PUHI — Long-time election’s volunteer Leslie Bran brought friend Lana Corregedore to help sort through some 10,000 ballots that have already come in for the Prosecuting Attorney Special Primary Election.
It isn’t either of their first time volunteering.
“It’s pretty much the same (as years past),” Corregedore said. “It’s a public service, plus it’s fun.”
Processing began Monday at the Kaua‘i Community College for the election scheduled for this upcoming Saturday under Election Administrator Lyndon Yoshioka and observer’s guidance and watch, respectively.
The election, caused by the early resignation of Justin Kollar, is between former county prosecuting attorney Shaylene Iseri and Acting Prosecutor Rebecca Like.
Monday, the county took over its counting center at KCC to begin sorting through ballots. Once sorted into districts, the still-sealed envelopes run through a mechanical letter opener, and volunteers are given the envelopes to remove the secrecy sleeve that contains the ballot from the signature envelope.
Once all identifying information has been taken away, volunteers remove the ballots from the secrecy sleeve. Volunteers sign non-disclosure agreements prohibiting their ability to discuss what they see, notice and do.
Votes will not be counted until election day, Yoshioka said, they will simply be scanned.
About 42,243 ballots were mailed out to 47,513 registered voters overall.
The county’s Voter Service Center remains open in the basement of the Historic County Annex Building in Lihu‘e on Rice Street and will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. On Saturday, the center will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The VSC offers accessible in-person voting and serves as a mail ballot collection site, no appointment is necessary.
Ballots may be dropped off at various locations, including neighborhood centers, the Kaua‘i Fire Department Station 2 Kapa‘a and the Office of the County Clerk Elections Division office in the Historic County Building Annex in Lihu‘e, until 7 p.m. on Saturday.
For a list of drop boxes, visit the Office of the County Clerk Elections Division webpage, kauai.gov/Elections.
The special election, which is costing taxpayers about $475,000, is also the subject of debate on whether changes should be made to the County Charter to prevent similar situations in the future.
The Special General Election will be held Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022.
For additional information, please contact the Elections Division of the Office of the County Clerk at (808) 241-4800.
