ELECTION BLOG: Updated results confirm November runoffs for Blangiardi and Amemiya, and Alm and Kau

UPDATE: 12:40 p.m.

The fourth primary election result update came later than usual late this morning, but included no major changes in the key races.

Honolulu mayoral candidates Rick Blangiardi and Keith Amemiya are headed to a Nov. 3 runoff with 25.6% and 20.2% of the vote respectively. Colleen Hanabusa remained in third place with 18.4% of the vote.

The Honolulu prosecutor’s race also remained unchanged from late Saturday night with former judge Steve Alm and prosecutor Megan Kau heading to a general election match-up. Alm ended with 40% and Kau had 24.3%, with public defender Jacquie Esser coming in third with 19.5%.

In the most-closely watched race in the state Legislature, House Speaker Scott Saiki maintained his slim lead overnight, getting 46.6% of the vote and just 162 votes more than challenger Kim Coco Iwamoto, who received 44.3%. Saiki will retain his seat since there were no other party races for the District 26 race.

State Rep. Tom Brower, meanwhile, was upset by challenger Adrian Tam, who won by a 45.6% to 42.2% margin, or about 143.

As usual, state Election officials said a final count for the primary will be released in about five days.

View all the latest election results here.

10:25 a.m.

Hawaii election officials this morning said they are continuing to count the large number of Oahu ballots that came in or were cast on Saturday.

Late last night officials said the third “printout” of the evening would include about 17,000 to 18,000 votes from throughout Oahu, which was more than they had expected.

As of mid-morning today, officials were still processing the ballots, which include mail-in votes that arrived Saturday and votes that were cast at Honolulu Hale and Kapolei Hale.

The third printout for Maui, Kauai and Hawaii counties was released just before 3 a.m. today. See the results here.

6:50 a.m.

An early-morning update of the Maui County vote totals now shows activist Walter Ritte trailing incumbent and fellow Democrat Rep. Lynn DeCoite by 91 votes for the state House seating representing Molokai. DeCoite has 3,243 and Ritte with 3,152.

DeCoite had held a 29-vote lead after late Saturday night’s second printout of results.

SUNDAY 12:10 a.m.

State elections officials said the third “printout” of vote totals will include about 17,000 to 18,000 votes from throughout Oahu, more than had been expected.

They said the third tally would be released later this morning but they did not give an exact time.

Officials said the votes still being counted include Oahu ballots dropped off Saturday, and mail-in and drop-off ballots from the neighbor islands received Saturday.

SATURDAY 10:10 p.m.

The second election night printout shows that political newcomers and Honolulu mayoral candidates Rick Blangiardi and Keith Amemiya will advance to the General Election Nov. 3, while former judge Steve Alm and prosecutor Megan Kau will face off for the Honolulu prosecuting attorney position.

The biggest upset of the night appears to be Hawaii island Mayor Harry Kim, who will not move on to the November election, after losing to county prosecutor Mitch Roth and community activist Ikaika Marzo.

Democrat Kai Kahele will face Republican Joe Akana for the U.S. House District 2 seat, while Republican Ron Curtis will challenge incumbent Ed Case in the race for U.S. House District 1.

There were an estimated 5,000 Oahu remaining ballots and an unknown number of neighbor island ballots as well as a few mail-in ballots, according to state officials.

9:26 p.m.

Scott Nago, Chief Election Officer, announced that there were a total of 5,472 who voted at voter service centers through today. Those results will be coming in at 10 p.m. today.

Also results from about 6,000 mail-in ballots that arrived today from Oahu voters will also be part of the 10 p.m. printout.

An estimated 5,000 Oahu ballots were dropped off today. Results from those and mail-in and drop-off ballots from the neighbor islands will be provided Sunday morning.

Most of the votes have been counted, with 368,200 in the first “printout,” of the 380,000 received earlier today.

Nago said residents were still in line at voter service centers after 7 p.m. at Kapolei Hale, Honolulu Hale, Molokai and Lanai. That’s why the results came out shortly thereafter, he said.

Molokai was the last to complete their voting after 7 p.m.

Voters had to be in line before 7 p.m. to vote in person and could take the time they needed. All ballots had to be dropped off by 7 p.m. at the collection centers.

Nago said the city clerk took ballots that were turned in at Honolulu Hale after the 7 p.m. deadline and placed them in a plastic bag. They won’t be processed, “however, they took them in case they were told to count them,” he said. “The law says receipt by 7 p.m.”

9:08 p.m.

Trailing with just 10% of the votes in the Honolulu mayoral race, Mufi Hannemann conceded defeat tonight in his attempt to return to his old job.

The former mayor said he entered the race with the hope of bringing experience to the helm at Honolulu Hale.

“I was deeply touched and moved by the support I received from countless people who encouraged me to return to City Hall,” Hannemann said in a news release. “But contrary to that message, it appears that the voters of the City and County of Honolulu were seeking a fresh face at City Hall. Whomever is elected mayor will face a very tough task. I stand ready to assist that person in the difficult tasks that await.”

8:30 p.m.

Rick Blangiardi and Keith Amemiya are two front-runners in the Honolulu mayoral race.

“We did extensive market research at the outset and indications were voters placed a low premium on political experience,” said Blangiardi, who was in the lead.

Keith Amemiya, who received 20.83% of the votes, said voters want change.

“They’re tired of the same old politics and the same old politicians, and they want a new approach to government,” he said.

8:15 p.m.

Former Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa was trailing in the Honolulu mayoral’s race, but she hasn’t given up hope despite two political newcomers Rick Blangiardi and Keith Amemiya in the lead after the first election returns.

“I don’t think it’s impossible yet,” Hanabusa said.

Hanabusa said it depends how many votes are left and from where the outstanding votes will be coming from. She’ll do better if more come from Kapolei, nearer her stronghold. Blangiardi and Amemiya are townies.

7 p.m.

Newcomer and former television executive Rick Blangiardi was leading the Honolulu mayoral race by 25.86% of the votes followed by businessman Keith Amemiya with 20.83% of the votes after the first printout was released shortly after 7 p.m.

Colleen Hanabusa was in third with 18.73% of the votes, Kym Marcos Pine with 14.40% of the votes and former Honolulu mayor Mufi Hanneman had 10.14% of the votes.

In Hawaii County mayoral race, Mitch Roth captured 31.97% of the votes, Ikaika Marzo had 20.94% of the votes and incumbent Harry Kim was trailing behind with 15.78% of the votes.

In the Honolulu prosecutor’s race, Steve Alm was leading with 41.02% of the votes followed by Megan Kau with 23.83% of the votes.

Click here to view more results from the first printout, which had over 90% of the total vote in the state counted.

A second release is expected around 10 p.m, which will include walk-in votes cast at voter service centers and mail-in ballots collected by 7 p.m. tonight.

6:45 p.m.

Hawaii is heading toward the largest voter turnout for a primary in recent history with 380,000 votes cast before today, with all mail-in ballots.

“We always said if you put a ballot in front of everyone, they’ll vote,” said Scott Nago, chief elections officer for the Hawaii Office of Elections.

Voters have until 7 p.m. to vote in person at Honolulu Hale and Kapolei Hale on Oahu and at other designated in-person voter locations statewide.

Elections Office spokeswoman Nedielyn Bueno said that once the county voting centers statewide close at 7 p.m., the first set of results will likely be released.

The voting figure so far is still less than 50% of the total number of registered voters, which is 795,298.

The last primary in 2018, there were 280,000 ballots cast, which was a gubernatorial primary.

Prior to today, fewer than 3,000 people voted in person in the voting centers, which were an alternative to the mail-in ballots, Nago said.

“We used to average 1,500 a day,” he said.

Bueno said many people thought that the change to all mail-in ballots was due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the change was made during the 2019 legislative session.

Anyone on line at 7 p.m will still be allowed to vote, but officials expect to deliver the first “print out” of results immediately after voting ends.

The first election returns are expected to include all of the ballots cast by mail or left at drop boxes statewide through Friday, state elections officials said.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE

Hawaii voters have embraced the state’s first mail-in election and, after two weeks of voting, will await results this evening in many key races throughout the islands.

The Hawaii Office of Elections said this morning that over 360,000 voters have already cast their ballot so far in today’s Primary Election, breaking records for a state that typically has among the lowest voter turnout in the nation.

Voting continues today and potential voters can still register and vote at the “voter service centers” on all islands. Voters can also deposit their “mail-in” ballots at various sites across the state by 7 p.m. Locations can be found by clicking here.

Honolulu voters have already set a record. By the end of day Friday, city Elections Division officials had already received 248,896 ballot envelopes, eclipsing the previous record of 225,306 total votes cast on Oahu in the 1994 primary.

“The turnout record is being broken as we speak,” Rex Quidilla, the Honolulu County elections administrator, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser earlier this week. “This is going to be a historic high. It’s incredible. It’s fantastic news.”

Voters can also check the status of their mail-in ballot at the state Elections Office website.

On Oahu, the marquee race today will decide who will become Honolulu’s next mayor outright by winning a simple majority — or which candidates will move on to a runoff in November’s general election.

Besides the mayor’s race, Honolulu voters will be voting for a city prosecutor and five city council seats. The biggest Neighbor Island race of the day is for Hawaii County mayor, where incumbent Harry Kim is facing more than a dozen contenders.

The first election returns after the voting closes at 7 p.m. are scheduled to include all of the ballots cast by mail or left at drop boxes statewide through Friday, state elections officials said. The second returns — around 10 p.m. — are expected to include walk-in votes cast at voter service centers and mail-in ballots collected by 7 p.m. tonight, she said.

The final election returns are expected to come in early Sunday morning.

Voting continues today at Honolulu Hale despite news on Friday that city officials are looking at shutting down the building to the public next week after at least 10 employees who work there have tested positive for COVID-19.

Go to https://808ne.ws/elections2020 for updates, resources and live results from today’s Hawaii Primary Election.