Dems to count primary votes on May 23
HONOLULU — The Democratic Party of Hawaii said Monday that on May 23 it will count ballots cast in its party-run presidential primary.
The party originally planned to tabulate votes this Saturday after collecting thousands of mailed-in ballots and conducting same-day walk-in voting at 21 sites throughout the state.
But it had to change plans after Gov. David Ige last week issued a statewide stay-at-home order to contain the coronavirus. The order will be in effect at least through April 30.
To accommodate those who planned to vote in person this weekend to cast ballots, the party decided to send an extra round of mailed ballots.
The party won’t count the ballots until late May to allow time for the extra round of ballots to be mailed, filled out and returned. Voters have until Saturday to register with the party and request a ballot.
The party said it mailed about 72,000 ballots so far.
Economist: State is in recession
HONOLULU — The coronavirus pandemic has plunged the state’s economy into a recession that’s unprecedented for people alive in Hawaii today, a University of Hawaii economist told lawmakers Monday.
“We know Hawaii is already in a deep recession. That recession will surpass anything we’ve seen in our lifetimes,” Carl Bonham told members of a state House committee on the economic and financial effects of the virus.
Bonham said it’s difficult to predict what’s in store for the economy because it’s not known how long the health crisis will last and how long the recovery will take.
He’s forecasting that the state’s unemployment rate will likely peak at 25% in the April-June quarter.
Income will not drop as much because of new federal legislation providing extra unemployment benefits and direct payments to people.
State general fund tax revenues, meanwhile, are likely to drop between 10% to 25%, Bonham said.
For the full year, which includes strong performances in January and February and a predicted recovery later in the year, Bonham said the number of travelers to Hawaii will likely be 41% lower than 2019.
State House Speaker Scott Saiki said he agreed with steps to help the economy that were outlined in a University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization report last week. It called for stemming the influx of new infections, which the state has done by imposing a 14-day quarantine on travelers to the islands, and slowing the virus’ spread in the local population, which it is doing through the governor’s statewide stay-at-home order.
The report also called for wider testing of those with symptoms and at elevated risk, plus proactive efforts to trace people positive cases have had contact with.
2020 sailing race postponed
LOS ANGELES — The Transpacific Yacht Club postponed the Transpac-Tahiti 2020 race from Los Angeles to Tahiti because of restrictions stemming from the coronavirus pandemic.
The 3,570-mile race was scheduled to start May 28.
“While racing at sea has no inherent risk in the pandemic, the recent imposition of public health restrictions in both California and French Polynesia have made it nearly impossible for entries to prepare or plan for both the race and its logistical support,” the club said.
Ten boats were entered in the race, which has been conducted 14 times since the first contest in 1925.
A new start date was not announced. Alternative dates later this year will have to take into account the risk of the South Pacific tropical storm season.
The Transpacific Yacht Club also stages the biennial Transpac, a 2,225-mile race from Los Angeles to Honolulu. That race, which dates to 1906, was most recently ran last year.