Honolulu Star-Advertiser

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EditorialKauakukalahale

Column: Ke ko‘iko‘i o ke koho balota ‘ana

Synopsis: This article reveals the fact that only 39% of the Hawaiian population is registered to vote. In 1873, Hawaiæi held a vote to choose the next monarch, with 3,049 individuals participating in the election and being active in Hawaiæi politics. We encourage our community to register and vote, just as our küpuna did, and to stay civically engaged.

Koho Balota! Koho Balota! E nä hoa makamaka akamai o këia pae æäina nei, mai ka puka æana o ka lä i Kumukahi a hiki i ka mole æolu o Lehua, e koho balota käkou! Ke hiki mai nei ka wä e koho balota ai ka lehulehu ma ka lä 5 o Nowemapa. I këia au, æaæole nui ka poæe Hawaiæi e hoihoi nei i ka hele aku i ka hale koho balota e koho balota ai. Pehea lä käkou e pono ai? æAuhea æoukou e ka püæali koa o Hawaiæi nui kuauli? æAuhea æoukou e nä hono aæo Piæilani? æAuhea æoukou e nä lei æohuæohu o Oæahu o Käkuhihewa? æAuhea æoukou e Kauaæi ulu wehiwehi o Manokalanipö, a me nä kama a Kahelelani? Auë, æaæohe wahi leo o æoukou? æAæohe manaæo i ka holomua æana o ke ola o ka lähui?

I ka makahiki 1853 i puka mua ai ka huaæölelo æo “balota” ma ka nüpepa Hawaiæi. Ua höæike æia ka lehulehu o nä koho ma o ka balota i ka hui æana o ka æAha æÖlelo. Ua makemake nä luna o ka æAha æÖlelo e hoæokaæaæike aku, i mua o ka lehulehu, i ke kuleana a me nä känäwai hou o këlä manawa. Iwakälua makahiki ma hope o ia æatikala, ua lanakila ke aliæi nui æo Lunalilo ma ka lä 1 o Ianuali i ka makahiki 1873. Wahi a kahi nüpepa æölelo Hawaiæi, Ka Lau Oliva, ua koho balota he 3,049 makaæäinana no ke aliæi nui. Ua hele nui mai ka poæe a ua koho! E hoæolohe käkou i nä küpuna i hala. Eia nö iä käkou ka mana koho balota i këia wä, a hala aæe ia wä, maliæa, æaæole pono i koe.

I këia makahiki, he 1.4 miliona poæe o këia pae æäina æo Hawaiæi. Eia nö, ua hiki i ka hapa nui o käkou poæe makaæäinana ke koho balota i këia Poæalua mua o Nowemapa e hiki koke mai ana. Kainö ua æike æia ke koæikoæi o ke koho balota æana, eia kä, i ka makahiki 2022, he 853,874 känaka i kau inoa no ke koho balota æana, a he 340,139 wale nö naæe känaka i koho balota. He 39 wale nö pakeneka ia o ka heluna nui. Auë nö hoæi ë! No ka poæe Hawaiæi, he mana ko ka leo. æO ke koho balota æana kekahi “leo” o ka lehulehu. Pëlä e höæike ai i kä läkou moho e käkoæo ana. Inä e koho balota æole ana, mai nö a uë ke lanakila ka moho äu i makemake æole ai. Aia nö a koho balota, a laila, hiki nö ke namunamu.

æAæole nö mäua nei e paipai ana i kekahi moho kikoæï e koho ai, eia naæe, ke hoæomaopopo aku nei mäua i ke koæikoæi loa o ko æoukou leo ke koho balota. He mana ko ka leo, a he minamina hoæi ke lohe æole æia ua leo nei ma o ke koho balota æana. He minamina hoæi ke hulikua ka hapa nui o ka poæe i ke koho balota. Inä he æiæini ko loko e æike ai i ka huli æana o ke aupuni, æo ka mea mua e pono ai, æo ia ka huli æana i ka pepa koho balota e höæike ai i nä moho a käkou e makemake ai. E ka mea heluhelu nei, e hele ana mäua i ke keæena koho balota e kau inoa ai no ke koho æana i këia pule aæe, a he leo kono këia iä æoukou päkahi a pau e hele pü me mäua e mahalo ai i ka mana o ke koho!

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