Maui Voters Head to the Polls: Voting Open Until 6 p.m.

Maui polling place, file photo by Wendy Osher.

By Wendy Osher

***Check back here at Maui Now for results, which will be posted as they become available, with a focus on Maui County. 

The state’s 232 polling places opened as planned today with no major problems reported by mid-day.

Here in Maui County, there are a total of 34 polling places and 87,327 registered voters.

Polls close at 6 p.m., and the first results, which traditionally include walk-in and absentee votes, are usually released within an hour or two after polls close.

Early walk-in and absentee voting on Maui totaled 18,364 according to reports on KHON2 and the Maui News.

Statewide, total voter registration is 706,890.

Hot races on the General Election ballot include the race for governor, which features: State Senator David Ige and running mate Lieutenant Governor Shan Tsutsui on the Democratic ticket; James “Duke” Aiona and running mate Elwin Ahu on the Republican ticket; Mufi Hannemann and running mate Les Chang on running as Independents; and Jeff Davis and running mate Cynthia “Lahi” Marlin running on the Libertarian ticket.

The candidates are seeking to fill the post of Governor Neil Abercrombie, who lost the democratic party nomination during the August primary election.

On Maui, highlights include the Mayor’s race between Alan Arakawa and Tamara Paltin, seven contested Maui County Council Races, and two uncontested races for council.

Aside from the candidate races, there were five constitutional amendment questions, two county charter questions for Maui County, and the voter initiative dealing with the proposed moratorium on GMO cultivation and reproduction in Maui County.

On the Big Island of Hawaiʻi all polling places in District 4 opened this morning, despite contingency plans made in preparation for the advance of the June 27 lava flow in Pāhoa.

Voters assigned to the Pāhoa Community Center have the option to vote at either the Pāhoa Community Center (precinct 04-03) or Hawaiian Paradise Park Community Center (precinct 04-01).  The Pāhoa Community Center precinct has a total precinct registration of 3,378 voters.