The Hawaii Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the state Office of Elections to hold off on making candidate paperwork available to political office seekers.

Nomination papers were going to be made available starting Tuesday. However, a group of residents filed a petition with the high court on Wednesday asking the justices to overturn redrawn legislative maps from the Hawaii Reapportionment Commission.

Political signs at the corner of 11th Avenue and Harding Avenue/onramp to freeway.
The state’s highest court is pushing back the start of candidate filing. Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2018

Those district boundaries determine where candidates can run and where residents can vote.

In its order, the state Supreme Court indicates that nomination papers won’t be made available until the legal challenge over the maps is resolved. The court also ordered the nine-member reapportionment commission and the state to file a response to the petition by March 3.

Bill Hicks is the lead plaintiff in the petition to the state’s highest court. He’s joined by 10 other Hawaii residents living on Oahu, Maui and the Big Island.

The plaintiffs contend that the new legislative maps do not comply with a requirement in the constitution that each Senate district be comprised of two House districts.

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