Fewer than half of registered voters in Hawaii turned out to vote, whether by mail, drop box or in person, during Saturday’s primary election, according to data from the state Office of Elections.
In the latest tally there were 853,874 registered voters in Hawaii, with 338,477, or 39.6%, who turned out to vote in this year’s primary election. That leaves 515,397 registered voters in Hawaii who did not vote.
Of those who voted, the majority, 38.5%, did so by mail, while 1.1% did so in person. Of the 9,322 people who opted to vote in person, the majority, 5,997, belonged to the Republican Party.
The turnout this year was lower than for the primary in 2020, when 51.2% of registered voters turned out, in part to make their opinions known about the U.S. presidential election. This year’s turnout was only slightly better than the 2018 primary, when 38.6% of registered voters turned out, according to statistics from the state Office of Elections.
Sandy Ma, executive director of Common Cause Hawaii, a grassroots group dedicated to upholding the core values of American democracy, said the numbers are disappointing, considering that mail-in voting was supposed to increase voter turnout.
“It’s just so sad,” said Ma. “I don’t know if more voter service centers would have helped, but it’s a sad number given so many key races are up for election.”
Due to a 2019 change in Hawaii election law, voting by mail was enacted across all counties while eliminating most traditional polling places.
Voters this year should have received their primary mail-in ballots by July 26, and voter service centers opened for in-person voting Aug. 1. On Saturday, voters had until 7 p.m. to drop off ballots at drop boxes or vote in person at one of the centers.
Common Cause on Monday urged election officials to add more voter service centers ahead of the November election to improve accessibility, saying Hawaii has been in desperate need of more since the 2020 general election.
The group cited the situation on Maui, which offered only one voting location in Wailuku on Saturday, as an example.
The sole center on Maui was plagued by long lines Saturday, when voters there began lining up prior to the 7 a.m. opening, the group said. These lines continued throughout the day in the hot sun, which created tensions leading to an altercation that required authorities to be called.
What followed on Maui, the group said, was nearly identical to the long lines in 2020 that made it difficult to cast a ballot in person, causing hours-long delays.
Common Cause also questioned why the Maui Elections Division added an in-person voting location in Hana prior to primary day but closed it on Saturday without explanation.
On Oahu, Ma said there were also some pop-up voter service centers open prior to Saturday but which were then closed on primary election day itself.
“This doesn’t have to keep happening,” said Ma in a news release. “Neither the people of Maui nor any Hawaii citizen should have to wait hours to cast their vote in person at the ballot box to make their voices heard. Democracy in Hawaii only works when it’s accessible to everyone.”
Some neighborhoods with traditionally lower voter turnout tend to be lower-income, she said, or lack public transportation to established voter service centers. There are also some rural areas in Hawaii County that do not get routine regular mail service.
“Adding more places to vote makes participating in our democracy easier for everyone,” said Ma, “including Native Hawaiians and disadvantaged communities, and would make a drastic difference in long wait times. Voting by mail was to help make voting more accessible — not less.”
The fourth printout on Monday added about 1,900 ballots that county officials had to review for matching signatures that were delivered late Sunday, according to Nedielyn Bueno, spokesperson for the state Office of Elections.
By law, voters have up to five business days post-election to resolve issues such as missing or mismatched signatures on return ballot envelopes.
Common Cause urged election officials to “course-correct” and add more voter service centers ahead of the Nov. 8 general election.
Based on need, the group suggests that they be added in Waianae, Nanakuli, Ewa Beach, Pearl City, Laie and Waimanalo on Oahu; in Hana, Lahaina, Kihei and Makawao on Maui; in Poipu and Anahola on Kauai; and in Pahoa, Waimea, Volcano and Honokaa on Hawaii island.
“They have that latitude to open more voter service centers,” said Ma. “They definitely do.”
BY THE NUMBERS
Hawaii primary election 2022
853,874
Total registration
338,477
(39.6%) Total turnout
329,155
(38.5%) Mail turnout
9,322
(1.1%) In-person turnout
Source: State Office of Elections
