Tag Archives: election

Politics

Walk-in Voting: Beat the Crowds on Election Day

With voter participation near record highs this election, the lines at the polls on Election Day could be long. If you’re already registered to vote in Hawaii, you can beat the crowds starting Tuesday, October 21st, by walking into designated sites and voting early.

Early walk-in voting is available in all counties of Hawaii through November 1st.

Here are all of the walk-in voting locations for each county, hours of operation and a link to map showing you how to get there:

City & County of Honolulu

  • University of Hawaii Campus Center – Room 306
  • Monday – Saturday
  • 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
  • Kapolei Hale – 1000 Uluohia Street, Conference Room A & B
  • Monday – Saturday
  • 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

County of Kauai

  • Historic County Annex – 4386 Rice Street, Lihue (next to the Historic County Building)
  • Monday – Saturday
  • 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m

County of Maui

The Wailuku and Lahaina early vote sites has all ballot types. The Molokai site has ballot types for that island only.

  • Lahaina Civic Center – 1840 Honoapiilani Hwy.
  • Monday-Friday: 9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
  • Saturday: 9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
  • (September 18 only: 9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.)
  • (Last Day for this location is October 31: 9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.)
  • Molokai – Mitchell Pauole Center – 90 Ainoa Street, Kaunakakai, Conference room
  • Monday – Friday: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (closed 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.)
  • Saturday: 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
  • (September 18 only: 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. (closed 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.)
  • (Last Day for this location is October 31: 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. (closed 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.)

County of Hawaii

The Hilo Elections Division early vote site has all ballot types. All other sites have only the ballot types for their area. Hawaii County voters should call the County Clerk’s Elections Division at 961-8277 for information.

  • Kona Elections Satellite Office – Alii Plaza Building, 75-143 Hualalai Rd., #103
  • Monday – Saturday
  • 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
  • Pahala Community Center – 96-1149 Kamani St.
  • Monday – Friday
  • 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
  • (Closed 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.)
  • North Kohala District Courthouse – 54-3900 Akoni Pule Hwy.
  • Monday – Friday
  • 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
  • (Closed 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.)

Updates to this information are available through the Hawaii Office of Elections.

Politics

Voter Registration Deadlines in All States

Each state sets its own deadlines for voter registration. Here is a complete list of each state’s voter registration deadlines:

Alabama — Voter registration is closed during the ten days preceding an election. Applications must be postmarked or delivered by the eleventh day prior to the election.

Alaska — 30 days before the election.

Arizona — 29 days before the election.

Arkansas — 30 days before the election.

California — 15 days before the election.

Colorado — 29 days before the election.

Connecticut — 14 days before the election.

Delaware — The 4th Saturday before a primary or general election, and 10 days before a special election.

District of Columbia — 30 days before the election.

Florida — 29 days before the election.

Georgia — The fifth Monday before any general primary, general election, or presidential preference primary, or regularly scheduled special election pursuant to the Georgia Election Code. In the event that a special election is scheduled on a date other that those dates prescribed by the Georgia Election Code, registration would close on the 5th day after the call.

Hawaii — 30 days before the election.

Idaho— 25 days before the election.

Illinois — 28 days prior to each election.

Indiana — 29 days prior to each election.

Iowa — Must be delivered by 5 p.m. 10 days before the election, if it is a state primary or general election; 11 days before all others.* Registration forms which are postmarked 15 or more days before an election are
considered on time even if received after the deadline.

Kansas — Postmarked or delivered 15 days before the election.

Kentucky — 29 days before the election.

Louisiana — 30 days before the election.

Maine — Delivered 10 business days before the election (or a voter may register in-person up to and including election day).

Maryland — 9:00 p.m. 21 days before the election.

Massachusetts — 20 days before the election.

Michigan — 30 days before the election.

Minnesota — Delivered by 5:00 p.m. 21 days before the election (there is also election day registration at polling places).

Mississippi — 30 days before the election.

Missouri — 28 days before the election.

Montana — 30 days before the election.

Nebraska — The third Friday before the election (or delivered by 6 p.m. on the second Friday before the election).

Nevada — 9:00 p.m. on the fifth Saturday before any primary or general election. 9:00 p.m. on the third Saturday before any recall or special election. However, if a recall or special election is held on the same day as a primary or general election, the registration closes at 9:00 p.m. on the fifth Saturday before the day for the elections.

New Hampshire — New Hampshire town and city clerks will accept this application only as a request for their own absentee voter mail-in registration form, which must be received by your city or town clerk by 10 days
before the election.

New Jersey — 21 days before the election.

New Mexico — 28 days before the election.

New York — 25 days before the election.

North Carolina — Postmarked 25 days before the election or received in the elections office or designated voter registration agency site by 5:00 p.m. 25 days before the election.

North Dakota — North Dakota does not have voter registration.

Ohio — 30 days before the election.

Oklahoma — 25 days before the election.

Oregon — 21 days before the election.

Pennsylvania — 30 days before an election or primary.

Rhode Island — 30 days before the election.

South Carolina — 30 days before the election.

South Dakota— Received 15 days before the election.

Tennessee — 30 days before the election.

Texas — 30 days before the election.

Utah — 30 days before the election for mail-in applications; 15 days before the election for walk-in registrations at the county clerk’s office.

Vermont — Delivered to the town clerk before 12:00 noon on the second Saturday before the election.

Virgina — Delivered 29 days before the election.

Washington — 30 days before the election (or delivered in-person to the local voter registration office 15 days before the election).

West Virginia — Delivered 21 days before the election.

Wisconsin — Twenty (20) days before the election (or completed in the local voter registration office up to 5:00 pm. 1 day before the election, or completed at the polling place on election day).

Wyoming — Wyoming by law, cannot accept this form unless State law is changed.

Career, Politics

Voter Registration for Members of the US Armed Forces and Their Families

Hawaii’s military population includes about 40,000 active, reserve, and National Guard troops, along with 18,000 civilian DoD employees, and more than 55,000 military dependents. There are also over 120,000 veterans in Hawaii. All of these people can register to vote in Hawaii, their home state, or as federal-only voters (voting only for Federal offices). Despite all these options, voter turnout among military is exceptionally low.

It is difficult to find a single clear picture of the entire service. Hawaii’s statewide 2006 general election summary report gives a clue, indicating only 237 overseas ballots cast by Hawaii-resident federal voters.

In the 2004 general election Hawaii reported 459 overseas ballots cast. But earlier elections tell a story of neglect: In the 2003 Second Congressional District special election no overseas ballots were cast.

In the 2002 Primary election only two overseas ballots were cast. Overseas results were not itemized in the 2002 General election nor in the 2002 Special election.

In the 2000 general election 80 overseas ballots were cast. Fifteen were cast in the 2000 primary election.

Part of the problem is the short turn-around time between the September 20 Primary election and the November 4 General election. Primary election absentee ballots are mailed out August 16. General election absentee ballots are mailed out September 30, effectively creating a five-week window.

For personnel in combat zones, on submarines, or aboard ship this is nearly impossible timing. A patrolling submarine may not receive mail for six months at a time; ships irregularly; forward-deployed combat units perhaps once every two weeks.

Personnel transferred to a new post may have mail delayed by two or three weeks or more. If ballot preparation is delayed by a disputed election result or a recount, the schedule gets even tighter. Many young recruits never even register.

For military and their families who miss the in-state registration deadlines, it’s still possible to register and vote as federal-only. But if being shut out of local and state races stings, it’s always possible to help the process by encouraging other eligible people to vote.