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BRUCE OMORI / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-ADVERTISER
Puna residents Thearl Tadeo
The state Office of Elections said Monday that it will hold an election on Friday for the two precincts in Puna that could decide the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate between U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz and U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa.
The election will be held at Keonepoko Elementary School from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The results would be announced later that evening, according to Rex Quidilla, a spokesman for the Office of Elections.
Elections officials had previously said that voters in the two precincts — Hawaiian Paradise Community Center and Keoneopoko Elementary School — would be given an opportunity to vote by absentee ballot.
About 8,255 voters are registered in the two precincts. All those who have not already voted by walk-in or mail before the primary will be eligible to vote.
Schatz leads Hanabusa by 1,635 votes.
