Hawaii Gov. David Ige is looking to help fill well over 300 empty seats on dozens of different state boards and commissions, some of which can barely hold meetings due to lack of quorum.

The governor’s office sent out a release Thursday asking for qualified volunteers to apply.

“Boards and commissions provide Hawaii’s citizens with an opportunity to have a voice in their government and to influence decisions that shape the quality of life for Hawaii’s residents,” the governor’s office said.

Ige is tasked with filling seats on more than 185 different boards, ranging from the Real Estate Commission to the Environmental Council, which is only half full — or half empty, depending on how you look at it.

For some boards, the governor is directly responsible for filling all the seats. For others, he’s only responsible for a certain number of seats, and other bodies, like the Senate or House, fill the others.

Questions about applying? Email boards.commissions@hawaii.gov.

Check out the complete list of vacancies here. The governor’s office says the site was last updated about two months ago but should be updated again within the next day or two.

Governor David Ige as interviewed by Chad Blair. 1 oct 2015. photograph Cory Lum/Civil Beat
Gov. David Ige, seen here in his office Oct. 1, is looking for applicants to fill empty board seats. Cory Lum/CIvil Beat

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