Deadline to register to vote coming up

Advertiser Staff

Hawai'i residents have just a few more days to register to vote in next month's primary, and officials are urging people to sign up as Election Day poll workers.

Wayne Mendoza, of Makiki, helped Shiena Sequeira of Pearl City register at the Hawai'i State Farm Fair. Rebecca Breyer • The Honolulu Advertiser

As of July 23, there were about 612,000 voters registered, according to city election officials. That was about 64,000 fewer registered voters than in the 2002 election, after which registration rolls were purged of more than 100,000 inactive voters.

Under the National Voter Registration Act, a registered voter cannot be removed from the registration rolls until two full election cycles, including two primary elections and two general elections, have passed without the person voting, and the state has sent two mailed notices asking for a response.

Election officials are also still searching for people to work at the state's 353 polling places on election day.

State voter services coordinator Rex Quidilla yesterday said that of about 3,500 poll workers needed statewide, only 2,345 people so far have been recruited. The biggest gap is on O'ahu, where only 1,385 of 2,315 positions have been filled.

Maui County has 340 of 425 positions filled, and Hawai'i has 426 of 568 filled. Kaua'i is the furthest ahead, with 194 people recruited so far for 202 positions.

"We need people to take that day off and help us," Quidilla said. "Help your community exercise their right to vote."

To be a precinct worker you must be at least 16 years old by June 30, be able to read and write English and be able to lift 25 to 35 pounds. You must also be registered to vote in Hawai'i, or if you're younger than 18, preregistered.

A standard precinct worker needs about an hour and a half of training and works from about 5:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on election days. The pay is $75.

For information, call the Office of Elections at 453-8683 or your local county clerk's office. On Maui call (808) 270-7749; on Hawai'i, call (808) 961-8277; on Kaua'i, call (808) 241-6350. The Honolulu county clerk's office, whose office does not sign up precinct workers, can be reached for other information at 523-4293.