Honolulu Council Chair Tommy Waters Disqualified; votes for him excluded

A Honolulu Circuit Court ruled that City Council Chair Tommy Waters cannot run for a third term because the city charter limits council members to two consecutive terms. The ruling was upheld by the city’s Elections Division, which said that although Waters’ name remains on the already‑printed ballots for the District 4 primary, any votes cast for him will not count toward electing a council member. The votes will only be tallied to determine whether an eligible candidate reaches the required majority; if no candidate does, the top two will advance to the November general election. Acting City Clerk Chadd Kadota explained that the ballots cannot be reissued under Hawaii law, and voters who have already voted cannot receive a new ballot. The remaining candidates are Trevor Ozawa, Jason Liang and Tara Malia Gregory, with the primary scheduled for Saturday.

The decision underscores the enforcement of term‑limit provisions in Honolulu’s local government and highlights procedural constraints when a disqualification occurs after ballots have been printed.