Today is the Primary Election Day in Hawaiʻi: Voting reminders

Today is Primary Election Day across the state of Hawaiʻi. The election runs from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024.

Voter service centers provide accessible in-person voting, same day voter registration, and collection of voted ballots. The Voter Service Center at the Velma McWayne Santos Community Center, located at 395 Waena St. in Wailuku is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. today, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024. Thereʻs also a VSC in operation at the Lahaina Civic Center (1840 Honoapiʻilani Highway) and at the Mitchell Pauʻole Center on Molokaʻi (90 Ainoa Street) and  Filipino Clubhouse on Lānaʻi (450 Jacaranda Street). Full information is available online here. All VSCs are open until 7 p.m.

Additionally, voters may drop off their completed ballots at a conveniently located official ballot dropboxes. Ballot Drop Boxes are established for voters to drop off their voted mail ballot packet to be collected by the County Elections Division. On Maui, open facility/park hours are until 7 p.m. on Aug. 10, 2024. Drop box locations open today on Maui include the following: (Additional information is posted here).

The majority of results in the first printout traditionally includes votes received by the county elections division from the places of deposit or the mail. A subsequent printout usually includes all of the in-person voting, but depends on how long the lines are at voter service centers on Election Day. Additional mail-in ballots may be added at that time. The election night final report comes out as each county finishes processing.  This is a staggered release that includes everything validated by the County elections division at the end of election night.  

Uncontested races and candidates who win their primary will advance to the General Election. The General Election takes place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Nov. 5, 2024.

On Maui, uncontested incumbent candidates from the council include Maui County Council Members Shane Sinenci of East Maui and Gabe Johnson of Lāna‘i. They will be re-elected to their respective seats this year and do not appear on the primary ballot.

Sen. Troy Hashimoto of Central Maui is also uncontested for his 5th District Senate seat, and District 9 Rep. Justin Woodson has no opponent.

In the race for the Maui County Council’s South Maui residency seat, first-term incumbent Council Member Tom Cook faces former Council Member Kelly King, who gave up the seat in 2022 to run for mayor. Also in the South Maui Council race is first-time candidate Johnny Prones, a Kīhei resident.

Highlights as outlined in previous Maui Now election coverage are detailed below.

Other County Council races this election cycle include the following:

• West Maui:
  • Incumbent Council Member Tamara Paltin.
  • Lahaina resident Lorien Acquintas.
• Kahului:
  • Incumbent Council Member Tasha Kama.
  • Kahului resident Carol Lee Kamekona.
• Makawao-Haʻikū-Pāʻia:
  • Incumbent Council Member Nohe Uʻu-Hodgins.
  • Haʻikū resident Nara Boone.
• Upcountry:
  • Incumbent Council Member Yuki Lei Sugimura.
  • Pukalani resident Edward Codelia.
  • Makawao resident Jocelyn Cruz.
• Molokaʻi:
  • Incumbent Council Member Keani Rawlins-Fernandez.
  • Maunaloa resident John Pele.
• Wailuku-Waiheʻe-Waikapū:
  • Council Chair Alice Lee.
  • Wailuku resident James Forrest.
• East Maui:
  • Incumbent Council Member Shane Sinenci, unopposed.
• Lāna‘i:
  • Incumbent Council Member Gabe Johnson, unopposed.

State House races:

• District 9 (Kahului, Pu‘unēnē, portion of Wailuku):
  • Democrat Rep. Justin Woodson, unopposed.
• District 10: (Portion of Waiehu, Paukūkalo, Wailuku, Wailuku Heights and Waikapū):
  • Democrat Rep. Tyson Miyake.
  • Democrat Jeremiah Savage of Wailuku.
• District 11 (A portion of Mā‘alaea and all of Kīhei, Keawakapu, Wailea, Mākena, Kanahena and Keone‘ōio):
  • Democrat Rep. Terez Amato.
  • Republican Aileen Acain of Kīhei.
• District 12 (A portion of Keahua and all of Hāliʻimaile, Pukalani, Makawao, Pūlehu, Waiakoa, Kula, Kēōkea and ʻUlupalakua):
  • Democrat Rep. Kyle Yamashita.
  • Republican Dan Johnson of Pukalani.
  • Green Party member Rita Ryan of Makawao.
• District 13 (Moloka‘i, Lāna‘i, Kaho‘olawe, portion of Kahului, Ha‘ikū, Pe‘ahi, Huelo, Nāhiku, Hāna, Kīpahulu):
  • Democrat Rep. Mahina Poepoe.
  • Democrat Linda Haʻi Clark of Kula.
  • Republican Scott Adam of Ha‘ikū. 
• District 14 (Kahakuloa, Waihe‘e, portions of Waiehu and Mā‘alaea, Olowalu, Lahaina, Lahainaluna, Kā‘anapali, Māhinahina Camp, Kahana and Honokahua):
  • Democrat Rep. Elle Cochran.
  • Democrat Kanamu Balinbin of Lahaina.
  • Republican Kelly Armstrong of Lahaina.

Senate contests:

• District 5 (Wailuku, Kahului, Waihe‘e, Waikapu Mauka, Wai‘ehu):
  • Democrat Sen. Troy Hashimoto, uncontested.
• District 6 (West Maui, Mā‘alaea, Waikapū and South Maui):
  • Democrat Sen. Angus McKelvey.
  • Republican Sheila Walker of Kīhei.
• District 7 (Hāna, East Maui, Upcountry, Moloka‘i and Lāna‘i):
  • Democrat Sen. Lynn DeCoite.
  • Republican Gabby Macaraeg of Kula.

Also, Republican Steven Bond of Kula filed nomination papers to seek the US representative District II seat currently held by Congresswoman Jill Tokuda of Kāneʻohe.