It has been six years since Hawaii officially launched the mail-in ballot system statewide. The transition to vote-by-mail boosted the state’s voter turnout to the highest since 1994. With the 2026 Primary Election just around the corner, this is the fourth time Hawaii is voting by mail.
In this article, we will guide you through step-by-step from learning about candidates to casting your votes in the ballot in the August 8, 2026 Primary Election.
Learn about the candidates
Treat your vote like you are preparing for an exam. Review your values and priorities. Read about candidates and their platforms. Find the platform that resonates with you and vote for the candidate that supports the plans and goals you want to see in your community and district. Reading up on your district’s candidates will help you cast your vote.
In this month’s Hawaii Filipino Chronicle regular and supplement issues, we tackle various topics relating to the upcoming election. Our supplement edition cover story features Filipino American candidates running for positions in Hawaii public office.
Voter eligibility
Now that you have decided on your candidates, let’s check your voter eligibility.
To register to vote, you must be a U.S. citizen, a Hawaii resident, and at least 18 years old. Prepare your Hawaii Driver’s License or Hawaii State ID and your Social Security Number, then head to https://olvr.hawaii.gov/. You can also check your voter registration status and confirm your voter registration address on the same website.
It’s not required to confirm registration every year if you already voted before, but it’s your responsibility to keep your voter registration updated when there are changes in your name, residence, or mailing address between elections. This ensures that the mail-in ballots are addressed and delivered to the correct person at the correct residence.
Mail-in ballot voting
Here are four easy and important steps you need to know about voting by mail.
1. The ballot is automatically sent to the mailing address indicated in your voter registration.
2. The mail-in ballot arrives 18 days before Primary Election Day on August 8. Starting July 21, you can expect the ballot to arrive in your mail.
3. Your signature on the return envelope is required for your ballot to be counted. The mail ballot packet consists of the ballot, a secrecy sleeve, and a prepaid postage return ballot envelope. Shade the circle next to your candidate’s name on the ballot, then fold the ballot and place it in the secrecy sleeve. Put the whole thing back into the return ballot envelope and make sure to write your signature on the envelope.
4. The mail-in ballot should be received by your County Elections Division by 7 pm on Primary Election Day, August 8. Once you receive your ballot in the mail, it’s best to cast your vote as soon as you can to ensure that you reach the deadline on Election Day. There are official drop box locations within your county. Look for the big orange box with large text written on it: “OFFICIAL BALLOT DROP BOX.” To find the drop box near you, visit https://elections.hawaii.gov/voter-service-centers-and-places-of-deposit/.
In-person voting
Similar to previous elections, the Voter Service Centers will be open 10 business days before Election Day, which will offer in-person voting and same-day registration. For the Primary Election, the offices will be open from July 27 to August 8. For the list of locations and office hours, visit https://elections.hawaii.gov/voter-service-centers-and-places-of-deposit/.
Your vote matters
Once your return mail ballot is received, the County Elections Division will verify your signature on the return envelope to confirm your identity, and then the vote will be counted. If the envelope doesn’t have a signature, your ballot is void and not counted.
Once your mail ballot is scanned, verified, and counted, you will not be able to vote in person. If you voted in person, your mail ballot packet will not be accepted. In this way, vote duplicates are avoided.
For more information about voting in Hawaii, visit https://elections.hawaii.gov.
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