Lack of votes in isles takes Green Party off 2008 ballot

The Hawaii Green Party has been taken off the 2008 ballot, according to local election officials, but members of the party are promising a petition drive to restore its status.

Lori Tomczyk, elections office ballot operations chief, said the Green Party did not win enough votes in the 2006 elections to qualify for automatic ballot status in the next election.

But Tomczyk said that if the party completes a petition for the next election, it will be permitted on the ballot. If the party is able to complete petitions in the next three election cycles, it will be permitted on the ballot for 10 more years.

"The petition drive involves getting only 663 signatures of certified voters, so we don't feel it will be a big deal," said Claire Mortimer, Kauai Green Party chairwoman.

"I am very confident we will be back on the ballot," she said.

Only 0.1 percent of the registered voters is needed for the qualifying petition, according to Mortimer.

"Our membership is increasing slowly," said Mortimer, who noted that the Big Island County Council has had an elected Green Party member for 14 years. Councilman Bob Jacobson now represents Puna and South Kona.

The first Green elected to office was Keiko Bonk in 1992. She was elected to the Hawaii County Council and at one time served as chairwoman.