U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa filed suit Wednesday to block a special election scheduled for Friday for thousands of voters on Hawaii’s Big Island—a vote that could decide the state’s fiercely contested Democratic primary for a U.S. Senate seat. The election would be for voters at two polling places in the Puna District of the Big Island that were shut down by Tropical Storm Iselle over the weekend. In a statement, Ms. Hanabusa said large numbers of people in the area were still without power or water and not yet receiving regular mail service, making it difficult to hold a makeup election Friday.
“It is completely unrealistic to think people struggling to find basic necessities or get out of their homes will have the ability to go to the polls this week,” she said.
Rex Quidilla, head of voter services for Hawaii’s Office of Elections, declined to comment on the suit but said the state would move forward with the election unless otherwise instructed by the court.
Full Article: Congresswoman Sues to Block Special Election in Hawaii – WSJ.