Question: I dropped my ballot in the orange box but I am pretty sure I forgot to sign the envelope. What do I do now?
Answer: Wait to hear from your county elections office, which will contact you if you did not sign your ballot return envelope, according to the state Office of Elections. In that case, you’ll have until Aug. 22 to provide your signature so that your ballot can be counted.
Q: I prefer to vote in person because I don’t like having to sign the outside of the envelope that goes through the mail. Is Honolulu Hale the only place to vote in person this year?
A: No. There will be four voter service centers on Oahu where people can vote in person. You will have to sign the voter log. Bring your picture ID. Hours at these sites will vary. Here are the details, from the state Office of Elections:
>> Honolulu Hale, courtyard: Monday through Aug. 12 (except Sunday, Aug. 7), 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and Aug. 13, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
>> Kapolei Hale, conference rooms A, B, C: Monday through Aug. 12 (except Sunday, Aug. 7), 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and Aug. 13, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
>> Kaneohe District Park, meeting room: Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
>> George Fred Wright Wahiawa District Park, ceramics room: Aug. 8 to 12, 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Alternatively, if you don’t mind dropping off your signed ballot return envelope (with your voted ballot inside), you can do so at a voter service center or at one of the orange drop boxes scattered around the island. See elections.hawaii.gov for those locations.
Q: Auwe. It’s not right that we can’t count on the city to supply park restrooms with toilet paper. We’ve already been bringing our own soap for years. We enjoy attending our grandchildren’s sporting events at Oahu parks. Like many kupuna, we can’t remain at an event for many hours without having to use the restroom. We’ll have no choice but to bring our own toilet paper, as the city asks. Will this be permanent?
A: No, the BYOTP request is meant to be temporary while Honolulu County’s Department of Parks and Recreation is running low on industrial- size rolls of toilet paper. In an announcement Friday, the department asked park users “to please bring in their own toilet paper for use in park bathrooms until DPR can secure a steadier supply of the industrial rolls,” although it did not specify when that would be.
The department blamed the shortage on “supply chain issues resulting from increased production costs and reduced raw materials.” It apologized for the inconvenience and said that closing park restrooms would be a last resort, one it hopes to avoid by having park users bring their own toilet paper; stocking bathrooms with trifold, napkin-style toilet paper and/or smaller household- size rolls; and coordinating with other city departments to redirect existing supplies of industrial-size rolls to the parks if possible.
DPR wants people to bring plain toilet paper, not any other alternative. “We urge the public to please not use ‘flushable’ wipes, paper towels or clothing as an alternative to toilet paper. These items do not break down in water like regular toilet paper and cause clogs, resulting in bathroom closures until the clog can be removed,” it said.
Mahalo
Just minutes before the start of the 1.6-mile Waimea Bay swim on July 16, the third race in the North Shore Swim Series, my old swim cap nearly ripped in half as I was putting it on. The rules require a cap, but there was no way I could get another one prior to the start. I was at wit’s end when a young fellow came up to me, handed me a cap and told me I could keep it. I believe his name was Josh Lee. Thanks to his generosity, I was able to start the swim on time. — Mahalo, Jim
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
