Numbers ‘kept growing’
Party is ‘energized’ by a record-breaking turnout; Obama gets 78 percentBy ILIMA LOOMIS, Staff Writer
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More than 5,500 Democrats participated in the polling just in Maui County — more than the total turnout statewide four years ago. Overwhelmed caucus sites reported scrambling to find photocopiers after running out of registration forms, sign-in sheets and ballots. Democratic Party leaders estimated three-quarters of participants were new party members.
“The numbers just kept growing and growing, and all of a sudden we had three times the number of people we had spaces for,” said District 11 Chairman Ray Hart in Kihei.
Countywide, Obama received 78 percent of the vote, Hillary Rodham Clinton received about 22 percent, with less than 1 percent going to Dennis Kucinich, John Edwards, or uncommitted.
Clinton prevailed in only one of the county’s 44 precincts: the Sand Hills area of Wailuku, where she received 51 votes to 33 for Obama.
Obama’s biggest landslide was in Kualapuu, Molokai, with 163 votes to Clinton’s 15.
Two precincts ended in a dead heat: Keanae, with a four-four tie; and Kalaupapa, which split seven to seven, with one uncommitted vote.
Party leaders said they were exhausted but inspired by the unprecedented turnout.
“I was there four years ago, and I think there were 65 people,” precinct President Richard Michaels said of the Kihei caucus, where 850 voters turned out Tuesday.
“We ran out of ballots,” he said. “People were writing their votes on pieces of paper.”
Hart said the Kihei caucus did run out of ballots, as well as attendance rosters and other forms, but volunteers stepped out of the crowd to make copies.
“One person said, ‘I’ll take care of it,’ and went down to Star Market and ran off the rest of the ballots we needed,” he said. “Isn’t that something? Nobody had to tell them, they just did it.”
Tourists who weren’t eligible to vote in the Hawaii caucus showed up to volunteer, he said.
“It was impressive,” he said. “It makes you proud.”
Some voters complained Tuesday night that the party didn’t seem to have records on them, even though they’d registered before. But John Sucich of the Maui County Democratic Party said they may have mistakenly believed they were party members because they’d voted a Democratic ticket in the past.
“Even if they think they’re a member of the party because they always vote Democratic, unless they’ve joined the party, they’re confused,” he said.
Michaels said it was “entirely possible” the party may have lost track of some members, but he said most voters were understanding.
“Sometimes people would say, ‘Well, I already (signed up),’” he said. “But the spirit was so fantastic that even when it was a pain, people said, ‘OK, let’s do it.’”
Maui County Democratic Party Chairman Lance Holter said he got a few complaints that there was “chaos” at caucus locations.
The party was “severely under-volunteered,” he said, and reserved only a limited number of caucus sites according to the manpower that was available. After it became apparent that the race between Obama and Clinton was so tight that Hawaii’s delegates could make a difference, interest in the caucuses skyrocketed, and turnout was far in excess of what the party had prepared for.
“I just hope people who had a bad experience realize that it was a miracle we could pull it off the way we did,” he said.
But Holter said the feedback he was getting was overwhelmingly positive.
“People had a fabulous, wonderful experience,” he said. “They said it was exciting and historical.”
Stephanie Ohigashi, a member of the Democratic Party of Hawaii’s Central Committee, said the caucus at Baldwin High School was crowded but “very smooth running.”
Voters were orderly as they stood in line as early as 5:30 p.m. to sign in, and waited for copies to be made after workers ran out of ballots, she said.
“For the most part, the crowd understood and they were patient,” she said.
While some may have joined the party just so they could caucus, Ohigashi believed many would continue to participate as Democrats even after the 2008 elections are over. The event was an opportunity for new voters and members to see how the party works, she said.
“We’re energized, because so many people have an interest in being part of the process,” she said.
In Kihei, Michaels said precinct groups were overflowing the cafeteria at Kihei Elementary School and meeting on the lawn to cast their votes.
“They had to call out people one by one and give them ballots. It took forever,” he said. “It was chaotic and disorganized, and there were far too many people for what they expected, but most people said it was really worth it, they loved it.”
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