Mirikitani recall
effort hits snag

Delays in the petition process
may make a recall election moot

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By Treena Shapiro
tshapiro@starbulletin.com

If a recall petition drive to force convicted City Councilman Andy Mirikitani out of office succeeds, the recall election likely would be held after Mirikitani's Dec. 4 sentencing, when he will lose his seat anyway, said City Clerk Genny Wong.

Kekoa Kaapu, who is leading the recall effort, said he had hoped to turn in the required 4,218 signatures by the end of the month, but on Friday he said he had collected less than half the signatures and had to push the deadline to Sept. 18.

"We still have time, but I would be a little happier if we were farther along," he said.

Wong said that if Kaapu turns in the signatures on Sept. 18, she would have roughly a month to verify them. After that, Mirikitani would have 10 days to resign or face a recall election.

"At that point I have 90 days to call an election," Wong said.

To call an election, Wong would need to negotiate a contract with election vendors, procure polling places and recruit and train poll workers.

Elections cost from $225,000 to $250,000, Wong said. In case of a recall election, the costs could double because people would have to vote first on the recall, then to fill the seat.

Kaapu said, "The fact that the Dec. 4 thing is coming up relatively soon has kind of dampened the urge to go forward with the recall."

But even though the election could be scheduled after Mirikitani's court date, he wanted to have a backup in case the sentencing was delayed.

He also said that Mirikitani could choose to resign and save the cost of the election.

If Mirikitani chooses to remain in office, "the printing and all that could be held off until after Dec. 4," Kaapu said.

Wong, however, was not sure that it would be legal to delay calling the election until after Mirikitani's sentencing and said she would have to consult with attorneys.

"This is the first time we've come across this," she said. "It's just one of these things where we have to constantly sort out these time lines. It's a learning process, and we consult with our attorneys whenever possible."

For more information about the recall effort or to download a petition, visit www.hawaii-recalls.com on the Internet.