WAILUKU -- As of the June 18 deadline for candidates to file for election, literally every man, woman and child in Maui County has filed to run for one of nine seats on the Maui Count Council.
According to documents, some 143,574 residents will vie to be one of the two top vote-getters from each district in the September 18 special election. Those candidates will then go on to have their names on the November ballot.
"There's always been an exceptionally high level of participation in the political process here in Maui County, but this turnout is a bit perplexing," said Charles Hasagawa, who works at the County Clerk's office.
"Few had the required amount of signatures, many aren't old enough to vote. Several dozen applicants just signed their filing with a big 'X.' I'm pretty sure 'Carlos and Montana' are the two spider monkeys that used to be at Maui Tropical Plantation, and one submitted form just has 'I LOVE JUSTIN BIEBER' written in every entry field."
Avery Johansen, a political science professor from the University of Hawaii, said that while this kind of heavy political participation would normally be thinned in the application review process, Maui County is not your typical political arena.
"There are some 143, 575 loopholes in the application process, so its possible every one of these applicants could very well get their name on the ballot," said Johansen.
In anticipation of a mass approval, paper wholesalers from around the world have already begun to submit bids for the printing of the special election ballots, estimated to end up approximately 5,000-pages long each.
But Johansen doesn't foresee the September election bring closure to the situation.
"Most likely each nominee will vote for himself or herself, resulting in a 143,574-way tie and a runoff election."
