As the race for the Democratic presidential nomination between Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama gets tighter, all eyes will be on the results of the state caucus to be held tonight. “I’m excited as are all Democrats because
As the race for the Democratic presidential nomination between Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama gets tighter, all eyes will be on the results of the state caucus to be held tonight.
“I’m excited as are all Democrats because we think it will be a big turnout,” said Linda Estes, chair of the Kaua‘i Democratic Party. “We have two wonderful candidates, how can we go wrong?”
Estes thinks the heightened interest in the Democratic Party is a result of the Obama campaign on Kaua‘i, which is “bringing new people to the party,” she said about the Illinois senator.
Andy Winer, state campaign director for the Hawai‘i-born Obama, said the Hawai‘i caucus is important because the contest is close between Clinton and Obama in terms of delegates.
“Every delegate slot is critical, and as such, Hawai‘i will be in the national spotlight on Tuesday night,” Winer said.
Hawai‘i Democrats have 29 delegates to send to the Democratic National Convention in Denver in August. Twenty of those delegates will be determined by the presidential preference poll held at the caucuses tonight.
According to the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i Web site,
the other nine delegates will consist of eight unpledged party leaders and elected officials, or “superdelegates” and one unpledged add-on delegate.
The superdelegates usually consist of the party chairman, vice chairman, two other members of the Democratic National Committee, two U.S. senators and two U.S. representatives. The superdelegates are free to support any candidate for the nomination.
Delegates also will be elected to attend the state convention in May.
“In the past, maybe a handful of people came to the precinct meeting,” Estes said. “At some, no one came. But this year, my biggest worry is that some sites will be crowded.”
Janice Bond, Kaua‘i Democratic Party District 15 chair, has five of the biggest precincts in her district that will all meet together at the HGEA headquarters on Akahi Street in Lihu‘e.
“My problem will be one of logistics,” Bond said. “It will not only be parking, but the mass amount of people to fill in the HGEA meeting room. Already we expect precincts may be outside on the sidewalk of the building.”
On top of planning for a packed house at HGEA, Bond is making extra attendance lists and preparing ballots.
“We have had to prep for outdoor speakers and extra volunteers to manpower registration tables to take care of unregistered voters and those wanting to sign party cards,” Bond said.
Bond added that the entire parking lot of the HGEA building will be handicapped parking only.
Precinct sites will allow voters to register and join the Democratic Party starting at 6 p.m. or 6:30 p.m. The presidential preference poll will begin at 7 p.m., with voting open for a half-hour at minimum.
“The Kaua‘i Democratic Party is committed to seeing that everyone who comes to caucus gets a chance to vote,” Estes said. “We will be there as long as people will be out to vote.”
According to Estes, after everyone has had a chance to vote, the votes will be tallied at each precinct. The chair of the precinct will then report the results to Estes, who will compile all precinct results and report them to the Democratic Party headquarters in Honolulu.
Party leaders will then compile the preliminary results for public release.
According to the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i Web site, the ballots will be recounted with representatives of the presidential campaigns present, before the tally is declared final on March 1.
Former first daughter Chelsea Clinton was on O‘ahu and Maui this past weekend campaigning for her mother. Obama’s half-sister Maya Soetoro-Ng has visited Kaua‘i, Maui and O‘ahu to campaign on behalf of her brother.
Both Clinton and Obama campaigned in Ohio and Wisconsin yesterday.
For information on polling locations, go to www.kauaidemocrats.org.
Kaua‘i precinct sites
• District 14, Precinct 1 — Hanalei Community Center, 5-5299 Kuhio Highway, Hanalei, 96714
• District 14, Precinct 2 — Kilauea Neighborhood Center, 2460 Keneke St., Kilauea, 96754
• District 14, Precinct 3 — Anahola Homesteaders Council House, 4444 Hokualele Road, Anahola, 96703
• District 14, Precinct 4, 5 and 6 — Kapaa Neighborhood Center courtyard, 4491 Kou Street, Kapa‘a, 96746
• District 15, Precincts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 — HGEA Headquarters, 3231 Akahi St., Lihue, 96766
• District 15, Precinct 6 — 3857 Omao Road, Koloa, 96756
• District 16, Precinct 1 — Koloa Library Conference Room, Poipu Road, Koloa, 96756
• District 16, Precinct 2 and 3 — Kalaheo Neighborhood Center, 4480 Papalina Rd., Kalaheo, 96741,
• District 16, Precincts 4, 5 and 6 — Kaumakani Neighborhood Center, 2301 Kaumakani Rd, Kaumakani, 96747
• District 16, Precinct 7 — Waimea Neighborhood Center, 455 Makeke Rd, Waimea, 96796
• District 16, Precinct 8 — Kekaha Neighborhood Center, 8130 Elepaio Rd, Kekaha, 96752
