What to know about voting in Nov. 8 election on Big Island

The Hawai’i County Elections Division will begin mailing ballots to registered Hawai’i Island voters for the general election on Oct. 19. Voters should expect to receive the ballots between Oct. 21 and 26.

For eligible voters on the Big Island who have not registered for the Nov. 8 general election, it is not too late.

You can register online, by clicking here. To access the system, you must have your Hawaiʻi Driver’s License or Hawaiʻi State ID car and your social security number.

If you do not have a Hawaiʻi Driver’s License or Hawaii State ID, complete the paper Voter Registration application, and submit it to the County of Hawai’I, 25 Aupuni Street, Room 1502, Hilo, HI 96720. For information, call 808-961-8277 or email: hiloelec@hawaiicounty.gov. Don’t forget to sign the application.

For more information, or information about registering in person, click here.

Ballots may also be dropped into any of 9 ballot drop boxes located around the island, or at voter service centers.  Drop boxes are locked at exactly 7 p.m. on election day. 

Hawai’i law requires ballots to be in possession of election officials by 7 p.m. on election day, so ballots still in the mail (or your glove box) will not be counted.

Key general election dates:

• Oct. 25: County voter service centers open
• Oct. 31: Deadline to register to vote online to guarantee receiving a ballot by mail in time to vote in the general election
• Nov. 1: Deadline for voters to request an absentee mail ballot

In Hawaiʻi, eligible voters who are not registered can vote in the General Election by filling out a voter registration application at a Voter Service Center, including on the same day as the election. However, the ballot can not be taken out of the service center.

In the General Election, voters may vote for the candidate of their choice regardless of political affiliation. 

The US Post Office recommends that ballots be mailed by Nov. 3 to ensure they will be received by the deadline of 7 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 8.

Once you submit your ballot, you can track it here.

For the general election, State of 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 Chair Sylvia Luke.
• US Senator: Democrat and encumbant Brian Schatz, Republican Bob McDermott, Aloha ʻAina Party Dan Decker, Green Party Emma Pohlman and Libertarian Party Feena Bonoan
• US Representative, District 1: Democrat Ed Case, Republican Conrad Kress (Big Island residents do not vote for this representative)
• US Representative, District 2: Democrat Jill Tokuda, Republican Joseph Akana and Libertarian Party Michelle Rose Tippens

Big Island residents will vote for three of its four state senators:

• 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 five state representatives:

• 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
• District 8: Democrat David Tarnas, Republican Monique Perreira

Big Island residents also will vote for one County Council opening, in District 2 in East Hawai’i — between Matthias Kusch and Jenn Kagiwada — and on three proposed amendments to the Hawai’i County Charter. To learn about the amendments, click here.

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

To see the results of the primary elections held on Aug. 13, 2022, click here.