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.