Confused about voting today in Maui County or mailed the ballot too late? These tips help

With a handful of people showing up after Maui’s only voter service center in Wailuku closed at 4:30 p.m. Friday, some said they were confused about hours and drop-off locations for this year’s Primary Elections, which closes tonight at 7.

Also, some residents wondered what would happen if they put their ballots in the mail too late and it doesn’t arrive to the county Office of the County Clerk by the 7 p.m. deadline. 

It’s the second election season that mail-in ballots are being used, along with few in-person voter centers, which are unofficially called precincts.

All ballots must be received by 7 p.m. Saturday or they will not count. As of Thursday, the county’s Office of the County Clerk processed 25,050 mail ballots.

Maui Now has compiled tips for voting last minute during this year’s Primary Elections. Information is from the county Office of the County Clerk interviews and from the county Elections Division website.

STILL HAVE YOUR MAIL-IN BALLOT AND WANT TO DROP IT OFF TODAY?

You may drop off completed, signed mail-in ballots on Saturday at any one of the three voter service centers in the county: Maui’s Velma McWayne Santos Community Center in Wailuku, Moloka’i’s Mitchell Pauole Center Conference Room in Kaunakakai and Lānaʻi Community Center in Lānaʻi City. 

Or, you may drop them off at an Official Ballot Drop Box. Locations are Haʻikū Community Center, Hāna Fire Station, Kahului Fire Station, Kalana O Maui County Building, Kula Fire Station, Lahaina Civic Center 1, Makawao Fire Station, Nāpili Fire Station, Pāʻia Community Center and Wailea Fire Station. 

Today’s voter service center hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Wailuku, Lānaʻi City and Kaunakakai. The Official Ballot Drop Boxes are open 24 hours and close at 7 tonight. 

DID YOU MAIL YOUR BALLOT ON WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY OR FRIDAY AND YOU’RE WORRIED IT WON’T ARRIVE IN TIME?

James Krueger, deputy county clerk, said for anyone who mailed their ballots on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, there is a chance it may not make it to the Office of the County Clerk by the 7 p.m. deadline Saturday. 

All ballots must be received by that time in order to be counted. So he suggests first checking the status of the ballot online, then going in to a voter service center to cancel the ballot and cast a new one. 

“If a voter wants to be safe, they should call us at (808) 270-7749 or visit https://hawaii.ballottrax.net/voter/ to confirm the status of their ballot,” he said.  “Voters can also visit one of our Voter Service Centers, at which they can cancel their mail ballot if we have not received it yet and then vote at the center.”

LOST OR MESSED UP YOUR BALLOT OR JUST PREFER VOTING IN PERSON?

You may visit the voter service center today. Officials anticipate it will be the busiest day, but not too crowded. They suggest coming early to avoid the heat.

Today’s voter service center hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Maui’s Velma McWayne Santos Community Center in Wailuku, Moloka’i’s Mitchell Pauole Center Conference Room in Kaunakakai and Lānaʻi’s Lānaʻi Community Center in Lānaʻi City.

If you are not registered to vote, the last day to submit paper voter registration applications for the 2022 Primary Election was Aug. 3.