by Andrew Walden

The Hawaii Republican Presidential Caucus is shrinking again.

In January, Hawaii Republicans dumped caucus locations for Lahaina, Captain Cook, Lanai, Hana, and Molokai.

Now they are cancelling four Oahu caucus locations due to their inability to find anybody to staff them.

As a result, as many as five House Districts are now assigned to vote at a single caucus location.

Caucus voting is set for Tuesday March 12 from 6pm to 8pm.  LINK: Locations

Meanwhile, Hawaii Republican Chair Tamara McKay tells Hawaii News Now that 30,000 voters are expected on March 12.  This would be double the 15,000 who turned out last time Hawaii Republicans held caucuses in 2016.

After reducing locations, McKay is projecting an average of nearly 600 voters per house district--3,000 for five districts.

The largest turnout ever for a single Republican caucus location was 1,000 voters in Laie in 2012. 

Meanwhile, McKay supporters on the Rules Committee are proposing changes to Hawaii Republican Rules in an effort to block Presidential Campaigns from selecting the delegates they are apportioned as a result of the vote.  If the new rules are adopted, delegates would be named by vote of the convention.  

This change is motivated by McKay’s blind factional hatred of former Party Chair Shirlene Ostrov, head of the Trump Campaign in Hawaii, which will be naming Trump’s 2024 delegates in accord with existing Hawaii Republican rules. 

But … 

Any change to Hawaii Republican selection process at this late date is a violation of National Republican Rule 16-f and will result in Hawaii Republican being stripped of all 16 of their 19 delegates to the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.  Hawaii Republican voters will all be disenfranchised as a result.

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LINK: GOP Caucus Locations 

TGI: GOP presidential caucus to be held March 12 - The Garden Island  

KHON: 2024 Hawaii Republican caucus voting center locations