets of
tickets to be made up and sent out
from the Governors office, and the
work of making them out has about
driven Chief Clerk auckland with his
gray hair in sorrow to the grave.