Are you registered to vote?
If not, time is running out for Hawaii’s Aug. 8 primary election. For the first time, the state will conduct an election almost exclusively by mail, with no traditional polling places.
The deadline to register for a mail-in ballot is today. Residents who need to register can stop by one of three locations on the Big Island — Safeway in Kailua-Kona, 744 Kamehameha Ave. in Hilo and Malama Market in Pahoa — from 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., where election officials and the League of Women Voters are having drive-through registration events.
Today is the second day the LWV set up a voter registration drive at these locations; the organization’s officials noted an increase in recent activity, particularly among first-time voters.
New voters can register in person at any of the three locations or online at elections.hawaii.gov. Anyone registering online must have a valid Hawaii driver’s license or Hawaii state ID; those without either will have to fill out a paper application in person. All voters must register with a physical mailing address to demonstrate residence and determine which districts in which they vote.
Hawaii residents who miss today’s deadline will still be able still register and vote in the primary election. Voter service centers will be open to in-person votes from July 27 until 7 p.m. Aug. 8 for those who missed the mail-in deadline and voters with special needs.
The Big Island is home to two voter service centers: the West Hawaii Civic Center in Kailua-Kona and the Aupuni Center in Hilo.
Anyone with questions can visit vote411.org/hawaii for information about registration, voting, ballots and more.