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The Vice Chair of Communications is human and trigger happy. She sent out the newsletter yesterday premature. See below for the additions to yesterday's newsletter.
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Aloha Hawaii Republican Party members
I am writing to update you on important matters related to campaign finance regulations and the handling of funds from the recent sale of the Kapiolani building (Hawaii Republican Party HQ). As well as clear up some misleading stories recently being shared and published.
As members of the Hawaii Republican Party, it is crucial that we remain transparent and compliant with all regulations to uphold the integrity of our organization. As you may be aware, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) imposes specific limits on contributions to federal candidates, PACs, and Party Committees. These limits dictate the maximum amounts that individuals, PACs, and Party Committees can contribute to federal election activities. It is essential that we adhere to these guidelines to ensure legal compliance.
Regarding the recent sale of the Kapiolani building, between Oahu League of Republican women (OLRW) and the Hawaii Republican Party (which was approved by both bodies), it was agreed that the proceeds would be kept separate in its own account. These funds are not to be commingled with our state and federal accounts, because they have to be treated differently.
In line with these instructions, we have established a clear protocol for the use of funds from the Kapiolani account. Aristotle, our trusted compliance partner, has advised us on the utilization of funds from the Kapiolani account for qualified expenses. We are allowed to use 64% of these funds monthly to reimburse ourselves for approved expenses. Those monies transferred are what is reported to the FEC and will continue to be reported until the funds are depleted. It is crucial to note that funds from the Kapiolani account are treated differently from contributions and campaign funds. Additionally, we are mindful of our upcoming capital gains tax obligations in 2025 as a result of the building sale. To mitigate these taxes and ensure the financial stability of our party in the long term, we are exploring investment opportunities with the assistance of our approved financial adviser, Dan Turner. Our goal is to find a compatible investment source or a higher-yield savings account to generate returns on the funds while meeting our financial obligations. The annual amount to be used from the Kapiolani account was established in accordance with the budget submitted by the state chair, Tamara McKay, and approved by the state body.
The Hawaii Republican Party and OLRW are two separate entities that are held to different guidelines per state and federal laws. The Hawaii Republican Party is a 527 political party, not considered a non profit like a 501c3 or 501c4.
We are confident in our ability to secure a stable financial future for our party with the budgeted allotment approved by the state committee, the Gorry fund, and fundraising efforts.
Should you have any questions or require further clarification, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Mahalo,
Tamara McKay
State Chair
Hawaii Republican Party
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The Primary Election is Here!
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Tomorrow, Saturday, August 10th is Election Day. Early, in-person, voting of the Primary Election started on July 29th and goes thru to Election Day, August 10th, (7 am - 7 pm) see the locations of the voting centers (here). Even though it is too late to rgister to vote for the primary, voters can still register at in-person locations and vote. Also, by registering soon, voters can vote in the General Election in November 4th. (y'all are registered, but tell your family, friends and neighbors). Voting is our civic duty as Americans and it is very important to vote in the primary so that the stronger candidates can move towards the general election. Below are some of the other reasons to vote in the primary.*
- Primaries separates the stronger candidates from weaker ones.
- Primaries can feature ballot measures that need to be voted on.
- More people voting in the primaries means that a one segment of the voting population isn’t calling all the shots.
- Primary voters are also more partisan than general election voters, which is how fringe candidates end up in the general. More primary voters can mitigate this.
- Voter turnout at primaries help determine where campaigns and parties will put more (or less) effort towards the general election.
Ok, so your mail-in ballots have arrived, now what? Below are some ideas for you to consider:
1. Do your research on the candidates. Don't rely on anyone else to make this important decision for you. Go to the sources (i.e. the candidates themselves) to find out what they stand for. Many of the candidates have websites with contact information. Another option are the following sources: Civil Beat has a section on candidates (here), Hawaii Family Forum (here) and the Election's office has an interactive voter guide and sample ballot for you to try (here). Use your own discernment. Ask yourself if those in office now have been serving you.
2. Do your best to vote in-person on Election Day. Why? you may ask. Because YOUR help is needed. By voting in person, you are sending a message. We all know that life gets in the way and it may seem convenient to vote by mail. The problem with this approach is that convenience doesn't always result in best outcome. Voting used to be conveniently held in our neighborhoods, on one day, in person, with paper ballots and hand-counted in the same location that the ballots were cast. People counted in front of spectators and "official observers" for transparency. No machinery or software necessary. It was a process that we could trust because we could verify.
In recent years the integrity of our elections has come into question. What is different now is the mail-in voting, and the multi-week voter “service” center voting. Though these centers offer in-person voting, they are inconveniently located too few and far between. We now have a centralized counting center - not open to public viewing - and a third-party company, Hart Inner Civic, that is in charge of controls. Hart uses propriety software and hardware, that even the election workers are not privy.
This non-transparent process has decreased confidence in our elections. No amount of mail-in convenience is worth not knowing the answer to the following questions: Are our elections accurate? How do we ensure the chain of custody with mail-in voting without the "official observers" present during many parts of the process, and no chain of custody records are presented to the public? How do we know our ballots are being counted? How do we know the early ballot information is kept secure? How can we know that the numbers of ballots printed, sent out and returned are all accounted for? How do we know that the intended recipient of the mail-in ballot receives and returns that ballot? How are the signatures on the returned ballots verified? Does the staff check for I.D. at the voting locations?
The process is no longer transparent and nobody has been held accountable for violations of election laws. No investigations by the Election Commission has taken place - EVER!
If you are unable to vote in-person on Election Day, vote in-person or drop you mail-in ballot in a drop box as close as possible to Election Day, August 10th. No matter what, you must vote!!! Do not sit this one out.The goal is to return to common sense elections.
3. Try your best to keep your ballot sealed. See the civil beat ballot sample (here) to do your research. Bring your unopened ballot to the voting center when you vote as proof you have not voted before arriving. Though this suggestion applies when voting in-person, if you have already opened your ballot, bring it with you to the voting center anyway.
4. Use a blue pen to vote (the machines use black to print).
5. On Election Day, be prepared to wait in long lines - bring an umbrella for sun and rain, water, a snack, your blue pen. Go with friends and neighbors to make the waiting fun. This inconvenience of the current process - the too few voting "Service" centers - is inconvenient to you, the voter, but not to the Election Office. Let that sink in. Remember, these are OUR elections. By voting in-person, you are helping reclaim our election process.
Some useful Election-related links below:
Register to vote (here)
Check your voter registration status (here)
See the candidates page (here)
See Star Advertiser Q & A with Candidates: (here)
See the voting "service" center locations (here)
*sited from an article from www.politicalcharge.org
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Adriel Lam's Key events:
8/10 Sat, Primary Election Night Watch Party
Election Night Block Party, Saturday, 8/10, 6:30pm
https://lam4aloha.com/
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2024 Candidate meeting and Greet and watch party
Wed, September 4, 2024 01:00 PM - 05:00 PMHST
461 Cooke St, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA
Get your ticket for this event (here)
Early-bird: $50. General Admission: $60.
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County Grassroots-organized Trump Rally & Flag-Waving are in full swing.
Come out and support your favorite POTUS. Encourage your friends and family to join too. These rallies hold great opportunity for all America-First & Hawaii-First candidates to mingle with their potential voters.
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Hilo | Fridays - 4-6 p.m.
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First Friday is September 6th
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Hilo | Sundays - 2-4 p.m.
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Kapolei | Wednesdays - 3:30 - 5 p.m.
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Oahu | Thursdays - 4 p.m.
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