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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, September 9, 2008

40% expected to cast early ballot in Hawaii's primary election

Photo gallery: Absentee Voting Begins

By Gordon Y.K. Pang
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Walk-in voting booths opened yesterday at City Hall for the primary and will continue until Sept. 18. See more photos at HONOLULUADVERTISER.COM.

DEBORAH BOOKER | The Honolulu Advertiser

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EARLY VOTING OPEN

Early voting for the state's primary election began yesterday and will continue through Sept. 18 at these walk-in sites (be sure to bring picture ID):

City & County of Honolulu

  • Honolulu Hale, 530 S. King St., Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

  • University of Hawai'i Campus Center, Room 306, Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

  • Aiea Shopping Center, Suite 246 (Middle level), Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

  • Kapolei Hale, 1000 Ulu'ohia St., Conference Room A & B, Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

  • Windward Mall, across from Farrell's, Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

    County of Kaua'i

    Historic County Annex, 4386 Rice St., Lihu'e (next to the Historic County Building), Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

    County of Maui

    The Wailuku and Lahaina early vote sites have all ballot types. The Moloka'i site has ballot types for that island only.

  • Office of the County Clerk, 200 S. High St., #708, Wailuku, Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m.4 p.m.

  • Lahaina Civic Center, 1840 Honoapi'ilani Highway, Monday-Friday, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m.; Sept. 18 only, 9:30 a.m.- 3 p.m. (Last day for this location is Oct. 31, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m.)

  • Moloka'i, Mitchell Pauole Center, 90 Ainoa St., Kaunakakai, conference room, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. (closed noon- 1 p.m.) Saturday, 8 a.m.-noon; Sept. 18 only, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. (closed noon-1 p.m.) (Last day for this location is Oct. 31, 8 a.m.-3 p.m.; closed noon-1 p.m.)

    County of Hawai'i

    The Hilo Elections Division early vote site has all ballot types. All other sites have only the ballot types for their area. Hawai'i County voters should call the County Clerk's Elections Division at 808-961-8277 for information.

  • Elections Division, Hilo Iron Works Building, 1266 Kamehameha Ave., #A-1, Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

  • Waimea Community Center, 65-1260 Kawaihae Road, Kamuela, Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; Friday: 9 a.m.4 p.m.

  • Kona Elections Satellite Office, Alii Plaza Building, 75-143 Hualalai Road, #103, Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

  • Pahala Community Center, 96-1149 Kamani St., Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. (closed noon-1 p.m.)

  • North Kohala District Courthouse, 54-3900 Akoni Pule Highway, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.- 3 p.m. (closed noon1 p.m.)

  • Pahoa Elections Satellite Office, 15-2660 Pahoa Village Road, #104 (Near Pahoa Market Place), Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

    TO VOTE BY MAIL

    1. Complete an application for absentee voter ballot.

    Applications are available at:

  • Satellite city halls

  • Office of the city/county clerks

  • U.S. post offices

  • All public libraries

  • All state agencies

    2. Mail or drop off the completed application at the office of the city or county clerk by Sept 13. You will receive your ballot and instructions on how to vote your ballot by mail.

    ON THE WEB

    For more information: http://hawaii.gov/elections/

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    KAPOLEI — Absentee voting for the Sept. 20 primary started yesterday, and if recent trends continue, nearly 40 percent of voters will cast their ballot before election day.

    In the 2006 primary, 102,349 voters or 37 percent of all those casting ballots used either an absentee mail-in or walk-in ballots.

    "We anticipate the trend will continue," said Rex Quidilla, voter services section chief for the state Office of Elections. Mail-in ballots are especially popular, Quidilla added.

    "A lot of people have busy schedules or just seem to appreciate the convenience of making their decisions and casting their votes at home," he said.

    Walk-in voting booths statewide were relatively quiet yesterday. The City and County of Honolulu only saw about 550 voters come through the doors at its five absentee walk-in locations. On the Big Island, there were 464 votes cast, and 150 voters showed up at the two Maui locations.

    Office of Elections statistics show 667,647 voters statewide registered in time for the primary, up less than 2 percent from the number registered to vote in the 2006 primary. That gain is significantly smaller than the nearly 5 percent increase from the 2004 to 2006 primary.

    And, despite the publicity surrounding the Honolulu mayoral race, most of the heavier gains are occurring on the Neighbor Islands such as Hawai'i County (up 6 percent) and Maui County (up 3 percent). The City and County of Honolulu registered less than a 1 percent gain over 2006.

    The deadline to register for the primary was Aug. 21, although those who voted in any 2006 election are automatically registered to vote in any election this year. The deadline to register for the general election is Oct. 6.

    One thing O'ahu absentee walk-in voters will notice is that electronic voter machines are more prevalent than in the past. Glen Takahashi, the city's election administrator, said only electronic machines will be available to absentee walk-in voters who show up at the Kapolei Hale, Aiea Shopping Center and University of Hawai'i-Manoa Campus Center locations.

    Election officials also prefer the electronic system, Quidilla said. The machines don't allow for overvotes, which occur when someone incorrectly punches more than one vote, or more than one party ballot in the primary, he said.

    Additionally, it's easier for a voter to correct mistakes before turning in final selections, Quidilla said.

    PAPER VS. ELECTRONIC

    Those wishing to conduct absentee walk-in voting on O'ahu and who want to fill in a more traditional paper ballot can only do so at Honolulu Hale or Windward Mall, Takahashi said.

    The change was made because voters are getting more used to electronic machines, which take up less space, Takahashi said.

    On election day, there will be both electronic and paper balloting systems in place at all precincts. Despite the uptick in those using electronic ballots, the total number of those actually using them will only amount to about 10 percent of all votes cast, Quidilla said.

    Takahashi advised those thinking about absentee walk-in voting to do so immediately.

    "We're encouraging people to go this week because next week the lines start to form," he said. The deadline to vote via absentee walk-in is Sept. 18, or two days before the actual election day.

    About 50 voters showed up yesterday at the absentee voter center at Kapolei Hale.

    LIKING THE CONVENIENCE

    Several of those interviewed by The Advertiser as they left said they were pleased at the ease of walking in and out of an uncrowded electronic voting booth.

    Michelle Kemp, 36, said she voted absentee walk-in for the first time because she is due to give birth on Nov. 8 and doesn't want to take any chances.

    "I wanted to get it done," said Kemp, a Makakilo stay-at-home mother. "I'm not very political, but this year I think it's a little more important," she said, citing the presidential and mayoral elections.

    The ease with which she got in and out of the voting booth yesterday means she'll do absentee walk-in voting again, she said.

    Deborah Sakamoto, 55, said she will be unavailable to go to her precinct on primary election day, and typically votes via absentee walk-in anyway because of the ease and convenience.

    Sakamoto said no one issue or race is driving her to the ballot booth this year.

    "I vote every time because it's a privilege," said Sakamoto, a Gentry Waipi'o resident who works as an executive assistant at a Kapolei office.

    Reach Gordon Y.K. Pang at gpang@honoluluadvertiser.com.