Ballots being mailed to Kaua’i voters; not too late to register to vote for Nov. 8 election

The Kaua’i County Elections Division will begin mailing ballots to registered Hawai’i Island voters for the general election on Oct. 19. Voters should expect to receive the ballots between Oct. 21 and 26.

Any registered voter who does not receive a ballot within 7 days of the mailing date should contact the Elections Division at 808-241-4800.

For eligible voters on the Kaua’i who have not registered for the Nov. 8 general election, it is not too late.

You can register online, by clicking here. To access the system, you must have your Hawaiʻi Driver’s License or Hawaiʻi State ID car and your social security number.

To register to vote in Hawaii, you must be a US Citizen, a legal resident of the State of Hawaiʻi, and be at least 18 years old. A voter registration application may be used for first-time registration, name change, address change and to update your signature.

If you do not have a Hawaiʻi Driver’s License or Hawaii State ID, complete the paper Voter Registration application, and either drop it off or mail it to the County of Kauaʻi Elections Division, Office of the County Clerk, 4386 Rice Street, Room 101, Līhue, HI 96766.

You can also bring your paper Voter Registration application to the Voter Service Center to receive a ballot, including on election day. But the ballot must be filled out at the service center.

For information, call 808-241-4800 or email: elections@kauaii.gov. Don’t forget to sign the application.

Ballots may also be dropped into any of 9 ballot drop boxes located around the island or the Voter Service Center at the Historic County Annex Building, 4386 Rice Street in Līhue.  Drop boxes are locked at exactly 7 p.m. on election day. 

Hawai’i law requires ballots to be in possession of election officials by 7 p.m. on election day, so ballots still in the mail (or your glove box) will not be counted.

Key general election dates:

• Oct. 25: County Voter Service Center opens
• Oct. 31, 4:30 p.m.: Deadline to register to vote to receive your ballot by mail.

The Elections Division recommends that ballots be mailed by Nov. 1 to ensure they will be received by the deadline of 7 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 8. After that date, ballots should be put in one of the official ballot drop boxes.

Once you submit your ballot, you can track it here.

In the General Election, voters may vote for the candidate of their choice regardless of political affiliation. 

For the general election, State of Hawaiʻi residents will vote for:

• Governor: current Lt. Gov. Josh Green and former Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona
• Lieutenant governor: pastor Seaula Tupaʻi Jr. and state House Finance Chair Sylvia Luke.
• US Senator: Democrat and encumbant Brian Schatz, Republican Bob McDermott, Aloha ʻAina Party Dan Decker, Green Party Emma Pohlman and Libertarian Party Feena Bonoan
• US Representative, District 1: Democrat Ed Case, Republican Conrad Kress (Kauaʻi does not vote for this seat)
• US Representative, District 2: Democrat Jill Tokuda, Republican Joseph Akana and Libertarian Party Michelle Rose Tippens

Kauaʻi residents will vote for one state senator:

• District 8: Democrat Ronald Kouchi, Republican Ana Mo Des and Aloha ʻAina Party Kapana Thronas-KahoʻOnei

Kauaʻi residents will vote for all three of its state representatives:

• District 15: Democrat Nadine Nakamura, Republican Greg Bentley
• District 16: Democrat James Tokioka, Republican Steve Yoder
• District 17: Democrat Dee Morikawa, Republican Michael Wilson

Kauaʻi residents will for its mayor. It is between incumbent Derek S.K. Kawakami and Michael Roven Poai.

Kauaiʻi residents also will vote for its seven-person County Council out of 14 candidates, 4 of whom are incumbents. It is the only county in the state without council districts.

The nonpartisan candidates: Luke Evslin, Bernard Carvalho, Mel Rapozo, KipuKai Kualiʻi, Ross Kagawa, Addison Bulosan, Felicia Cowden, Bill DeCosta, Fern Anuenue Holland, Lil Balmores Metzger, Shirley SImbre-Medeiros, Rachel Secretario, Nelson Mukai and Roy Saito.

Kauaʻi resident also can vote on four County Charter amendments.

At the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, six of the nine trustee seats are up for grabs.

To see the results of the primary elections held on Aug. 13, 2022, click here.