Listed below is information about voter registration, Hawaii elections, and how to vote. All Hawaii elections are conducted by mail. The State of Hawaii Office of Elections in Pearl City is responsible for candidate filing, handling of ballots, and voter education.
How to register to vote in Hawaii
Once you are a registered voter, you do not need to re-register again for any election. However, do keep your registration up-to-date with correct mailing address, or any other changes.
- To be eligible to vote in Hawaii, you must be a U.S. citizen, a resident of the State of Hawaii, and at least eighteen (18) years of age.
- Register for the first time online or locally through your election office. Unlike some states, in Hawaii you do not register by political party.
- Automatic Voter Registration is available through DMV when completing a driver license or State ID application.
- Voter registration is also included when applying to receive public assistance with the Department of Health and Department of Human Services programs.
- To ensure you receive your ballot on time, be sure to update your registration if anything has changed.
- In Hawaii, rather than a “voter card”, you receive a notice in the mail every election year that serves as your confirmation that you are registered to vote. You can also check your registration online at any time. More info: Office of Elections | Registration (elections.hawaii.gov)
National Voter Registration Day
National Voter Registration Day every September is a nonpartisan civic holiday celebrating our democracy. Volunteers across the country work to create broad awareness of voter registration opportunities to ensure every eligible voter has the opportunity to vote. More info: National Voter Registration Day
When are elections held
Hawaii conducts statewide elections in even-numbered years. The primary election is held on the second Saturday in August and the general election is held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
Hawaii voters do not declare a political affiliation with the voter registration pursuant to the Hawaii State Constitution, ensuring every voter’s right to secrecy.
Primary Election (2nd Saturday in August, even-numbered years): nominates candidates to represent political parties in the general election. On the primary election ballot, voters must first select a political affiliation and then vote for candidates of the political affiliation of their choice only. Voters may also vote for candidates for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and county contests regardless of party affiliation.
- The next primary election is August 10, 2024. Voted ballots must be received by 7:00pm by the County Elections Division or placed in an official deposit box.
Note: Hawaii does not conduct a presidential preference primary. The political parties independently conduct presidential caucuses to nominate candidates for president and vice-president. For information on how to participate in the party-run presidential caucuses, contact the qualified political parties directly.
General Election (1st Tuesday after 1st Monday in November, even-numbered years): voters may vote for the candidate of their choice regardless of political affiliation. Voters will select federal, state, county, and Office of Hawaiian Affairs candidates, as well as State Constitutional Amendments and/or Charter Amendments.
- The next presidential election will be November 5, 2024. An election for president of the United States happens every four years on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
- The next presidential inauguration is scheduled to be on January 20, 2025. Inauguration Day occurs every four years on January 20 (or January 21 if January 20 falls on a Sunday). The inauguration ceremony takes place at the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, DC.
All voters registered in Hawaii will automatically receive their ballot in the mail approximately eighteen (18) days prior to an election. Ballots are sent to the mailing address provided with the voter’s voter registration.
More info: Voting in Hawaii (elections.hawaii.gov)
About the Electoral College
When voters cast their vote for president and vice president, they are actually choosing electors as defined by the U.S. constitution. The “Electoral College” refers to the body of electors who meet after the presidential election to formally elect the next president and vice president of the United States.
“It’s a Process, not a Place!”
The Founding Fathers established the electoral process in the Constitution, in part, as a compromise between the election of the President by a vote in Congress and election of the President by a popular vote of qualified citizens.
There are 538 electors nationwide for each presidential election. This number is equal to the total voting membership of the United States Congress: 435 U.S. Representatives, 100 U.S. Senators, and 3 electors from the District of Columbia. Each state is allocated a number of electors equal to the number of its U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives. Hawaii has four (4) electoral votes.
The Electoral College meets after every Presidential election on the 1st Tuesday after the 2nd Wednesday in December.
The next Electoral College will be held on December 17, 2024, 2:00 p.m. The chosen electors in each state meet to cast their votes for president and vice president and send them to the President of the Senate.
President of the Senate reads the votes before a joint session of Congress on January 6. The presidential ticket with the majority of electoral votes is declared president and vice president.
If no candidate receives a majority of electoral votes (i.e. 270 out of 538), the U.S. House of Representatives elects the president from the three (3) presidential candidates who received the most electoral votes. If the U.S. House of Representatives fails to elect a president by Inauguration Day, the vice-president-elect serves as acting president until the deadlock is resolved in House.
Many different proposals to alter the electoral process have been proposed over the years (such as election by popular vote, eliminating the electoral process). However, such a change would require a Constitutional amendment. To date, no proposal has been successfully ratified as a Constitutional amendment.
More info: The Electoral College | National Archives
How to complete your ballot
All Hawaii elections are conducted by mail. The packet includes a return envelope, a secrecy sleeve, and your ballot. Review your ballot instructions, candidates, and other issues. Vote your preferences. For more information, check out these voter resources:
- Find the candidates and ballot associated with your street address: Find your candidates and ballot issues (olvr.hawaii.gov)
- Thru Nov 4, 2024: Civil Beat political candidate surveys 2024
Return your completed, signed, and sealed ballot to the County Elections Divisions by 7:00 PM on Election Day or it cannot be counted. Postmarks will not be accepted. To return your signed and sealed ballot:
- Drop your ballot into the mail as soon as possible. You do not need to add postage. If you are uncertain if your mailed ballot will be received by the 7:00pm deadline on Election Day, return your voted ballot to a drop box.
- Return your ballot to a ballot drop box within your county. List of ballot drop box locations: Voter Service Centers and Ballot Drop Boxes (hawaii.gov)
Check on the status of your ballot on BallotTrax or by contacting your County Elections Division:
2024 Hawaii Election Dates
- Primary: Saturday, August 10, 2024
- General: Tuesday, November 5, 2024.
- More information about the upcoming 2024 Hawaii Election from Honolulu Civil Beat
Depositphotos_126011720_L Your Vote Counts
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Listed below are all types of free and affordable things to do in the next 30 days across the Hawaiʻi Pae ʻĀina.
Featured Events are listed first each day, highlighted by a photo. These are unique, popular, or annual events that we or our advertisers don’t want you to overlook.
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