By now, registered voters should have received the yellow cards that tell them what districts they’re in for State House, State Senate, and County Council. If they did not file for an absentee ballot, the card will also reflect where the polling place is.
Starting Monday, any registered voter may vote “absentee walk in,” by going to any of three locations: West Hawaii Civic Center, Aupuni Center Conference Room at 101 Pauahi Street in Hilo,, or Waimea Community Center between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Walk in voting is available Monday, July 30 through Thursday, August 9.
Absentee ballots are scheduled to be mailed out to Hawaii County voters who requested them starting as early as Friday, July 27, but if not, next week. Voters may apply for an absentee ballot until August 4. However, the ballots must be at the County Elections office or a valid polling place no later than close of polls on Saturday, August 11.
Any voters who have absentee ballot status on their yellow card may choose to do walk in absentee, vote by mail when their absentee ballot arrives, or vote at their “usual” polling place, which they may find online at www.hawaii.gov/elections and going to the
Anybody who did not receive a yellow card and is registered, or if you received a yellow card and feel there are any errors on it–such as an erroneous polling place, or anything else incorrect–should immediately call the County Elections Offices,in Hilo at 808-961-8277 and in Kona at 808-323-4400. The Kona Office is not staffed full time, but is generally open on Wednesdays. Hilo Elections Office is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
The County Elections Office will remail any erroneous yellow cards. In any election year there are always some with incorrect information–address, polling place, whatever–and County Clerk Jamae Kawauchi says this year so far, it looks like around 5,200 cards are in error. The total number of voters registered is 101,728.
