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Voter rolls up
nearly 6%, but ’98
growth was more

The hot governor's race is
credited with the 10% surge
in the '98 election

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By Richard Borreca
Star-Bulletin

Voter registration between the 1998 general election and this fall's election is up nearly 6 percent, according to City Clerk Genevieve Wong.

That figure is way off from the 1998 election when a hot governor's race caused the voter registration to grow by nearly 10 percent between the 1996 and 1998 general elections.

Two years ago, both major political parties and labor unions organized campaigns to sign up more voters.

With few big races, the voter registration officials reported this year there was not as much interest.

In 1998, almost 19,000 new voters registered between the primary and general elections, but this year, only 8,187 new voters registered.

The one bright spot, according to Wong, was that 7,511 voters who were registered but inactive were put back on the active rolls because they voted in the primary election.

In most areas, voter registration was slow between the primary election and Oct. 9's deadline to register to vote in the general election.

Even on the Big Island, which is in the middle of a spirited three-way race for mayor, the voter registration grew by only 1.6 percent in that period.

Maui voter registration also grew by 1.6 percent.

On Oahu, where the bulk of voters live, the increase in voter registration was 1.1 percent.

On Kauai, it was 1.9 percent.

Wong said the statewide voter registration increased 1.3 percent between the primary and general elections.

But when you calculate both the number of voters who were taken off the inactive list and the voters who actually registered, the increase nearly doubles to 2.4 percent.

During the summer, voter officials send out cards to all registered voters. If the address on the notice is incorrect and the card is returned as "undeliverable," the voter is flagged.

On Election Day, any flagged individual is required to re-register before being allowed to vote.

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Starbulletin.com Election Results
State Office of Elections