Kauaʻi voters are gearing up to vote in the final hours of the island’s most competitive county elections in recent years, with 26 candidates competing for seven County Council seats and six contenders seeking to become the next mayor of the Garden Island.

For today’s primary election, it is too late to mail your ballot. Your mail-in ballot must be taken to one of the 10 ballot boxes located around the island in Hanalei, Kōloa, Kalaheo, Princeville, Kapaʻa, Waimea, Kīlauea, Waipoli, Hanapēpē and Līhuʻe. They must be put in the box by 7 p.m. to count.

The only place to vote in person on Kauaʻi is at the voter service center located in the basement of the Historic County Annex Building, 4386 Rice St., in Līhu‘e.

For those who decide to vote at the service centers, county officials suggest the following: 

• Save time by registering or updating your voter information using the online voter registration system.
• Review the Voter Guide to learn about candidates in this year’s primary elections.
• Each center is equipped with accessible ballot-marking devices that allow voters to cast their ballot independently using features such as audio assistance.

A person must be in line at the voter service center no later than 7 p.m. for the ballot to count. Anyone in line by 7 p.m. will be able to vote. You can check the status of your ballot by clicking here.

In today’s primary election, Kauaʻi voters will select two mayoral candidates to move on to the general election on Nov. 3. But if a candidate gets more than 50% of the votes in the first round, that person will win outright.

The Council race has also drawn an unusually large field. The 26 candidates are running islandwide, with all seven seats selected at large. The 14 highest vote-getters in the County Council primary will advance to the general election.

Also on the ballot for Kauaʻi voters is the following seats: U.S. House District 2, Hawaiʻi governor, Hawaiʻi lieutenant governor, State Senate District 8, State Rep. District 15, State Rep. District 16, State Rep. District 17 and Office of Hawaiian Affairs at-large trustee.

North Shore resident Bob, who declined to give his last name, said he put his ballot into the drop box at the Hanalei Neighborhood Center last week.

“Voting should be accessible to everybody,” he said. “No games, just vote. I voted within a couple of days of getting my ballot, and I encouraged everybody in my family to do the same.”

Meanwhile, organizers at the voting center said they have seen a steady stream of residents voting in person at the Voter Service Center in Līhuʻe on Friday.

East side resident Shannon Widrick completed voting in person and described the process as “easy.”

“I don’t believe in the mail-in, and so it was cool to come here and just show my ID, and I voted just the way it should be,” she said. “Our future depends on it.”

As of Friday, 13,908 ballots had been returned out of 42,183 issued to Kauaʻi registered voters, about 33%.

The statewide Office of Elections reported that as of Friday, 214,795 ballots had been received across Hawaiʻi out of 738,334 issued, 29%.

Kapaʻa resident Hazel Castillo explained that even though she’s only lived in Kauaʻi for six years, it was her kuleana (responsibility) to be an advocate for the people of Kauaʻi.

“If I can put a vote in for a good council or a good mayor, then I feel like I’m doing my part,” she said.

She explained that currently there is an umbrella of issues, and “I think that’s gonna be their toughest challenge is actually really digging in the dirt and changing for the better.”

Castillo added that she supported Michaela Widener for mayor.

“She’s a very driven person,” Castillo said. “She’s very blunt, honest, and to the point, and I think that’s something the county and government needs.”

Within minutes, Anahola resident Samira Siale pulled up to the voting center to drop off her ballot and emphasized the importance of voting. She expressed concern over often hearing people say, “I don’t vote because my vote doesn’t make a difference.

“That mindset troubles me. In many parts of the world, people are denied the freedoms of speech, expression, religion — and the ability to choose their leaders.

Siale added: “Voting is both a right and a privilege that should never be taken for granted. Exercise your voice, be part of the change, and help shape the future of our community. Most importantly, don’t grumble about the outcome if you chose not to do anything about it.”

She said: “Vote—your voice matters.”

Visit the Hawai‘i Office of Elections website or call 808-453-VOTE (8683) for all official election information.