Record high turnout predicted in Hawaii

HONOLULU, Feb. 20 (UPI) -- Record numbers of voters appeared to be turning out Tuesday night for the Democratic caucuses in Hawaii, it was reported.

The Boston Globe reported Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, who was born in Hawaii, was expected to defeat Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York by a wide margin.

"There has not been this kind of interest and excitement in my political lifetime," said Rep. Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawaii, a superdelegate supporting Obama. "It makes my heart beat fast."

Long lines were reported at caucus sites, including Jefferson Elementary School in Waikiki where the string of hundreds of waiting voters included Sen. Dan Inouye and his fiancee, Irene Hirano, The Honolulu Advertiser reported. Some sites also reported running out of ballots and confusion as to how the process works, the newspaper said.

"This is twice as bad as we thought it was going to be," said Patrick Stanley, a caucus coordinator at Kawananakoa Middle School, where 1,200 people flooded the auditorium.

There were 20 delegates at stake in the Aloha State contest.

Jane Bond, a party official who started "Kauai for Obama," said voters have been energized by the 2008 White House race.

"It has been massive," Bond said "I have 20-year-olds calling up saying we haven't voted before. People are involved who were totally disinterested before."