Election ballots going out earlier than expected

Voters statewide began seeing their primary election ballots show up in their mailboxes Wednesday, ahead of the July 21 date that elections officials had been stating they should expect to start seeing the distinctive yellow envelopes.

State Chief Elections Officer Scott Nago said Thursday his office made the decision to mail the ballots early out of an abundance of caution to ensure registered voters got them by Tuesday.

The early mailout is bothersome to some candidates who said they used the state’s election timetable to plot their campaign strategies.

Under the law passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. David Ige last year, all Hawaii voters for the first time this year are being asked to “vote by mail.” About 700,000 ballots are being sent out, Nago said.

The language in the law says, “To the extent practicable, the clerk shall mail a ballot package by non- forwardable mail to each registered voter in the county so as to enable voters to receive the ballot package approximately eighteen days before the election.”

Counting back from this year’s Aug. 8 primary election day, that’s Tuesday, Nago said.

Nago told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that the state gets a discounted “nonprofit” rate to mail out the ballots, and the U.S. Postal Service recommends that mail sent at that rate be sent out five days before its intended arrival date. Based on that recommendation, his office is mailing the ballots this week, he said.

“We don’t control the post office,” Nago said. “The post office has a history of overpromising and underdelivering.”

The ballots are going out in a staggered manner so as not to overwhelm the post office as well as those who are physically tasked with delivering 700,000 envelopes to the post office, he said. Addresses with the ZIP code “967” were to be mailed first this week, and then ballots would go to the “968” addresses, he said.

Nago said any registered voter who does not receive a ballot by Tuesday should call their respective city or county clerks.

After the Honolulu Star- Advertiser put out a query on social media, voters from Hawaii, Maui and Kauai counties indicated they have begun receiving ballots, as have those in “967” addresses including Kailua, Kaneohe, Laie and Wahiawa.

Some candidates who learned that ballots were going out this week said they were surprised — and aren’t happy about it.

Greg Thielen, a candidate for the Honolulu City Council District 3 seat, said he got his in his mailbox Thursday.

“Unfortunately my third mailer goes out (Thursday), so some won’t see it until after they vote,” Thielen said. Based on the expected July 21 arrival date, he plotted his campaign strategy with that timetable in mind, he said.

“Maybe we should have the elections office take over the rail project?” he quipped.

Alan Kekoa Texeira, another Council District 3 candidate, said that after he learned about the ballots going out early, he scrambled to move up a flyer he had timed to arrive Monday to now arrive this Saturday.

Mayoral candidate Choon James echoed Thie­len’s comments, noting that her husband received his ballot in the mail Thursday but that she did not.

James said she paid for a large ad in the Star- Advertiser next week to time it with the July 21 date and voters receiving their ballots this week and choosing to return them immediately won’t see it before they do so.

“Grassroots candidates don’t have hundreds of thousands of dollars to constantly bombard the public with advertisements,” she said.

Two voters said they were also surprised to see the envelopes show up but said they’re OK with it.

“I guess it’s earlier than I expected. I don’t recall a date being mentioned but expected it within the next week,” said Donald Carreira Ching, a Kahaluu writer.

Carreira Ching said he supports all-mail voting and was happy to see his ballot.

“I’m glad that this was passed and hope that it allows more people to make their voice heard, especially those who haven’t voted in the past,” he said. “Access is key.”

David Harada-Stone, a Waimea (Hawaii Island) attorney, said he wasn’t aware when to expect his ballot in the mail.

Harada-Stone said he also supports the “vote by mail” process. “It’s pretty convenient,” he said.