Voter Registration
Q: Do I need to register to vote?
A: Yes. Voter registration is required for new voters. It is also required of registered voters that have changed a name and/or address.
Q: When is the voter registration deadline?
A: The primary election voter registration deadline is August 21, 2008. The general election voter registration deadline is on October 6, 2008. Voter registration application forms must be postmarked or received before these deadlines.
Q: What are the qualifications for registering to vote?
A: Registrants must be a U.S. Citizens, a Hawaii resident, and at least 16 years old (pre-registration).
Q: How do I find out if I am registered to vote?
A: If you received the Voter Notification and Address Confirmation Postcard (yellow card) you are properly registered to vote. You may also call the Elections Division at 768-3800 for verification.
Q: How does voter registration affect selection for jury duty?
A: By Hawaii law, the jury duty pool is derived from voter registration, drivers
licensing, and State tax records.
Q: Is a residence address required for voter registration? What if I don't have a regular address?
A: If you do not have a residence address, a good description of the location of where you live is required. This will allow election officials to assign you to your proper voting district.
Election Day
Q: Where is my polling place?
A: Your polling place is listed on your "yellow voter card". You may also locate your polling site using our
Find Your Polling Place online locator.
Q: What time are the polls open on election day?
A: 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Persons in line at 6:00 p.m. will be allowed to vote.
Q: Will I be allowed time off from work on election day?
A: It depends. Hawaii law requires employers to allow time
off for voting under certain circumstances depending on the individual
worker's schedule. Employers should contact the State of Hawaii
Department of Labor and Industrial relations for guidance.
Q: What kind of Primary Election does Hawaii hold?
A: The State of Hawaii Constitution provides for the secrecy of your political party preference. Because of this, a political party affiliation/declaration is not required at the time of registering to vote.
In
the Primary Election, you will be provided a single ballot. You will be instructed to first select your
political party before proceeding to making your candidate selections. Political party candidates will be listed in separate sections on the ballot. Multi-party voting is NOT allowed and voters must vote for candidates of only one political party.
In the Primary election, voters may also vote in the special non-partisan contests (such as City contests).
Q: Will I be mailed a sample ballot or candidate information brochure?
A: The Elections Division does not produce a candidate guide. However, the State of Hawaii Office of Election's website will feature voluntarily submitted candidate statements after July 22, 2008. The daily newspapers also produce candidate information several weeks before the election.
Absentee Voting
Q: What if I am away on election day? Can I vote early?
A: State law allows any voter to vote by absentee ballot regardless of circumstances. Absentee voting may be done via mail or at an early voting absentee polling place.
Q: Do I have to apply for an absentee ballot for each election?
A: You may request an absentee ballot for the Primary and General election on the same application.
Q: Does Hawaii have a permanent absentee voter list?
A: No.
Q: I am in the military and stationed in Hawaii. Can I vote by absentee ballot?
A: It depends on where you consider your residence for voting purposes. If you consider yourself a resident of another state, you should apply for an absentee ballot from that state. If you are a Hawaii resident, you may request an absentee ballot from Hawaii.
Q: When do my absentee ballots need to be returned by?
A: Voted absentee ballots must be received by 6:00 p.m. (HST) on election day. According to State law, absentee ballots received after that time will not be counted.
