Hawaii primary election clearly violates the State's Constitution

   As the 2010 elections approach, the people of Hawaii look forward to exercising one of the greatest rights of American democracy; the right to vote.  However most of us are so ingrained in the system that we are oblivious to the fact that our current primary elections clearly violate our rights under the Constitution of the State of Hawaii.

"SECTION ONE:  POLITICAL POWER
   All political power of this State is inherent in the people and the responsibility for the exercise thereof rests with the people."

   The current primary system is a taxpayer funded nomination processes that illegally strips political power from the people and bestows it unequally upon political Parties.  These Parties have no legal rights under the Constitution, and the citizens of Hawaii have in no way relinquished their constitutionally protected political power to them.  Citizens are also under no legal obligation to join any political Party and as such, should in no way have their political power legally diminished or increased by election laws that give preference to political Parties.  Additionally, the Parties' legal access to the general election ballot is in no way correlated to the size of their membership as a percent of the population, and therefor does not protect the equal Rights of Citizens under section eight of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii.

   As demonstrated, Hawaii's current election laws clearly violate it's citizens' constitutional rights to the entirety of political power, and wrongfully deprives them of their equal access to the rights and privileges of voting as citizens of the State of Hawaii.  I call on the Hawaii State Legislature to immediately take steps to update our election laws in order to restore political power fully and equally to the citizens of Hawaii.  One option would be to consider an open blanket primary similar to the one that California voters passed earlier this month.

    Should the legislature fail to do so, Hawaii's Supreme Court must be called upon to protect the constitutional rights of all the citizens of Hawaii.

Andy Woerner
Candidate for U.S. Senate-Hawaii
Election Reform - Term Limits - Balanced Budget
www.andyforussenatehawaii.com