Voter Registration
Registration Deadline: The 10th day prior to an election by 4:30 PM.
Party affiliation: Hawaii voters do not declare a political affiliation with their voter registration pursuant to the Hawaii State Constitution. Voters interested in becoming a member of a political party should contact the Qualified Political Party directly. On the primary election ballot, voters will first select a political affiliation and then receive a ballot with the respective candidates.
Voter Registration Qualifications
Age: At least eighteen years of age. Hawaii law allows qualified individuals to pre-register at sixteen years of age. Upon reaching eighteen years of age, they will be automatically registered.
Citizenship: Must be a United States citizen
Residency: The residence stated by the applicant cannot simply be because of their presence in the State, but that the residence was acquired with the intent to make Hawaii the person’s legal residence with all the accompanying obligations therein.
Felony Convictions: A person sentenced for a felony, from the time of the person’s sentence until the person’s final discharge, may not vote in an election, but if the person is placed on probation or the person is paroled after commitment to imprisonment, the person may vote during the period of the probation or parole.
You must update your voter registration if you changed your name, residence or mailing address. You can register to vote or update your registration online or by completing a Voter Registration Application and submitting it to your Clerk’s Office.
Automatic Voter Registration Through DMV:
Applicants can register to vote at the Department of Motor Vehicles when they complete a driver license or State ID application. If the applicant is already registered to vote, the information provided will automatically be used to update their name and/or address unless the applicant declines.
Online Voter Registration
To register online, you must provide a Hawaii Driver License or Hawaii State ID, and your Social Security Number. If you cannot provide these, you may submit a paper Voter Registration & Permanent Absentee Application by mail, or in-person.
VOTER ID for 1st Time Voters
If you are 1) registering to vote for the first time in the State of Hawaii; 2) mailing this application; and 3) do not have a HI Driver License, HI State ID, or last 4-digits of a Social Security Number, you are required to provide proof of identification. Proof of identification includes a copy of: 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.
Obtaining a Voter Registration Form
In person: Applications are available at any of the following locations:
-Office of Elections
-State Libraries
-U.S. Post Offices
-Most State Agencies
-Satellite City Halls
By mail: download a form. Mail the Voter Registration & Permanent Absentee form to the Office of the City or County Clerk where you reside. For a Voter Registration application in a different language click here.
Verifying Your Voter Registration Status
Registered voters will receive a voter notification card (“yellow card”) prior to Election Day. Receipt of this card confirms that you are a registered voter in the State of Hawaii and will be mailed a ballot. Should you wish to follow up on your voter registration application, contact your Clerk’s Office.
VOTING BY MAIL
Act 136, SLH 2019 implements all elections to be conducted by mail. The law removes using polling places where voters cast their ballots on election day, and instead a ballot is automatically mailed to registered voters.
You must be a registered voter to receive a ballot. Your Clerk’s Office will prepare and mail your ballot packet approximately 3 weeks before the election.
Once you have voted your ballot, simply place the ballot in the secrecy envelope ensuring your right to secrecy, and then place it into the return envelope. Be sure to sign the return envelope. A return envelope without a signature will not be counted.
You may return your voted ballot: by mail, or in-person at a designated place of deposit. All ballots must be received by the Clerk’s Office by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day.
Military and overseas voting: The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) created special provisions for absent uniformed services and overseas citizens to vote by mail in primary, general, and special elections; and to allow these individuals to use a federal write-in absentee ballot (FWAB) in the general election.
More information for military and overseas voters.
PROVISIONAL VOTING
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, by the following deadlines:
Primary Election: August 19, 2024
General Election: November 13, 2024
Click here for more information.
Additional Information
Deciding how to vote: https://votesmart.org/
Polling Place: You can find your polling place by contacting the Office of Elections.
Problems with voting: Click here
HAVA Complaints: Click here
Verifying absentee ballot status: contact your city or county clerk
