Can’t decide which candidate to choose for the U.S. Senate? Not enthused about Democrats Brian Schatz and Colleen Hanabusa, or Republican Cam Cavasso?

Well, why not give Michael Kokoski a look? Sure, you’ve probably never heard of him. But wouldn’t it be a kick to elect a guy who once was busted for distributing LSD at a Grateful Dead concert?

Kokoski is the Libertarian Party of Hawaii candidate for the Senate. According to party chairwoman Tracy Ryan, “During his period in prison he became a student of law and the Constitution. His campaign is focused on educating the public about the threat to our freedoms that the unconstitutional drug policies of the federal government represent.”

In fact, there are 10 people running for the U.S. Senate this year, including another Democrat, three other Republicans and two nonpartisan candidates. Because of Hawaii’s open primary system, registered voters can choose which party ballot they prefer, even if they are not members of that party.

(Important note: Voters can only choose ONE party; in other words, you can’t vote for a Democrat in one race, a Republican in another and a Libertarian in a third race. I wish it were otherwise.)

Delegates at the state convention of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, Sheraton Waikiki, May 25, 2014.

PF Bentley/Civil Beat

Democrats dominate Hawaii and only a smattering of Republicans have managed to get elected in recent years. But it is, in fact, up to voters to decide who they want to represent them. To help you decide which party best represents your values and interests, I offer this guide.

Libertarian Party of Hawaii

Libertarians are fielding 17 candidates this year, a record number, says Ryan. They include KGU radio-and-solar guy Jeff Davis for governor, Cindy Marlin for lieutenant governor and Tom Berg, the former Honolulu City Councilman, for state House.

What do Libertarians stands for? Key tenets include the following:

• a self-regulating, free market economy, primarily by “voluntary consumer groups”
• the right to keep and bear arms
• no drug prohibition
• elimination of the state-supported social welfare system
• free speech, freedom of association and sexual freedom
• a foreign policy of free trade, non-interventionism, and opposition to military force

“We hold that all individuals have the right to exercise sole dominion over their own lives, and have the right to live in whatever manner they choose, so long as they do not forcibly interfere with the equal right of others to live in whatever manner they choose,” the party’s website explains.

Such private, consensual acts that are okay with Libertarians include gambling and prostitution. Bottom line: Libertarians support limited government.

Charles and Stacey Djou and Duke and Vivian Aiona at the Hawaii Republican Party state convention, Koolau Ballrooms, May 17, 2014.

Chad Blair/Civil Beat

Green Party of Hawaii

There are just two Greens running this year: Keiko Bonk, who wants to retire Calvin Say from his state House District 20 seat, and Cedric Asuega Gates, who is running against Democrat incumbent Jo Jordan and Libertarian Al Frenzel for the District 44 seat.

Bonk previously served as chairwoman of the Hawaii County Council, where several other Greens have also made inroads. All county offices are now nonpartisan, but Green-minded candidates are running for some of those seats. For example, Nick Nikhilananda, the party’s co-chairman, is running to represent East Maui on the Maui County Council.

You can read more about the local Green party here, but here are 10 key values with links to more information:

• Grassroots Democracy
• Social Justice
• Ecological Wisdom
• Non-Violence
• Decentralization
• Community-Based Economics
• Feminism
• Diversity
• Responsibility
• Future Focus

“There is a connection between caring for the land and its people and democracy,” the party’s website explains. “Hawaii’s history reflects, and in many ways exaggerates, the global trend of the declining power of democratic institutions and environmental destruction.”

Here’s another helpful definition of what it means to be Green: “The people of Hawaii are weary of corruption and injustice. The land and the waters of these islands are weary of abuse. The Green Party of Hawaii stands against these destructive trends. We stand for rational policies that empower our citizens and sustain the islands’ natural environments.”

Mufi Hannemann greets supporters at the Office of Elections office in Pearl City, June 3, 2014.

PF Bentley/Civil Beat

Hawaii Independent Party

The party was founded just this year. I spoke with party chairwoman Michelle Del Rosario two weeks ago, who told me that the party’s website is still a work in progress. So there is not a lot of information about the party available.

The website does say this, however: “Most people now identify themselves as Independent voters, not Democrats or Republicans. However, up until now there has been no existing political party that encourages independent thought and candidates. Your support of the Hawaii Independent Party will help fix that, and allow us to recruit and train new candidates who do not subscribe to 100 percent of either traditional party’s platform. Give true independence a chance in Hawaii.”

HIP — yep, that’s the acronym — has also managed to identify “purpose and values”:

• respect for the independence of Hawaii’s voters
• fiscal accountability
• inclusive collaboration
• transparency
• protecting the natural environment
• efficient and accountable government
• grassroots democracy
• nonviolence
• community empowerment
• gender equality
• respect for diversity
• personal and social responsibility

There are three HIP candidates running this year: Mufi Hannemann for governor, Les Chang for lieutenant governor and Roger Clemente, who is competing in state Senate District 17 against Democratic incumbent Clarence Nishihara.

When Hannemann and Chang filed to run two weeks ago, neither said much about the party, focusing instead on their desire to approach their offices in a nonpartisan fashion.

 Hawaii Republican Party

Describing itself as “the party of Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan and Hawaii’s own Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalaniana‘ole,” Hawaii Republicans, according to the party’s website, seek to unite people around “a set of commonly-held ideals and not divide them according to their differences.”

The GOP vision is “to perpetuate the beauty, people and culture of Hawaii” through a sort of clunky acronym:  LLIFE. The LLIFE values are:

• liberty
• limited government
• individual responsibility
• fiscal accountability
• equality of opportunity

To expand on some of that platform, the definition of “limited government” includes this: “Government, at any level, should not perform functions which are better and less expensively performed by individuals or private organizations.”

The definition of “fiscal accountability,” meantime, includes this: “Government should not burden future generations with excessive debt.” And the definition of “equal opportunity” includes this: “Each individual has the opportunity to achieve, without any guarantee for a particular outcome.”

The Hawaii GOP held its state convention last month, where it passed a number of resolutions. They include advocacy for these positions:

• a simpler tax law, a flat rate, no tax on “necessities of life” and competitive corporate rates
• rejection of Common Core State Standards and the Pono Choice sex-ed curriculum
• opposition to human trafficking, support of services to help victims
• support for veterans’ “timely access” to health care
• support for nuclear power, U.S. coal and oil industries, fracking for natural gas and the Keystone Pipeline, as the science on global warming is not “settled”
• support for “protecting religious liberty,” as the same-sex marriage “equality” bill requires providing services “contrary to strongly held religious beliefs and values”

Republicans have 65 candidates running for office this year.

Democratic Party of Hawaii

Here’s what the party’s home page says about Hawaii Democrats: “With courage, integrity, love of the Hawaiian Islands and Her people, five men came together on April 30, 1900 and formed the Democratic Party of Hawaii. These men — a doctor, two engineers, a salon owner, and our own Prince Kawananakoa — saw the mounting corruption of the current governing body and decided to take action to protect the rights of the indigenous, kupuna, and keiki. Putting the needs of the people before political gain, they set the foundation of leadership in this great State of Hawaii.”

The dominant political party in the state has a whole lot of other information on its website, including a detailed constitution and bylaws. But here are the bullet points of its core ideas and values:

• preserve and strengthen the future of agriculture in Hawaii
• protect and restore the civil and human rights of each person
• support and provide for a strong economy
• provide an excellent public education for students at every level
• achieve energy sustainability
• protect and preserve Hawaii’s environment
• support fair and just foreign policy that promotes peace
• provide high quality and affordable healthcare for every human being
• reform our government, supporting transparency in government and free, fair, and democratic elections
• support strong labor practices, good jobs and fair pay
• support military relations that honor and provide for all military personnel and veterans while protecting our aina
• support the rights of native Hawaiians and the preservation of native Hawaiian culture
• adopt transportation policies that improve our quality of life
• support a comprehensive approach to ending poverty
• support the eradication of discrimination

Let’s break some of those ideas and values down.

Regarding the environment, Democrats state, “We know that climate change is a real threat to our islands and the world. We strongly urge our candidates and elected officials to take immediate action to mitigate and adapt to the consequences of climate change.”

Regarding energy, “Electric utility companies and cooperatives must open the grid to alternative power sources including solar panels and geothermal energy.”

Regarding the host culture, “We support Native Hawaiian rights to self-determination in the formation of their chosen governmental entity” and “We support educational programming and efforts that embody Hawaiian values, language, culture and history as a foundation to prepare students for success in college, career and communities.”

Regarding human and civil rights, “We believe that the concept of ‘Family’  includes people regardless of sexual orientation, blood relation, marital status or gender who choose to join together to offer one another moral, spiritual and economic support.”

Democrats approved dozens of policy resolutions at their state convention last month, including asking the state Department of Education to “reconsider” adoption of Common Core standards and asking the DOE and the Board of Education to utilize only “objective research and validated evaluation tools” when reviewing teacher performance.

There are 112 Democrats running in 2014.

Nonpartisan

Hawaii’s political parties vary in terms of how much they expect their candidates and elected officials to adhere to their platforms. But there is another option for voters: nonpartisan candidates.

All county offices — namely, the mayoralships and the Councils — are nonpartisan. Same goes for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. There are more than 115 nonpartisan candidates running for these seats this year.

And, there are two nonpartisan candidates running for U.S. Senate, two for the U.S. House, four for governor, one for state Senate and two for state House.

So, voters can’t say they don’t have choices when it comes it election time.

• Stay plugged in to campaigns and candidates this election season with Civil Beat’s Hawaii Elections Guide 2014, your source for information on federal, state and local elections.