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Big Island Election 2026

Latest Election Results
Polls close 7pm HST
Swipe

Hawaiʻi County Council

District 1
  • DEL ROSARIO, Ren
    0.0%
    0 votes
  • KIMBALL, Heather L.
    0.0%
    0 votes
  • PENN, BJ
    0.0%
    0 votes

Hawaiʻi County Council

District 2
  • BAUTISTA, Blaine Kenji
    0.0%
    0 votes
  • BOTELHO, Wendy S.
    0.0%
    0 votes
  • FUKUSHIMA, JoNelle (Jo)
    0.0%
    0 votes
  • HALVERSEN, William John
    0.0%
    0 votes
  • KAGIWADA, Jennifer (Jenn)
    0.0%
    0 votes

Hawaiʻi County Council

District 3
  • CHANG, Kelton K.
    0.0%
    0 votes
  • ONISHI, Dennis (Fresh)
    0.0%
    0 votes

Hawaiʻi County Council

District 4
  • BURROWS, Shannon (Smiley)
    0.0%
    0 votes
  • ENRIQUEZ, Lloyd K.
    0.0%
    0 votes
  • HOFFELD, Cyd L. (Makanui)
    0.0%
    0 votes
  • OHARA, Eileen
    0.0%
    0 votes

Hawaiʻi County Council

District 5
  • KANEALII-KLEINFELDER, Dawn
    0.0%
    0 votes
  • MAKUAOLE-PERRIN, Chantel
    0.0%
    0 votes
  • MATSON, Shannon Lopeka
    0.0%
    0 votes
  • RODENHURST, Ikaika
    0.0%
    0 votes
  • TUPA'I, Jr
    0.0%
    0 votes

Hawaiʻi County Council

District 6
  • AKI, Zed Kaapana
    0.0%
    0 votes
  • CANELAS, Justin R.
    0.0%
    0 votes
  • ENRIQUES, Guy
    0.0%
    0 votes
  • JONES, Kyle Kepano
    0.0%
    0 votes
  • MASTERS, Jason R
    0.0%
    0 votes

Hawaiʻi County Council

District 7
  • HENRIQUES, Mark G.
    0.0%
    0 votes
  • OMBAC, Edgar B. (Eddie O)
    0.0%
    0 votes
  • POWERS, Manu
    0.0%
    0 votes

Governor

Democratic
  • BOURGOIN, Duke
    0.0%
    0 votes
  • GREEN, Josh
    0.0%
    0 votes
  • LUCAS-TADEO, George (Teva)
    0.0%
    0 votes
  • SHIM, Lauren Kapoliahi'iaka
    0.0%
    0 votes

Governor

Republican
  • CORDERY, Gary
    0.0%
    0 votes
  • FUJIYAMA, Ken
    0.0%
    0 votes

Governor

Nonpartisan
  • GIUFFRE, John M. (Raghu)
    0.0%
    0 votes
  • HILL, Bu Laia
    0.0%
    0 votes
  • LEWMAN, Clyde McClain (Mac)
    0.0%
    0 votes
  • WILLIAMSON, Calvert A.
    0.0%
    0 votes

Lieutenant Governor

Democratic
  • BELATTI, Della Au
    0.0%
    0 votes
  • CHOI, John
    0.0%
    0 votes
  • CUADRA, Ku L. (Bobby)
    0.0%
    0 votes
  • KAWAKAMI, Derek S.K.
    0.0%
    0 votes
  • PULETASI, Sam
    0.0%
    0 votes

Lieutenant Governor

Republican
  • ANTHONY, Daniel
    0.0%
    0 votes
  • CRESENCIA, Hopelin (Hope)
    0.0%
    0 votes
  • MEJIA, Margaret Rose
    0.0%
    0 votes
  • PETERS, Robert E.
    0.0%
    0 votes

Lieutenant Governor

Nonpartisan
  • KAMAU, Kilakila
    0.0%
    0 votes

State Representative

District 14 · Democratic
  • BALINBIN, Kanamu
    0.0%
    0 votes
  • OLSON, Ashley
    0.0%
    0 votes
  • PATEL, Sne
    0.0%
    0 votes

It’s Election Day: Here’s what you need to know before polls close at 7 p.m.

By Big Island Now Staff
August 8, 2026, 5:00 AM HST
* Updated August 8, 8:01 AM
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It’s Primary Election Day in Hawai‘i.

As of 5 p.m. Friday, the Hawai‘i County Elections Division received 36,567 ballots (32%) of the 113,552 issued on the Big Island for the Aug. 8 primary.

It’s now too late to mail your ballot. They must be received — not postmarked — by 7 p.m. on Aug. 8 to be counted.

But today, ballots can be dropped off by 7 p.m. at any of the 10 drop off box locations around the Big Island:

Ballot dropoff box locations around the Big Island. (Courtesy Image: Hawai‘i County Office of the County Clerk Elections Division)
  • Laupāhoehoe Police Station: Puʻualaea Homestead Road, Laupahoehoe.
  • Hawai‘i County Building: 25 Aupuni St., Hilo.
  • Kea‘au Police Station: 16-579 Old Volcano Road, Kea‘au.
  • Pāhoa Police Station: 15-2615 Keaʻau-Pāhoa Road, Pāhoa.
  • Nāʻālehu Police Station: 95-5355 Māmalahoa Highway, Nāʻālehu.
  • Rodney Yano Memorial Hall: 82-6156 Māmalahoa Highway, Captain Cook.
  • West Hawaiʻi Civic Center: 74-5044 Ane Keohokālole Highway, Kailua-Kona.
  • Waikōloa Village Association: 68-1792 Melia St., Waikōloa.
  • Waimea Police Station: 67-5185 Kamamalu St., Waimea.
  • North Kohala Police Station: 54-3900 ʻAkoni Pule Highway, Kapaʻau.

Those who want to vote in-person can do so at the two voter service centers. Anyone who is in line by 7 p.m. can vote.

Additional election services such as voter registration and accessible voting also are offered at the centers.

  • Hawai‘i County Building, 25 Aupuni St., Suite 1502, Hilo.
  • West Hawai‘i Civic Center, 74-5044 Ane Keohokālole Highway, Building D, 1st Floor, Kailua-Kona.

You can track your mailed-in ballot with BallotTrax to know when it was returned and counted. Click here to see statewide voter turnout numbers.

Here’s a look at the races on this year’s primary ballot.

Big Island races

All 9 Hawai‘i County Council seats are up for grabs in this year’s election, with Ashley Kierkiewicz, Matt Kaneali‘i-Kleinfelder and Rebecca Villegas term-limited and Michelle Galimba choosing not to seek re-election.

That leaves five incumbents seeking re-election. Two are running unopposed: Holeka Inaba in District 8 and James Hustace in District 9.

Three of the incumbents have competition: Heather Kimball in District 1, Jennifer “Jenn” Kagiwada in District 2 and Dennis “Fresh” Onishi is in District 3.

Districts 4, 5, 6 and 7 all are open seats with multiple political newcomers in the races.

Learn more about each council race:

Hawai'i County Council Districts Map
Hawai‘i County Counci Districts Map

District 1: Incumbent Heather Kimball seeks re-election for 4th and final term against two challengers

District 2: District 2 incumbent for Hawai‘i County Council faces 4 challengers

District 3: Incumbent versus challenger, with primary winner capturing the Hawaiʻi County Council seat

District 4: Hawaiʻi County’s District 4 is an open council seat with Ashley Kierkiewicz unable to run due to term limits

District 5: District 5 candidates for Hawaiʻi County Council bring distinct knowledge, experiences to race

District 6: Candidates for Ka‘ū District seat on Hawai‘i County Council talk priorities for rural and remote area

District 7: 3 candidates running for open Kona District County Council seat talk housing, parks, infrastructure

Districts 8 and 9: These seats are uncontested.

Governor and lieutenant governor

For state elections, 3 hopefuls look to unseat incumbent frontrunner Hawai‘i Gov. Josh Green in the Democratic primary, one of them from the Big Island. The East Hawai‘i resident is George “Teva” Lucas-Tadeo along with Duke Bourgoin and Lauren Kapoliahi‘aka Shim.

There are 2 candidates in the Republican primary for governor: Ken Fujiyama of Hilo and Gary Cordery.

Four nonpartisan candidates also hope to make it to the November general election, including John “Raghu” Giuffre of Hilo, Bu Laia Hill, Clyde “Mac” McClain Lewman and Calvert Williamson.

The state Office of Elections says for a nonpartisan candidate to appear on the general election ballot, they must meet either receive at least 10% of the votes cast for the office or receive a vote equal to or greater than the lowest vote received by the partisan candidate nominated.

“If more nonpartisan candidates qualify to run in the general election than there are seats available, then the nonpartisan candidate who receives the most votes will appear on the general election ballot,” the office website says.

In the primary for state offices, voters must select a party and only vote for a candidate in that party.

Four Democrats are running for lieutenant governor, including term-limited Kaua‘i Mayor Derek Kawakami. Also in the race is state lawmaker Della Au Belatti, John Cho, Ku L. “Bobby” Cuadra and Sam Puletasi.

On the Republican side, 4 others are seeking the nomination and spot on the November general election ballot: Daniel Anthony, Hopelin “Hope” Cresencia, Margaret Rose Mejia and Robert Peters. Nonpartisan candidate Kilakila Kamau also is hoping to be on the November ballot.

File Photo

State legislature and national races

Several state lawmakers and one U.S. congressional seat are also on Big Island primary ballot.

Puna state Sen. Joy San Buenaventura is seeking the Democratic nomination for Senate District Seat 2. She is challenged by Tanya Yamanaka Aynessazian of Pāhoa. Libertarian candidate Frederick Fogel of Volcano is running unopposed for that party’s nomination for the seat.

Incumbent District 2 state Rep. Sue Keohokapu-Lee Loy, a Democrat from Hilo, will face-off against Cristina Holt of Pāpaʻikou in the Democratic primary, while lone Republican Jonathan Kennealy of Hilo will move forward uncontested in the GOP primary.

State Rep. Chris Todd of Hilo, the Democrat incumbent for District 3, will compete against Kuulei “Kiana” Keawekane of Hilo in the Democratic primary. Austin Martin of Kurtistown is the lone Libertarian, who will move on to the November general election unopposed.

Puna state Rep. Greggor Ilagan of District 4 is being challenged by Tamlyn “Tam” Hunt from Kea‘au in this year’s Democratic primary. Republican Zak Wittenhagen from Pāhoa is running unopposed on that side of the aisle for the seat.

Hawai‘i House District 5 Democratic primary features incumbent Jeanné Kapela of Captain Cook against familiar county council face Matt Kaneali‘i-Kleinfelder of Hilo. Loan Republican Dalene McCormick of Captain Cook will move on to the November race as she is unopposed in the GOP primary.

Waimea incumbent David Tarnas in House District 8 is running unopposed in the Democratic primary for his seat. However, there are two Republicans looking to move on to the November general election to take him on: Hope Alohalani of Kapa‘au and Monique Perreira of Waimea.

Districts 1, 6 and 7 of the state House, represented by Matthias Kusch, Kristin Kahaloa and Nicole Lowen, respectively, are all unopposed. Each incumbent will win their seats outright in the primary because they have no opposition.

At the national level, incumbent District 2 U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda will face-off against Kirill Basin, who was recently charged with two counts of first degree terroristic threatening, and Big Island residents Greg Guithues and Steven King. Awa Brenton is the lone Republican in the GOP primary, and Edward Codelia as well as Randall Terry are running as nonpartisans in this year’s primary.

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