Election administration in Hawaii
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Election administration encompasses a state's voting policies, procedures, and enforcement. These include voter identification requirements, early and absentee/mail-in voting provisions, voter list maintenance methods, and more. Each state's voting policies dictate who can vote and under what conditions.
Below, you will find details on the following election administration topics in Hawaii:
Poll times
- See also: State poll opening and closing times
As of 2020, Hawaii is an all-mail voting state, which means that its elections are conducted almost exclusively by mail. There are voter service centers that are open from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time on election day, and with varying hours for ten business days prior to each election, to receive personal delivery of mail-in ballots, accommodate voters with special needs, offer same-day registration and voting, and provide other election services.
To find the locations and hours of voter service centers, see here.[2][3]
Voter registration
- Check your voter registration status here.
To register to vote in Hawaii, one must be a United States citizen, a resident of the state, and at least 18 years old. Pre-registration is available beginning at age 16.[4][5]
Registration can be completed in the following ways:[4]
Online: Visit olvr.hawaii.gov. You must have a current Hawaii Driver’s License or State ID to complete an application online.
Mail: Print & submit a completed Voter Registration Application to your Clerk’s Office. Paper application must be submitted to the county elections division by 4:30 PM on the tenth day before each election.
In-person: Visit the Office of Elections or a Clerk’s Office to submit an application in person.
Applications are available at any of the following locations: [4]
- County Elections Divisions
- Clerk’s Offices
- State Libraries
- U.S. Post Offices
- Most State Agencies
- Satellite City Halls
Same-day voter registration is available at voter service centers, to register and vote in-person, beginning 10 days prior and through election day. Paper registration applications must be submitted to county election divisions by 4:30 PM on the tenth day before each election. Once you are registered, you do not need to re-register for another election unless your residence address, mailing address, or name changes. Hawaii adopted same-day registration in 2014; implementation occurred in 2018.[4]
Automatic registration
Hawaii offers automatic voter registration for eligible individuals through the Department of Motor Vehicles when they complete a driver license or state ID application, and the Department of Health and Department of Human Services when applying to receive public assistance.
Online registration
- See also: Online voter registration
Hawaii has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.
Same-day registration
Hawaii allows same-day voter registration.
Residency requirements
To register to vote in Hawaii, you must be a resident of the state. State law does not specify a length of time for which you must have been a resident to be eligible. The voter registration application includes the following language: "The residence stated in this affidavit is not simply because of my presence in the State, but was acquired with the intent to make Hawaii my legal residence with all the accompanying obligations therein."[5]
Verification of citizenship
Hawaii does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, "any person who knowingly furnishes false information may be guilty of a Class C felony."[6]
All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[7] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.
Verifying your registration
Hawaii's Online Voter Registration System, run by the Hawaii Office of Elections, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.
Early and absentee voting policy
Early voting
- See also: Early voting
Since it is an all-mail voting state, Hawaii permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.
Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.
Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.
Mail-in voting
- See also: All-mail voting
Hawaii conducts its elections by mail. All eligible voters automatically receive mail ballots, which must be returned election officials by close of polls on Election Day.[2]
Returning mail-in ballots
Mail-in ballots can be returned by mail or delivered to the voter’s local clerk’s office or a voter service center/designated place of deposit. Voted ballots must be received by close of polls on Election Day.[8]
Twenty states allow anyone chosen by the voter to return a ballot on the voter's behalf, with certain exceptions, while 16 states allow anyone with certain relationships to the voter to return the voter's ballot. Four states allow only the voter to return the voter's ballot, with certain exceptions, and two states required voters to return their ballots by mail. Eight states and D.C. do not specify who may return ballots.
Signature requirements and cure provisions
Voters must sign the ballot return envelope. Ballots returned with an unsigned envelope will not be counted.[2]
Hawaii law contains a cure provision allowing voters to correct an issue with their ballot. In the case of an unsigned ballot, a mismatched signature, or another issue that would prevent counting a ballot, the clerk "shall make an attempt to notify the voter by first class mail, telephone, or electronic mail. Voters have until five business days after the date of the election to cure an issue. [9]
Thirty-three states have laws that include cure provisions, while 17 states do not. One state, Pennsylvania, allows counties to establish a cure process.
Was your absentee/mail-in ballot counted?
Hawaii voters can visit the state's BallotTrax website to check if and when their ballot was counted.
Voter identification requirements
- See also: Voter ID in Hawaii
- See also: Voter identification laws by state
Voters in Hawaii are not generally required to present identification while voting. In 2019, the statute requiring voters to present identification if so requested by a precinct official was repealed.
When registering to vote for the first time, a Hawaii Driver License, Hawaii State ID, or the last 4-digits of the voter's Social Security Number is required. If none of these can be provided, one of the following must be provided as proof of identification:
- A current and valid photo identification; or
- A current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows your name and address.[5]
Thirty-five states require voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day. Of these states, 23 require voters to present identification containing a photograph, and 12 accept other forms of identification. The remaining 15 states do not require voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day.
Valid forms of identification differ by state. In certain states that require voters to provide identification, there may be exceptions that allow some voters to cast a ballot without providing an ID. To see more about these exceptions, see details by state. Commonly accepted forms of ID include driver's licenses, state-issued identification cards, and military identification cards.
Provisional ballot rules
Voters in Hawaii are given provisional ballots, or ballots requiring additional steps or information before they can be counted, under the following circumstances.[10]
1) If the "[v]oter’s name does not appear on the official list of registered voters," the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.
2) If "[a]n election official asserts that the voter is not eligible to vote," the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.
3) "A fail-safe voter is a person who is a first-time voter who has mailed the voter registration application and has not provided the required HAVA identification either at the time of registration, at the polling place, or when returning a voted absentee ballot. In such a situation, the voter is able to submit a provisional ballot."
- "The voter must provide the Clerk’s Office acceptable identification for the ballot to be counted."
In each of the above circumstances, the voter must complete a written affirmation stating that the voter is "a registered voter in the jurisdiction in which the individual desires to vote" and "eligible to vote in that election."[10]
According to the Hawaii Office of Elections’ website, before a provisional ballot is counted "[c]ounty election officials must first determine if the voter is eligible to vote and whether their ballot will be counted. The voter will be able to verify if the ballot did or did not count, and the reason why it was not counted by calling their County Elections Division or through the Office of Elections website.[10]
A provisional ballot is rejected in the following circumstances:[11]
- If any part of the provisional ballot application form or affirmation statement is incomplete or inaccurate; or
- If the county clerk determines that the voter is ineligible to vote in the precinct where the provisional ballot was cast.
Was your provisional ballot counted?
Visit the Office of Elections Website or contact your County Elections Division to check the status of your provisional ballot.
Local election officials
Do you need information about elections in your area? Are you looking for your local election official? Click here to visit the U.S. Vote Foundation and use their election official lookup tool. |
Primary election type
- See also: Primary elections in Hawaii
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election.
Hawaii utilizes an open primary system, in which registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.[12][13]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Time off work for voting
Gov. David Ige (D) signed Act 136 on June 25, 2019, creating a vote by mail system. Act 136 also repealed the state's time off work for voting law. The repealed law entitled employees to two consecutive hours of time off work to vote, with fines from $50 to $300 imposed upon employers for refusal to comply. Under the old law, employers could deduct pay from an employee if the employee did not use the time off for voting. [14]
Twenty-eight states require employers to grant employees time off to vote. Within these 28 states, policies vary as to whether that time off must be paid and how much notice must be given.
Voting rules for people convicted of a felony
In Hawaii, people convicted of a felony automatically regain their voting rights after the incarceration stipulated by their sentence; people on probation or parole enjoy full voting rights.[15]
Voting rights for people convicted of a felony vary from state to state. In the majority of states, people convicted of a felony cannot vote while they are incarcerated but may regain the right to vote upon release from prison or at some point thereafter.[16]
Voter list maintenance
All states have rules under which they maintain voter rolls—or, check and remove certain names from their lists of registered voters. Most states are subject to the parameters set by The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).[17] The NVRA requires states to make efforts to remove deceased individuals and individuals who have become ineligible due to a change of address. It prohibits removing registrants from voter lists within 90 days of a federal election due to change of address unless a registrant has requested to be removed, or from removing people from voter lists solely because they have not voted. The NVRA says that states may remove names from their registration lists under certain other circumstances and that their methods for removing names must be uniform and nondiscriminatory.[18]
When names can be removed from the voter list
Hawaii law authorizes election officials to remove the names of voters from the registered voting list if an individual:[19][20][21]
- Dies,
- Does not vote in two consecutive general elections,
- Is adjudicated as incapacitated,
- Makes a written request asking to be removed from the voter registration list,
- Has mail sent to them by a state or county election officials and the mail is returned as undeliverable, or
- Is convicted of committing a felony.
Inactive voter list rules
State law outlines the following process by which election officials must contact voters before removal from the voter registration:[19]
| “ | "the clerk shall identify registered voter names from a postal database containing outdated or undeliverable addresses or by mailing a notice or other correspondence, properly addressed, and receiving a postal notation that the notice or other correspondence was not deliverable."[22] | ” |
The Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC)
According to its website, ERIC is a nonprofit corporation that is governed by a board of member-states. These member states submit voter registration and motor vehicle registration information to ERIC. ERIC uses this information, as well as Social Security death records and other sources, to provide member states with reports showing voters who have moved within their state, moved out of their state, died, have duplicate registrations in their state, or are potentially eligible to vote but are not yet registered. ERIC's website describes its funding as follows: "Members fund ERIC. New members pay a one-time membership fee of $25,000, which is reserved for technology upgrades and other unanticipated expenses. Members also pay annual dues. Annual dues cover operating costs and are based, in part, on the citizen voting age population in each state."[23]
Twenty-five states are participating members in the ERIC program. Thirty-four states and the District of Columbia have joined and participated in ERIC at some point.[24]
As of July 2024, Hawaii was not a member of ERIC.
On July 5, 2024, Hawaii Governor Josh Green (D) signed Senate Bill 2240, requiring the state’s Office of Elections to apply to join the ERIC. The bill passed the Hawaii House of Representatives and State Senate unanimously on April 24. Senate Bill 2240 requires Hawaii to apply to join ERIC by June 30, 2025. Hawaii would become the first state to join ERIC since a series of resignations from 2021-2023, barring action by another state before the deadline to apply imposed by the bill, or a rejection of Hawaii’s application by ERIC.
Post-election auditing
Hawaii state law requires post-election audits. The chief election official and a bipartisan group of people audit 10% of precincts using the electronic voting system. "If discrepancies occur, the chief election official conducts an expanded audit and to the extent possible resolves misreporting problems." The audit must be completed before the election is certified.[25]
Post-election audits check that election results tallied by a state's voting system match results from paper records, such as paper ballots filled out by voters or the paper records produced by electronic voting machines. Post-election audits are classified into two categories: audits of election results—which include traditional post-election audits as well as risk-limiting audits—and procedural audits.[26][27]
Typically, traditional post-election audits are done by recounting a portion of ballots, either electronically or by hand, and comparing the results to those produced by the state's voting system. In contrast, risk-limiting audits use statistical methods to compare a random sample of votes cast to election results instead of reviewing every ballot. The scope of procedural audits varies by state, but they typically include a systematic review of voting equipment, performance of the voting system, vote totals, duties of election officials and workers, ballot chain of custody, and more.
Forty-six states and the District of Columbia require some form of post-election audit by law, excluding states with pilot programs. Of these, 39 states and the District of Columbia require traditional post-election audits, while three states require risk-limiting post-election audits, and three states require some other form of post-election audit, including procedural post-election audits.[28][26]
Election policy ballot measures
Ballotpedia has tracked the following ballot measures relating to election and campaign policy in Hawaii.
- Hawaii Candidate Resignation, Amendment 5 (1978)
- Hawaii Campaign Finance, Amendment 6 (1978)
- Hawaii Unopposed Candidate Primary Elections, Amendment 3 (1988)
- Hawaii Primary Election Voting, Amendment 11 (1968)
- Hawaii Regarding Executive Positions, Amendment 15 (1968)
The table below lists bills related to election administration that have been introduced during (or carried over to) the current legislative session in Hawaii. The following information is included for each bill:
- State
- Bill number
- Official bill name or caption
- Most recent action date
- Legislative status
- Sponsor party
- Topics dealt with by the bill
Bills are organized by most recent action. The table displays up to 100 results. To view more bills, use the arrows in the upper-right corner. Clicking on a bill will open its page on Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker, which includes bill details and a summary.
Explore election legislation with Ballotpedia
Try Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation TrackerBallotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker provides daily updates on legislative activity related to election policy in all 50 states.
Our election policy experts translate complex bill text into easy-to-understand summaries. And because it's from Ballotpedia, our legislation tracker is guaranteed to be neutral, unbiased, and nonpartisan.
Read Ballotpedia's State of Election Administration Legislation ReportsBallotpedia publishes regular analysis of election administration legislation, including three full reports per year, providing ongoing coverage of legislative activity affecting election policy in each state.
These reports deliver insights into partisan priorities, dive deep into notable trends, and highlight activity in key states.
Subscribe to The Ballot BulletinThe Ballot Bulletin is a weekly email that delivers the latest updates on election policy.
The newsletter tracks developments in election policy around the country, including legislative activity, big-picture trends, and recent news. Each email contains in-depth data from our Election Administration Legislation Tracker.
Ballot access
In order to get on the ballot in Hawaii, a candidate for state or federal office must meet a variety of state-specific filing requirements and deadlines. These regulations, known as ballot access laws, determine whether a candidate or party will appear on an election ballot. These laws are set at the state level. A candidate must prepare to meet ballot access requirements well in advance of primaries, caucuses, and the general election.
There are three basic methods by which an individual may become a candidate for office in a state.
- An individual can seek the nomination of a state-recognized political party.
- An individual can run as an independent. Independent candidates often must petition in order to have their names printed on the general election ballot.
- An individual can run as a write-in candidate.
This article outlines the steps that prospective candidates for state-level and congressional office must take in order to run for office in Hawaii. For information about filing requirements for presidential candidates, click here. Information about filing requirements for local-level offices is not available in this article (contact state election agencies for information about local candidate filing processes).
Redistricting
- See also: Redistricting in Hawaii
Redistricting is the process by which new congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn. Each of Hawaii's two United States Representatives and 76 state legislators are elected from political divisions called districts. United States Senators are not elected by districts, but by the states at large. District lines are redrawn every 10 years following completion of the United States census. The federal government stipulates that districts must have nearly equal populations and must not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity.[29][30][31][32]
Hawaii was apportioned 2 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2020 census, the same number it received after the 2010 census. Click here for more information about redistricting in Hawaii after the 2020 census.
State process
- See also: State-by-state redistricting procedures
In Hawaii, a nine-member commission draws both congressional and state legislative district lines. The majority and minority leaders of the Hawaii State Senate and Hawaii House of Representatives each select two members. These eight members then select a ninth tie-breaking commissioner. If the commission is unable to reach an agreement on a ninth member, the Hawaii Supreme Court must make the appointment.[33]
Both congressional and state legislative district boundaries must be contiguous and compact. In addition, where possible, district lines "must follow permanent and easily recognized features ... and coincide with census tracts." In addition, "districts must also avoid submerging one area in another with substantially different predominant socioeconomic interests." No district can be drawn "to unduly favor a person or political faction."[33]
State law permits state legislative districts to be multimember, but a maximum of four representatives can be elected from a single district.[33]
Election administration agencies
Election agencies
- See also: State election agencies
Individuals seeking additional information about election administration in Hawaii can contact the following local, state, and federal agencies.
Hawaii County Election Divisions
Hawaii Office of Elections
- 802 Lehua Avenue
- Pearl City, Hawaii 96782
- Phone: 808-453-8683
- Toll free: 1-800-442-8683
- Fax: 808-453-6006
- Email: elections@hawaii.gov
- Website: http://hawaii.gov/elections/
Hawaii Campaign Spending Commission
- Leiopapa A Kamehameha Building
- 235 S. Beretania Street, Room 300
- Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
- Phone: 808-586-0285
- Fax: 808-586-0288
- Website: http://ags.hawaii.gov/campaign/
Hawaii State Ethics Commission
- 1001 Bishop Street, Suite 970
- Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
- Phone: 808-587-0460
- Fax: 808-587-0470
- Email: info.ethics@hawaiiethic.gov
- Website: https://ethics.hawaii.gov
U.S. Election Assistance Commission
- 633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200
- Washington, DC 20001
- Phone: 301-563-3919
- Toll free: 1-866-747-1471
- Email: clearinghouse@eac.gov
- Website: https://www.eac.gov
Ballotpedia's election coverage
- United States Senate Democratic Party primaries, 2026
- United States House Democratic Party primaries, 2026
- Democratic Party gubernatorial primaries, 2026
- Democratic Party Secretary of State primaries, 2026
- Democratic Party Attorney General primaries, 2026
- State legislative Democratic primaries, 2026
- United States Senate Republican Party primaries, 2026
- United States House Republican Party primaries, 2026
- Republican Party gubernatorial primaries, 2026
- Republican Party Secretary of State primaries, 2026
- Republican Party Attorney General primaries, 2026
- State legislative Republican primaries, 2026
See also
- State of Election Administration Legislation Reports
- Factors affecting the speed of ballot counting and delivery of unofficial election results
- Voting in Hawaii
- Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Hawaii
- Redistricting in Hawaii
Elections in Hawaii
- Hawaii elections, 2025
- Hawaii elections, 2024
- Hawaii elections, 2023
- Hawaii elections, 2022
- Hawaii elections, 2021
- Hawaii elections, 2020
- Hawaii elections, 2019
- Hawaii elections, 2018
- Hawaii elections, 2017
- Hawaii elections, 2016
- Hawaii elections, 2015
- Hawaii elections, 2014
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ We use the term "absentee/mail-in voting" to describe systems in which requests or applications are required. We use the term "all-mail voting" to denote systems where the ballots themselves are sent automatically to all voters. We use the hyphenate term for absentee voting because some states use “mail voting” (or a similar alternative) to describe what has traditionally been called "absentee voting."
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 State of Hawaii - Office of Elections, "Voting in Hawaii," accessed July 19, 2024
- ↑ Hawaii State Legislature, "HB1248," accessed March 21, 2023
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 State of Hawaii Office of Elections, "Registration," accessed July 19, 2024
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 State of Hawaii Office of Elections, "Voter Registration and Permanent Absentee Application," accessed July 19, 2024
- ↑ State of Hawaii Office of Elections, "Hawaii Voter Registration Application," accessed November 1, 2024
- ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑ Hawaii Office of Elections, "Absentee Application," accessed July 19, 2024
- ↑ Hawaii State Legislature, "Hawaii Revised Statutes § 11-105," accessed July 19, 2024
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Hawaii Office of Elections, "Provisional Voting," accessed July 19, 2024
- ↑ Hawaii Office of Elections, "Hawaii Administrative Rules §3-172-140," accessed July 14, 2024
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed July 19, 2024
- ↑ Hawaii State Legislature, "Hawaii Revised Statutes §12-31," accessed July 19, 2024
- ↑ Hawaii State Legislature, "HB1248," accessed March 21, 2023
- ↑ State of Hawaii Office of Elections, "Voters with a Felony Conviction," accessed July 19, 2024
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Felon Voting Rights," April 6, 2023
- ↑ As of May 2024, the Justice Department notes, "Six States (Idaho, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming) are exempt from the NVRA because, on and after August 1, 1994, they either had no voter-registration requirements or had election-day voter registration at polling places with respect to elections for federal office."
- ↑ The United States Department of Justice, "The National Voter Registration Act of 1993," accessed May 29, 2024
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Hawaii State Legislature, "Hawaii Revised Statutes §11-17," accessed July 19, 2024
- ↑ Hawaii State Legislature, "Hawaii Revised Statutes §11-19," accessed July 19, 2024
- ↑ Hawaii State Legislature, "Hawaii Revised Statutes §11-23," accessed July 19, 2024
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ ERIC, "FAQ," accessed May 29, 2024
- ↑ ERIC, "Who We Are," accessed May 29, 2024
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Post-Election Audits," accessed July 19, 2024
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 National Conference of State Legislatures, "Post-Election Audits," accessed July 2, 2025
- ↑ Election Assistance Commission, "Election Audits Across the United States," accessed July 2, 2025
- ↑ Ballotpedia research conducted in October 2024, researching and analyzing various state websites and codes.
- ↑ All About Redistricting, "Why does it matter?" accessed April 8, 2015
- ↑ Indy Week, "Cracked, stacked and packed: Initial redistricting maps met with skepticism and dismay," June 29, 2011
- ↑ The Atlantic, "How the Voting Rights Act Hurts Democrats and Minorities," June 17, 2013
- ↑ Redrawing the Lines, "The Role of Section 2 - Majority Minority Districts," accessed April 6, 2015
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 33.2 All About Redistricting, "Hawaii," accessed April 29, 2015
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