GOP OBJECTION FILED TO SENATOR LAURA THIELEN'S NOMINATION PAPERS

News Release from Hawaii Republican Party

HONOLULU (June 15, 2016) -  Hawaii Republican Party State Chair Fritz Rohlfing will be holding a press conference today at 3:00 PM at Party Headquarters to discuss an objection filed yesterday to the nomination papers of State Senator Laura Thielen under Hawaii's statute governing challenges to nomination papers (HRS Section 12-8).

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PDF: Complaint

PDF: Chief Elections Officer Scott Nago Testimony June 17, 2016

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Hawaii GOP Chair Wants Democratic Senator Removed From The Ballot

CB: The lawsuit, filed Thursday in the 1st Circuit Court of Hawaii, argues that three of the 17 signatures of registered voters listed on Thielen’s nomination papers are invalid.

Rohlfing alleges that the names of the three signatories do not match the names of actual registered voters.

read … Lawsuit

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‘Frivolous’ GOP Ballot Challenge Against Sen Thielen Dismissed

CB June 28, 2016: …Fifteen verified signatures are required for nomination papers; 17 signatures were initially verified for Thielen, but Rohlfing said the actually count should be 14, thus making her ineligible to run.

Judge Jeannette Castagnetti determined state law does not penalize voters who print a reasonable variation of their legal names such as using a middle initial instead of a full name.

“It’s notable that the judge’s order detailed how Mr. Rohlfing’s complaint was not filed in accordance with court rules, that the ‘return of service’ was not filed properly, that Rohlfing misspelled one of the nominating parties’ names in his complaint, and that he failed to timely correct his errors with the court,” said Thielen. “The irony would be funny, but for the fact that Mr. Rohlfing is attempting to disenfranchise voters and is wasting the court’s time on frivolous charges.”….

read … Dismissed

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GOP CHAIR FRITZ ROHLFING'S RESPONSE TO FIRST CIRCUIT COURT RULING 

News Release from Hawaii GOP

HONOLULU (June 28, 2016) -  Hawaii Republican Party State Chair Fritz Rohlfing commented on the First Circuit Court's ruling issued yesterday overruling his objection to the nomination papers of State Senator Laura Thielen:

"We have reviewed the 16-page Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law, and Order entered by the First Circuit Court and we greatly appreciate the expeditious manner in which the Court considered our objection to Senator Thielen’s nomination papers. 

"We are disappointed, however, with the Court’s ruling that candidates for public office may be nominated by people who do not accurately identify themselves in the manner prescribed by the nomination form.

"The Court's ruling permits the Office of Elections to exercise its discretion in confirming the nomination of candidates even when citizens who nominate the prospective candidate fail to accurately identify themselves so as to allow a quick confirmation of their status as qualified registered voters.

"We are particularly dismayed by Chief Election Officer Scott Nago's sworn statement to the Court saying that he believes the format of the nomination form his office prescribes for the printing of voter’s name 'is not a mandatory format and is merely a suggestion.'

"We believe the Court's ruling makes Hawaii's candidate nomination process less certain and vests too much discretion in the Office of Elections."

For more information and to stay connected, please like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HawaiiRepublicanParty, follow us on Twitter @gophawaii, and visit our website at www.gophawaii.com.

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Text: HRS 12-8

Office of Elections: “Objections must be filed no later than June 14”