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STAR-ADVERTISER FILE
Na’i Aupuni board president J. Kuhio Asam is in charge of running the November election for the 'aha constitutional convention and subsequent Native Hawaiian convention and ratification process.
Some 209 candidates will vie for 40 delegate positions across the islands for the Native Hawaiian ‘aha constitutional convention.
Kuhio Asam, president of Na’i Aupuni, which is in charge of running the November election and subsequent Native Hawaiian convention and ratification process, said the candidates are "diverse in their age, backgrounds and purpose. They are representative of a good cross-section of the Native Hawaiian community."
The list of candidates was released today by Election-America, a private national company hired by the independent group Na’i Aupuni to conduct the election.
The delegates will be elected to represent Native Hawaiians who live in and out of Hawaii. They will meet next year at a constitutional convention to work on forming a Native Hawaiian government.
The election breakdown by area is: On Oahu, 110 candidates will vie for 20 delegate positions; Hawaii island, 32 candidates for 7 slots; Maui, 15 contenders for 3 positions; Kauai and Niihau, five hopefuls for two spots; Molokai and Lanai, four candidates for one position; and out of state, 43 contenders for seven slots.
Information on each candidate can be found at www.naiaupuni.org or at https://vote.election-america.com/naiaupuni/bios.htm.
Ballots to elect the delegates will be sent to certified voters on Nov.1, Election-America officials said. Votes can be cast by mail or electronically but must be received by Nov. 30.
Native Hawaiians who have not been certified can still apply with the Native Hawaiian Roll Commission (www.kanaiolowalu.org) or at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (www.oha.org/registry).
Information about the election process can be found at www.naiaupuni.org or by emailing naiaupuni@election-america.com. The deadline to be certified is Oct. 15.
