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Polls

Molokai Voter Service Center Now Open

Wednesday, October 21st, 2020

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

Voting looks a little different this year. Instead of seeing the ballot for the first time at the polls, Molokai residents can study their political choices in the comfort of their homes and drop their ballot in the mail when completed. But Hawaii’s mail-only voting system this year means General Election Day on Nov. 3 is coming a lot sooner for those planning to return their ballot by mail. The Hawaii Elections office is advising ballots be postmarked no later than Oct. 27 to ensure they will arrive in time, as ballots must be received by Nov.…

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Molokai Candidate Q&A’s

Wednesday, October 21st, 2020

Molokai Candidate Q&A’s

Editor’s note: The Molokai Dispatch reached out to both Molokai council candidates and OHA Molokai trustee candidates for Q&A responses, with the goal that Molokai voters who are still undecided on home island candidates can make the most educated decisions on their ballots. Candidates were given a max of 200 words to respond to each question. Only the two council candidates shared their answers, and their full responses are printed here.

By The Molokai Dispatch Staff


Stacy Helm Crivello

The Molokai Dispatch (TMD): Why are you running for election/re-election?

Stacy Helm Crivello (SHC): I am running to continue our journey together as an island of people to serve Molokai as well as Lanai and Molokai.…

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Election Places of Deposit

Wednesday, October 14th, 2020

Maui County Clerk News Release

Maui County’s General Election Places of Deposit — except for those located at Voter Service Centers, such as Molokai — will open on Oct. 8, County Clerk Kathy Kaohu announced.

“We are opening most Places of Deposit on the same day ballot packages for Maui County voters are scheduled to be mailed out,” Kaohu said. “This means in addition to mailing their ballots back to us, voters will also be able to drop off their ballots at our designated Places of Deposit as soon as they have completed their voting.”

The Place of Deposit opening date was officially changed on Oct.…

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Keani is the Effective Candidate

Wednesday, October 7th, 2020

For the past two years, Keani Rawlins-Fernandez has served as Molokai’s member on the Maui County Council and what she has accomplished in that short time is quite remarkable. When the Navy proposed military training in the nearshore waters of south Molokai, Keani immediately drafted, championed and passed a resolution opposing the proposal to protect the area for subsistence gathering. When short-term vacation rental homes threatened to consume rural neighborhoods, Keani managed to pass a zero cap for Molokai, protecting our lifestyle and our housing inventory and affordability for residents.

As the Budget Chair, Keani led the council through two successful sessions resulting in the delivery of balanced, equitable, and diversified budgets reflective of community needs and innovative ideas such as: $2.5million in microgrants to small farmers, a smokeless incinerator for the Molokai Landfill, and $500K for a climate change and sea level rise master plan for Molokai.…

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Voting in the General Election

Wednesday, October 7th, 2020

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

Election Day is fast approaching on Nov. 3 but with Hawaii’s fully mail-in ballot system in place this year, the deadline to cast your ballot is coming even sooner. Maui County ballot packages will be mailed to Molokai residents on Thursday, Oct. 8, according to County Clerk Kathy Kaohu.

In this general election, Molokai voters will be helping to decide the new U.S. president and vice president, along with a number of local political representatives and proposed amendments to the Maui County charter. Unlike in the primary election, voters can cast their ballot for any candidate, regardless of political party.…

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DeCoite Bests Ritte in Vote Recount

Wednesday, August 19th, 2020

DeCoite Bests Ritte in Vote Recount

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

Last week, we reported that results for the District 13 Representative seat in the Primary Election were pending a recount. Incumbent Lynn DeCoite and challenger Walter Ritte came within 91 votes of each other, triggering an automatic recount process under the laws governing the new mail-in ballot system in Hawaii, according to Maui County Clerk Kathy Kaohu, who oversees ballots cast in Maui County.

On Monday, Aug. 10 at 5 p.m. the recount began, and final results were announced Tuesday morning, with DeCoite winning by 93 votes over Ritte. DeCoite will move on to the General Election, when she will face the Republican and Aloha Aina party candidates.…

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DeCoite Narrowly Beats Ritte, Pending Recount

Thursday, August 13th, 2020

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

If you ever thought your vote didn’t count, Saturday’s primary election showed differently. Just 91 votes between Molokai’s incumbent District 13 Representative Lynn DeCoite and fellow Molokai resident and challenger Walter Ritte, as of press deadline Sunday. A mandatory recount was conducted Monday evening.

“In the past, candidates would have to file with the court to request a recount if they’re close,” said Maui County Clerk Kathy Kaohu. But she explained part of new mail-in voting laws call for an automatic recount of results that come within 100 votes or one quarter or one percent of the total number of votes cast, whichever is greater.…

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Vote, Vote, Vote

Wednesday, August 5th, 2020

Congratulations to all of you. Good luck to all of you. That’s aloha. Whatever happens, water under the bridge. We move forward and support each other for the good, better of our District 13.
Always remember Molokai is our home, families, community, generations. Action, action, action. Lynn DeCoite always lead by example to take care her District 13 community, she serves with honor, respect and honesty for six years, another six more years of honesty, care. It’s your generations. Also Lynn DeCoite has many others valuable talents and gifts. She has lots of love, care, respect for the land, survival of our life.…

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Don’t Forget to Vote

Wednesday, August 5th, 2020

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

Are you registered to vote? If you answered yes, you should have already received your ballot in the mail and don’t forget to mail it back! If you answered no… you still can!

While July 9 was widely published as the deadline to register for voting in the Primary Election, you can visit Molokai’s Voting Service Center at Mitchell Pauole Center Conference Room to register and vote on the spot, until Election Day on Aug. 8 at 7 p.m.

While Hawaii has switched to an all-mail voting system this year, you can still vote in-person if you’d prefer.…

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Molokai Votes

Wednesday, July 29th, 2020

By Kathy Kaohu, Maui County Clerk

Aloha Molokai! Vote 2020 is upon us, and while this election season is being rocked by pandemics, hurricanes and the new system of Mail in Voting, Hawaii’s people have the resiliency to overcome any barriers this may have to casting our votes and participating in this ground-breaking election year.

This week’s message is about where we’ve been, and the potential of where we can go. Below are some Molokai specific voting statistics to better understand where we’ve been.

Let’s start by looking at the 2018 Primary numbers in comparison to 2020, beginning with registered Molokai voters by District/Precinct:

District/Precinct Registered
Voters as of 2018 Primary Election Total Active Registered Voters as of 07/17/20* Total Registered Voters as of 07/17/20*
Kilohana 13/05: 647 587 691
Kaunakakai 13/06: 1,992 1,930 2,124
Maunaloa 13/07: 379 376 423
Kualapu 13/08: 1,243 1,176 1,283
Kalaupapa 13/09: 32 28 36
Totals: 4,293 4,097 4,557

*In Hawaii, registered voters who do not participate in voting over two election cycles will not be counted as active voters.…

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