Big Island Polls

There Merrie Monarch Festival was recently named the top cultural festival in the United States in an online poll by USA Today’s 10Best. It’s just one of several examples during the past couple of years of the people, places, culture and things of Hawai‘i, including the Big Island, being nationally awarded or featured nationwide.

Kapa‘a Beach Park received the most votes with 158. It was followed by Hualālai (Four Seasons Resort) with 142, Punalu‘u Black Sand Beach Park with 123 votes, Hawaiian Paradise Park with 115 and Old Coast Guard Road rounded out the top 5 with 110 votes.

With more whales in the water, that means more chances to spot them while they’re here, especially during the peak humpback season from January through March.

Our latest poll asks, “Is an insurance policy for Hawai‘i’s coral reef worth it?” Out of 191 votes, 63 voted “You can’t put a price on the health of the reef.”

The state along with nonprofit partners are always working together to find ways to promote the health and protect Hawai‘i’s coral reefs.

Leap Day happens every four years, and aside from those born on Feb. 29, most people see the upcoming day as nothing noteworthy.

This year is a leap year, and Thursday, Feb. 29, or Leap Day, is right around the corner. While it’s not an official holiday, it’s still a relatively rare bonus day on the calendar.

Despite the other category getting the most votes with 41, or 20%, no one commented about what other options they would like to give or receive.

The island has a multitude of options to pick. What would you and your sweetheart want to do to make some memories?

Out of 609 votes, voters noted all the options presented in the poll as important with 290 votes.

The goal to open a medical campus in Puna for Hawai‘i Island’s most rural communities is slowly becoming a reality.

67%, or 274 votes, selected one of seven of the benchmarks a three-bill package wants to meet or that it’s not just one of the goals that is most important but a combination of them that will make a difference with short-term rentals on the Big Island.

No matter on which side of the issue you stand, the goals the proposed legislation hopes to achieve have merit, so give us your opinion on what the bills are trying to accomplish by voting now.

In a poll last week we wanted to know what issues you thought should take priority this legislative session. Out of the 445 votes, 118 voters agreed all the issues listed in the poll were priorities.

Lawmakers plan to address statewide issues laid bare during the devastating Maui wildfires.

While no choice received a majority of votes, those top two captured 42% of the total 844 votes.

There are two who have entered the race so far, incumbent Mayor Mitch Roth and former Bay Clinic Chief Executive Officer Kimo Alameda. Candidate filing for the 2024 election starts Feb. 1.

There was one overwhelming opinion on the matter.

While the department opposes the legalization, Attorney General Anne Lopez said her office wouldn’t oppose legislation so long as provisions to protect public safety and public health remain in the bill.

Improving physical health and improving mental health were the top two most popular resolutions in the Big Island Now poll.