Hawaii Supreme Court orders new election for House District 43
Hawaii's highest court has thrown out the result of a tied Republican primary and ordered a fresh vote, a win for the incumbent who challenged it and for voters in the district.
- The Republican primary in House District 43 ended in an exact tie between incumbent Kanani Souza and challenger Sheila Medeiros.
- Medeiros was declared the winner by random drawing, which prompted Souza to go to court.
- The challenge centered on ballots that were handed to the wrong voters.
- The new vote will happen alongside the general election on November 3rd and will be open to voters of all parties, not just Republicans.
- The mix-up has dented trust in how the election was run, though the court moved fast to fix it.
Outlook: District 43 voters get a do-over in November, with the seat now decided by the wider electorate rather than a coin-flip.