Maui Election

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees elected Trustee Kaialiʻi Kahele as board chair on Wednesday. Kahele succeeds Trustee Carmen “Hulu” Lindsey of Maui who has served as chair for the past four years. The board and administration recognized and thanked Lindsey for her service as board chair.

Former Maui County Council Chair Kelly T. King and 30 Maui County voters have filed an election contest with the Hawai’i Supreme Court seeking to void the results of the South Maui County Council race and to order the holding of a new election.

The two candidates were separated by fewer than 100 votes in the closest Maui County Council contest of the election. With no recount triggered and the deadline for cured ballots passed, the only other option is a legal challenge.

298 Maui County voters cured deficiencies with their ballot envelopes. Results were updated by the State Office of Elections at 7:10 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024 and are posted below. The slim margin in the South Maui Council race narrowed from 117 votes after the third printout to 97 votes in the final summary report, with incumbent Tom Cook defeating Kelly Takaya King.

Two charter amendments passed with nearly 60% of the vote. The third, which proposed consecutive terms for board members with no waiting period, was narrowly defeated.

Maui County voters who received notification of an issue with their ballot return envelope for the this year’s General Election have until 4:30 p.m. Nov. 13 to fix the issue so that their ballot may be counted.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs, a semi-autonomous state agency, is made up of nine elected officials who serve four-year terms.

The Associated Press reported Trump cleared the necessary 270 electoral college votes to become the nation’s 47th commander-in-chief with 277 after a victory in Wisconsin. Incumbents US Sen. Mazie Hirono and US Congresswoman Jill Tokuda win re-election in the 2024 Hawai’i General Election.

University of Hawai‘i political science professor says it’s essentially a choice between a steady approach to county government or a less conventional but untested approach, with the appeal of each depending on whether voters think their needs are being met by incumbent Mitch Roth’s administration or if they’re ready to take a chance and go a new direction with challenger Kimo Alameda.

The state Office of Elections released the final results of the 2024 elections for Hawaiʻi voters. The final printout was posted by the State Office of Elections at 7:10 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024 after voters had a chance to cure deficiencies with their ballot envelopes. Results from the 2024 Hawaiʻi General Election are being posed here as they become available, with a focus on races impacting Maui County.

All voters are reminded that voting closes at 7 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. Voters must be in line at a voter service center, or their voted ballots must be received by the deadline, not postmarked, to be counted. A list of voter service centers and ballot drop box locations and hours for Maui can be found here.

At 18 years old, I now have the right and privilege to persuade and influence through the power of my vote.

County of Maui offices, including the Office of Recovery – West Maui at Lahaina Gateway and the Recovery Permit Center at the County of Maui Service Center in Kahului, will be closed on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, for the Election Day holiday.

Ahead of the general election on Nov. 5, hundreds of ʻōpio, kamaʻāina and first-time voters took part this week in “Walk to the Box” events in Wailuku, Honolulu and Hilo, waving signs and walking together to drop off their ballots at voting centers. The events were organized by Our Kaiāulu Votes, a coalition of schools and community organizations striving to inspire voter participation across Hawai‘i. 

Even with the political factions that have split the council in recent years, candidates on both sides of the aisle are cautious when it comes to the mayor’s proposal of completely phasing out short-term rentals.

The proposed amendments address the need for full-time staffing of the Board of Ethics; make it easier for people to serve a second term on county boards and commissions; and better define the role of the Salary Commission.

Maui County’s voters can expect to receive their General Election ballot packages starting Oct. 18.

The Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation reminds everyone that installation of signs visible from state highways that do not fall under the exempted categories defined in Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes Chapter 264, Part V is unlawful. This includes, but is not limited to, posting of political campaign signs on overpasses, fencing, signposts and poles.

The Maui Hotel & Lodging Association held a candidate meet-and-greet event on Oct. 9 at the Maui Bay Villas, Hilton Grand Vacations in Kīhei.

The West Maui Taxpayers’ Association released its endorsements for the Nov. 5 general election.