The county Elections Division is gearing up for unprecedented voter turnout In November — especially if Hawai‘i-born presidential candidate Barack Obama wins the nomination for the Democratic Party. Record numbers of Kaua‘i residents caucused in February for the Illinois senator,
The county Elections Division is gearing up for unprecedented voter turnout In November — especially if Hawai‘i-born presidential candidate Barack Obama wins the nomination for the Democratic Party.
Record numbers of Kaua‘i residents caucused in February for the Illinois senator, who is hanging on to a narrow lead he has built against rival candidate New York Sen. Hillary Clinton.
County Clerk Peter Nakamura on Friday presented his $562,430 election budget request to the County Council.
The primary increases for next fiscal year — which runs from July 1, 2008, to June 30, 2009 — are a new permanent position and additional overtime.
A fifth election clerk would come on board as the election draws near, Nakamura said.
The four other clerks are similarly phased in as needed. The overall staff salaries budget request, which also includes an elections coordinator and assistant, is $192,341.
“A new clerk is warranted, as there are so few positions in this department as it is,” County Councilwoman Shaylene Iseri-Carvalho said yesterday.
Noting that voter apathy has been a concern in the past, she said “the higher level of public service we can provide to increase voter satisfaction, the better.”
But despite the need, any new civil service position should be scrutinized, the councilwoman said.
While the salary may be $30,000 or so, it costs the county roughly 50 percent more in benefits, so the real cost of creating that position is actually $45,000, she said.
“Further, once the position is established, it’s very unlikely that it would be removed as layoffs are very unpopular,” Iseri-Carvalho added.
The overtime budget would jump to $50,000. This is up from $10,000 for fiscal year 2008, a non-presidential election year.
“During the election cycle, the deadlines are absolutely hard and fast that we have to meet,” Nakamura said, explaining the rationale behind the extra time that may be needed.
Election preparations have been ongoing with “one eye on the clock,” he said.
Councilman Ron Kouchi said the county, which is predominantly Democratic, could see a “dramatic increase” in voting if Obama wins the nomination.
Arizona Sen. John McCain is the top presidential candidate for the Republican Party.
Iseri-Carvalho said she believes the nationwide hype over the presidential race will not be the only factor attributable to increased voter turnout.
Numbers should also go up, she said, because her seat is up for grabs and the council has been addressing “highly controversial issues” — including vacation rentals, overdevelopment, genetically modified taro, broader public beach access and affordable housing.
The division is working to take “the crunch” out of the precincts on Nov. 4 by encouraging absentee or other alternative forms of early voting, according to Nakamura.
“We’re hoping to take away some of that Election Day rush,” he said.
The council on Wednesday voted to appropriate $10,000 for the Election Division to aggressively pursue registered voters to take advantage of the absentee ballot opportunity by mailing out to every registered voter an application for absentee voting, Iseri-Carvalho said.
“This is the first time the county is doing it and I highly support their efforts,” she added.
• Nathan Eagle, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or neagle@kauaipubco.com.
