The votes have been tallied and the results of the 2025 Neighborhood Board Elections are in.
You can find all the winners here.
“The election went well. No major snags. No ties,” Lloyd Yonenaka, executive secretary to the Neighborhood Commission, told Aloha State Daily in an email Wednesday.
Were there any surprises?
“Surprises are a personal interpretation,” he said. “Some individuals did not get re-elected and that happens in probably every election.”
According to Yonenaka, 14,031 votes were cast in the election out of 176,557 voters in contested races — a response rate of 7.94%. Uncontested candidates are automatically elected.
O‘ahu's Neighborhood Board System was established in 1973 "to assure and increase community participation in the decision-making process of government." The nine-member Neighborhood Commission oversees the board system.
Yonenaka shared similar sentiments, noting that the boards "provide a way for citizens to participate in the workings of our government."
There are currently 33 Neighborhood Boards across the island, made up of community members who represent fellow residents at the board's meetings.
These meetings often include reports from the area's elected representatives, including city council members, state legislators or their representatives, Mayor Rick Blangiardi's office and other officials, as well public safety updates from Honolulu Police Department and Honolulu Fire Department. They also serve as a forum where residents can voice issues and concerns.
"The Neighborhood Boards provide a great sounding board for elected officials," Yonenaka said.
Yonenaka said board vacancies fluctuate and there are approximately 50 vacant seats out of 437.
"The challenge to filling the vacancies is a lack of interest, particularly in the subdistricts," he said. "The vacant seats in the subdistricts are more difficult to fill as the subdistricts represent a smaller pool of individuals interested in serving on the board. At large seats are more easily filled because the individual does not have to live in a certain subdistrict."
Stephanie Salmons can be reached at stephanie@alohastatedaily.com.
