The general election’s 48% voter turnout was about 10% higher than the primary, according to summaries from the Office of Elections. Although the results were encouraging, the turnout for Hawaii’s past two general elections was higher at nearly 70% in 2020 and 52% in 2018.

There may be many reasons for this year’s lower turnout. Some may still be adjusting to our state’s mail-in ballot system. Others may have gotten caught up in the busyness of life and forgot to submit their ballot in time. Still others may have wanted to vote in person, but didn’t want to wait in the long lines on Election Day.

Yet, there is a gnawing sense there may also be a deeper underlying issue. If voter turnout is a barometer of the public’s trust in government and their confidence that their vote makes a difference, we have room for improvement.

Hawaii is not alone. The American Bar Association’s 2022 Survey of Civic Literacy, which evaluated voter sentiment and behavior in a nationwide survey, noted that among those who said they did not vote regularly, nearly a third (31%) said their vote “doesn’t make a difference.”

Restoring trust in government is a nationwide issue. Last December, President Joe Biden issued “Executive Order on Transforming Federal Customer Experience and Service Delivery to Rebuild Trust in Government,” urging federal agencies to equitably and effectively design and deliver services for all people, including those who have been historically underserved.

The executive order may have been overshadowed by the Infrastructure Improvement and Jobs Act or the Inflation Reduction Act, perhaps because rebuilding trust in government did not have the same appeal as messages about job creation, climate action and solutions for businesses. However, as the executive order noted, the annual paperwork burden imposed by federal government agencies exceeds nine billion hours annually, tantamount to a “time tax” that all taxpayers must bear.

We can apply this to our own state. Efforts to modernize our government, based on feedback from Hawaii residents, can renew our hope. When our voices are heard and we can effect positive change, our trust in government and democratic processes will be restored. This will strengthen the foundation for better civic engagement, policymaking, and program development.

Modernization makes government more responsive and effective. This requires investment in people, processes and information technology. Replacing our state’s antiquated legacy systems that have limited functionality alone will not create change.

We must empower state employees with new skills, enhance data governance standards, further streamline government processes, and reinforce a culture of service. These changes will provide the environment necessary to make timelier decisions to better serve the public, with policies and programs that represent the needs of communities across our islands. And they must be done without compromising security and privacy.

Hawaii is poised for more change. Based on the results of a poll commissioned by Transform Hawai‘i Government in August 2021, 60% of Hawaii voters either strongly (35%) or somewhat (25%) support using state tax revenue to increase and upgrade the state government’s infrastructure so the public can have better online access to state agencies and services, while only a quarter (24%) oppose it either strongly (14%) or somewhat (10%).

The public expects government to be responsive, efficient, accessible, proactive, user-friendly and to operate with aloha. These are the qualities we all want from government. With all of the right components and collaboration, we can make sure everyone in Hawaii thrives. Transform Hawai‘i Government is committed to partnering with our state’s new government leaders to ensure government modernization remains a priority.

Christine Maii Sakuda is the executive director of Transform Hawai‘i Government.