What the 64% of Big Island voters who have yet to cast ballots for Nov. 8 Election need to know

Have you voted yet? There’s only three days left to turn in your ballot to be counted. The deadline is 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 8.

The Hawai‘i County Office of the County Clerk Elections Division website posts a running tab of ballots that have been received for the General Election via the mail or drop boxes. As of Friday at 4 p.m., there have been 40,885 ballots received  — or about 36% of the 112,414 ballots issued.

County Clerk Jon Henricks said another 584 people had voted in person through Thursday at one of the County’s voter service centers in Hilo and Kona.

This year’s Aug. 13 primary election saw a total turnout of 53,369, or 41.1% of the total number of registered voters of 129,765 at the time. In the 2020 general election, a presidential election year, a total of 88,608 voters turned in their ballots, or 69.6% of the total 127,348 registered. For the 2020 primary, 65,078 voters or 53.3% of the total of 122,125 registered turned out 

In 2018, the last election cycle in Hawai‘i that was not all-mail ballots — and the last time residents voted for governor, 59,482 voters, or 51.5% of the 115,406 total registrations, turned out for the general election while 43,817, or 38.8% of the 112,885 total registered, voted in the primary.

The total number of registered voters in Hawai‘i County now is 131,259, according to the County elections division.

Ballots were delivered to registered voters for this year’s general election the week of Oct. 21. Election officials say at this juncture just days from the election, ballots should not be mailed but taken to drop boxes or voter service centers to ensure that will reach the elections office no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 8.

On the Big Island, there are two voter service centers and nine drop box locations.

For a map of the voter service centers and drop box locations, click here. Once you submit your ballot, you can track it here.

You can also still register to vote through Election Day at either voter service center.

In the 2022 general election, Hawaiʻi residents will vote for:

• Governor: current Lt. Gov. Josh Green and former Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona.
• Lieutenant governor: pastor Seaula Tupaʻi Jr. and state House Finance Chairwoman Sylvia Luke.
• U.S. Senator: Democrat and incumbent Brian Schatz, Republican Bob McDermott, Aloha ʻAina Party Dan Decker, Green Party Emma Pohlman and Libertarian Party Feena Bonoan.
• U.S. Representative, District 1: Democrat Ed Case, Republican Conrad Kress (Big Island residents do not vote for this representative).
• U.S. Representative, District 2: Democrat Jill Tokuda, Republican Joseph Akana and Libertarian Party Michelle Rose Tippens.

Big Island residents will vote for three of four state Senate seats:

• District 1: Democrat Lorraine Inouye and Republican Helen Tupai.
• District 2: Democrat Joy Van Buenaventura, Republican Holly Osborn and Libertarian Party Fred Fogel.
• District 4: Democrat Tim Richards and Republican Nicholas Tancheff.

Big Island residents will vote for four of seven state House seats as well:

• District 3: Democrat Chris Todd and Aloha ʻAina Party Devn McMackin Sr.
• District 4: Democrat Greggor Llagan, Republican Keikilani Ho, Libertarian Party Candace Linton and Nonpartisan Brian Ley.
• District 5: Democrat Jeanne Kapela, Republican Lohi Goodwin and Libertarian Party Mike Last.
• District 6: Democrat Kirstin Kahaloa and Republican Jonathan Kennealy.

Big Island residents in Hawai‘i County Council District 2 in East Hawai‘i, which includes Downtown Hilo, Hilo Bayfront, Wailoa, a portion of Waiākea Houselots, University Heights, Komohana Gardens, a portion of Waiākea-Uka, Lanakila, Mohouli, Ainako, Kaʻūmana, Pi‘ihonua, Wailuku and Waiānuenue, also will vote again for the seat being vacated by Aaron Chung, who is term-limited. Matthias Kusch and Jenn Kagiwada are facing off in a runoff.

There are three proposed amendments to the Hawai’i County Charter voters will get to weigh in on as well. To learn more about the proposed amendments, click here.

And at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, six of the nine trustee seats are up for grabs.

To see the results of the Aug. 13 primary elections, click here.

For official election and voting information, click here or call 808-453-VOTE (8683) or toll-free 1-800-442-VOTE (8683).