A record number of Hawai'i voters have already cast their ballots either at early voting walk-in sites or via the absentee mail process.
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| Fourth-graders sing patriotic and election songs at Sacred Hearts Academy in a voting celebration yesterday that included "visits" from famous figures in U.S. history. A surge in mail-in and walk-in early balloting suggests the voting mood is strong all across Hawai'i this year.
Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser
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The state's four counties had tallied more than 125,800 votes as of midday yesterday, with a large number of absentee mail-in ballots yet to be counted.
The number of early ballots represents a sharp increase from the 110,049 absentee votes cast in 2002, and 73,070 absentees votes in 2000.
With most eyes fixed on the races for president and Honolulu mayor, hundreds of thousands of Hawai'i voters were expected to head to the polls today, joining the record number who have already cast their ballots.
Recent polls, including The Advertiser's Hawai'i Poll, showed President Bush and Sen. John Kerry nearly neck-and-neck in the race for Hawai'i's four electoral votes. The surprisingly strong showing by Bush in a state once considered a lock by Democrats has drawn national attention, particularly since the vote on the Mainland is anticipated to be a close one.
| Election basics
Polls open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Bring a photo ID with a signature
Find your polling place and view your ballot at www.hawaii.gov/elections; click on the link "Find Your Polling Place — Review Your Ballot"
Office of Elections: 453-8683
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The featured local race is the fight for Honolulu mayor between former City Council members Duke Bainum and Mufi Hannemann. Both men spent yesterday barnstorming across the island to seek support from undecided voters and encourage a high turnout among supporters.
Hannemann rode a trolley with supporters through several neighborhoods, including Kalihi, downtown, and Kane'ohe. He said many voters he encountered were primarily interested in the presidential race and had yet to make up their minds about who to support for mayor.
Bainum greeted people in Chinatown, bowled with senior citizens in Wai'alae, and served lunch to patrons at a downtown restaurant. Bainum said he met few voters yesterday who were undecided, but that he asked for support from any he found.
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| Republican supporters were in front of the state Capitol yesterday, with recent polls showing the presidential race to be neck-and-neck.
Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser
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In the state Legislature, most of the focus has been in the House, where Democrats hold a 36-15 majority. Republicans want to gain at least three more seats there, enough to block any overrides of Gov. Linda Lingle's vetoes.
Both parties have spent money on mailers that targeted constituents in areas they viewed as having close races.
Democratic leaders, as has been the custom for years, spent the eve of the general election at a rally at Mo'oheau Park Bandstand in Hilo. Republicans held a large sign-waving in front of the state Capitol yesterday afternoon and then took a trolley ride into key East Honolulu districts in the evening.
Each of the state's four counties reported a higher number of absentee voters.
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| Democrats waved signs along Kamehameha Avenue in Hilo before heading to the traditional election-eve rally at Mo'oheau Bandstand.
Kevin Dayton • The Honolulu Advertiser
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On O'ahu, at least 86,722 absentee votes had been cast, including 29,722 absentee walk-in votes. There were 75,656 absentee votes, combining both the walk-in and mail-in tallies, in the 2002 general election, and 49,600 in 2000, the last presidential election.
In Hawai'i County, no fewer than 17,445 voters had voted absentee, including 10,573 absentee walk-in voters. There were 14,857 total absentee votes in 2002 and 11,127 absentee votes in 2000.
In Maui County, at least 12,758 votes had been cast, including 4,643 by walk-in voters. In 2002, there were 11,598 absentee votes cast, and in 2000 there were 6,472.
In Kaua'i County, there were at least 8,877 absentee votes cast, including 5,271 who voted by walk-in. There were 7,938 absentee voters in 2002 and 5,871 absentee voters in 2000.
This year's election has also been marked by concerns about new electronic voting machines put in place primarily to help those with disabilities but available to all voters. The group Safe Vote Hawai'i urged voters to stick to the "marking" system and not to use the new machines, citing the lack of a paper trail that can be audited. The state Office of Elections insists the machines can be audited if there is suspicion that tampering has occurred.
State rules require that any challenge to election results be filed in a complaint to the state's Supreme Court by Nov. 22. "Then it's up to the court's discretion," said Rex Quidilla, voter services coordinator for the Hawai'i Office of Elections.
The tightness of the presidential race brings into focus how election officials are expected to handle early voting, absentee ballots and provisional ballots.
States are now required to give provisional ballots to voters who show up at the polls and say they are registered. These ballots will be placed in special envelopes and counted once a voter's eligibility is verified. In most cases, officials are a phone call away from verifying the voting status of anyone seeking to use a provisional ballot, Quidilla said. If that doesn't work, the voter may only cast a provisional ballot in the precinct in which they live and if they fill out a registration affidavit.
A second check is conducted within three days to determine if a voter is properly registered. If not, the ballot is thrown out.
Advertiser staff writer Johnny Brannon and Washington Bureau writer Frank Oliveri contributed to this report. Reach Gordon Y.K. Pang at gpang@honoluluadvertiser.com or at 525-8070.
