GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM All but one of the 14 candidates vying for the City Council seat vacated by Andy Mirikitani were on hand last night for a debate televised from Honolulu Hale. Candidate Richard Gee, above left, introduced himself to the audience as Bob Rees, standing, moderated the debate.

Absentee voting heavy
for special election

More than 3,800 mail-in votes
suggest a large turnout for
today's District 5 vote

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By Gordon Y.K. Pang
gpang@starbulletin.com

If the number of absentee ballots received is any indication, there could be a heavy turnout in today's 5th Council District special election.

As of last night, the city had received more than 3,800 mail-in absentee ballots, while an additional 660 or so absentee voters had walked in to vote at Honolulu Hale, according to city elections Administrator Glen Takahashi. That amounts to nearly 10 percent of the 44,868 District 5 residents registered and eligible to vote in today's election. Absentee mail-in ballots will be accepted through 6 p.m. today.

There were 3,158 absentee mail-in ballots received and 1,574 walk-in voters for the 1998 5th District Council election out of 42,179 registered, according to City Clerk Genny Wong. That translates to an 11.2 percent absentee turnout.

All told, 28,080 cast votes in District 5 in 1998, a 66.6 percent turnout.

Today's special election was triggered when convicted Councilman Andy Mirikitani vacated the seat last month. The winner will serve out the remainder of Mirikitani's four-year term ending Jan. 2.

Fifth District voters will get the chance to pick someone to serve the ensuing four years during the regular election later this year.

There are 14 candidates running in the special election.

In alphabetical order, the candidates are former state Rep. Sam Aiona, elementary school counselor John Anderson, businessman Danny Auyoung, actor-stuntman Albert Furuto, geography professor Nasir Gazdar, tree trimmer-artist Richard Gee, former Councilman Kekoa Kaapu, attorney Joe Kinoshita, former state Sen. Ann Kobayashi, attorney Richard Lee, special-education instructor Ron Lockwood, retired government analyst Harris Murabayashi, Fire Department Capt. Richard Soo and Makiki Neighborhood Board Chairman and business professor John Steelquist.

Polling places for today's 5th City Council District special election

The 19 polling places in the 5th City Council District are open today from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. A notice of voter registration and address confirmation that listed your polling place should have been mailed to your home address in recent weeks. Call the City Clerk's Office at 523-4293 if you are uncertain where you need to go to vote. The polling places are:

>> District 20, Precinct 3: Kaimuki High School cafeteria, 2705 Kaimuki Ave.
>> District 20, Precinct 4: Church of the Crossroads meeting room, 1212 University Ave.
>> District 20, Precinct 5: McCully Recreation Center Rooms 1, 2, 3, 831 Pumehana St.
>> District 21, Precinct 1: Ala Wai Elementary School cafeteria, 503 Kamoku St.
>> District 22, Precinct 2: Kuhio Elementary School cafeteria, 2759 S. King St.
>> District 22, Precinct 4: Lunalilo Elementary School cafeteria, 810 Pumehana St.
>> District 23, Precinct 2: Noelani Elementary School cafeteria, 2655 Woodlawn Drive.
>> District 23, Precinct 4: University High School cafeteria, 1776 University Ave.
>> District 23, Precinct 7: Manoa Elementary School Cafeteria, 3155 Manoa Road.
>> District 24, Precinct 1: Manoa Valley District Park Recreation Building, 2721 Kaaipu Ave.
>> District 24, Precinct 2: St. Clement's Episcopal Church Hall, 1515 Wilder Ave.
>> District 24, Precinct 3: Makiki District Park Agee Hall basement room, 1527 Keeaumoku St.
>> District 24, Precinct 5: Christ United Methodist Church meeting room, 1639 Keeaumoku St.
>> District 25, Precinct 1: Kaahumanu Elementary School cafeteria, 1141 Kinau St.

A number of regular polling places are not available today. As a result, the clerk's office has consolidated or relocated them with other polling places. Those affected, and the new voting places:

>> District 22, Precinct 1: Kaimuki High School Cafeteria, 2705 Kaimuki Ave.
>> District 22, Precinct 3: Hokulani Elementary School, 2940 Kamakini St.
>> District 22, Precinct 5: Boys/Girls Club Spalding Clubhouse Gym, 1704 Waiola St.
>> District 23, Precinct 1: Hokulani Elementary School, 2940 Kamakini St.
>> District 23, Precinct 3: Hokulani Elementary School, 2940 Kamakini St.
>> District 23, Precinct 5: Manoa Valley District Park Recreation Building, 2721 Kaaipu Ave.
>> District 23, Precinct 6: Manoa Valley District Park Pavilion, 2721 Kaaipu Ave.
>> District 24, Precinct 6: Lincoln Elementary School cafeteria, 615 Auwaiolimu St.
>> District 25, Precinct 2: McCoy Pavilion, Ala Moana Beach Park

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City & County of Honolulu