Mahalo for supporting Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Enjoy this free story!
The state Office of Elections conducted tests Saturday to ensure the votes for Tuesday’s general election are counted correctly.
Official observers conducted accuracy tests of the vote-counting system at the state Capitol, which is the statewide counting center on election night and where mail-in ballots are tallied. A network test also was performed to ensure results from neighbor island counting centers will be accurately transmitted.
“This is where it happens. We are making sure that we are ready,” said Nedielyn Bueno, voter services section head for the Office of Elections. “No problems (were) identified during today’s test.”
Chief Election Officer Scott Nago said verified mail-in ballots are held until Election Day, when they are opened and fed into scanners. Votes cast at polling places arrive on secure cards and neighbor island votes are transmitted electronically.
More than 750,000 Hawaii residents are registered to vote in this election.
“It’s hard to say what the turnout will be, but it looks like it’s tracking with the last governor’s race four years ago,” Nago said.
In 2014, 706,890 voters were registered and more than 52 percent, some 369,642, voted. Turnout for general elections that include a presidential race typically are higher, as in 2016 when 749,917 Hawaii voters registered and more than 58 percent cast ballots.
Early walk-in locations were open Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
DIDN’T REGISTER? NO PROBLEM!
Hawaii residents may still register to vote at their assigned polling place on Tuesday.
>> To register and vote, you must be a U.S. citizen, a Hawaii resident and at least 18 years of age.
>> Visit elections.hawaii.gov to find your polling place or call 453-VOTE (8683)
>> Identification such as a valid photo ID, a current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck or government- issued document showing your name and address.
>> Voters who register and vote on the same day may wait longer as they must complete a registration affidavit form and await confirmation they are at the correct polling place.
Source: Office of Elections
“We’ve had a very good turnout. At 7:45 a.m., we already had a line of voters,” said Norman Fronda, an election volunteer at Honolulu Hale.
Kahala voter Ken Stafford went to Honolulu Hale Saturday to support the Republican Party.
“Without question this is the most important election in any voter’s lifetime. The direction that the Democrats are going is swaying too far to the left. Donald Trump will go down as the top president that the U.S. has ever had, although he’s not getting any help from the media,” Stafford said.
Sarah Kamakawiwo‘ole, who also cast her ballot Saturday at Honolulu Hale, said she was more concerned that people vote, regardless of whom they support.
“No vote, no grumble,” she said. “I don’t really care who people vote for. I believe in Hawaiian values. We can disagree and still be good neighbors.”
Bueno said over 188,000 people had voted early. Nago said about two-thirds of the turnout for this general election will be by mail.
About a third of the voters in this election are expected to cast a ballot Tuesday at one of the 235 polling places across the state that will be open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Those who need help getting to a polling place on Election Day can get a $10 discount on a single ride from Uber to cast or drop off their ballot by using the promotional code “VOTE2018.”
72
