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Thursday is the last day Hawaii voters can register online to vote in next month’s primary election, but those who are not registered will still have opportunities to do so.
That’s because a state law that took effect in 2018 requires state and county election officials to permit same-day registration on election days.
With the state this year switching to a “vote by mail” format, Oahu residents who don’t register online may register at voter service centers at Honolulu Hale and Kapolei Hale from July 27 through Aug. 8, primary election day. The two centers will be open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday (except Aug. 8, when the sites will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.).
Those registering at voter service centers will need to fill out voter registration affidavit forms, show proof of U.S. citizenship and Hawaii residency, and must be at least 18 years of age. A Hawaii driver’s license, Hawaii state ID, military ID, passport and current utility bills or bank statements may be used to confirm identity and local address.
Honolulu Elections Administrator Rex Quidilla, at a news conference Tuesday, stressed that the change to a vote-by-mail process means that none of the traditional 100-plus precinct polling places voters are accustomed to will be open on election days, only the two voter service centers.
“The election really begins in earnest on July 21,” Quidilla said. That’s the day an estimated 460,000 Oahu voters are expected to begin receiving their primary election ballot packets in the mail. The packets will contain a ballot, ballot secrecy sleeve, voting instructions and a postage-paid return ballot envelope.
“What used to be a one-day event has now been spread over … 18 days, thereabouts, until Election Day.”
Voters who still prefer casting a ballot in person can do so. The voter service center at Honolulu Hale will have about 30 voting machines to accommodate walk-in voters, while the Kapolei center will have about 22.
All those in line by 7 p.m. Aug. 8 will be allowed to vote.
Eight ballot drop-off box locations also are available to voters who may be wary of placing their completed ballots in the mail and those who find themselves completing their ballots so late that they’re not confident their votes will get to the city clerk’s office in time to be counted Aug. 8.
Election officials recommend mailing ballots no later than Aug. 5.
Besides the Honolulu Hale and Kapolei Hale locations, the golf cart-size drop-off boxes will be located at the Hawaii Kai Park and Ride, Mililani Park and Ride, Kaneohe District Park, Kahuku District Park, Neal S. Blaisdell Park in Aiea and Waianae District Park.
The drop-off boxes located at park-and-ride sites will be open 24 hours a day, while those at parks and city buildings will be open during regular hours for those facilities. The deadline to deposit a ballot at one of those locations is 7 p.m. Aug. 8.
The online voter registration deadline for the Nov. 3 general election is Oct. 5, with ballots to begin arriving in the mail Oct. 16.
For more information, visit elections.hawaii.gov.
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