The Democratic Presidential Primary Election for the State of Hawai‘i is coming up on April 4, and if you’re left wondering How do I sign up for that again? – well, chances are you missed a deadline. The last day to register for the first mailing of ballots to vote for the candidate you’d most like to see take on President Donald Trump and lead the United States was on Tuesday, Feb. 18.
But don’t worry! If you’re eager to cast your vote in the crowded race for the Democratic nominee, you can still participate in this year’s Democratic Presidential Primary.
Registered voters who were also members of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i by Feb. 18 should get ballots in the mail around Mar. 2, according to the party’s state plan for delegate selection. You can check or update your voter registration at Olvr.hawaii.gov, by visiting the Kalana O Maui (County) Building on High Street, or by calling 808-453-VOTE (8683). Be prepared to provide state ID or driver’s license information, address, date of birth, and social security number.
According to its site, the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i doesn’t do individual checks of membership status, but voters unsure of their standing can fill out the form at Hidems.org/join. It’s free, and unregistered individuals will be added to the roster; if you’ve already registered, your information will simply be updated. Those registered to vote and as a member of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i by Mar. 8 will be included in a supplemental mailing of ballots around Mar. 11.
Anyone missing the Mar. 8 deadline will have to vote in person on Apr. 4, when there will be same-day voter registration and Democratic Party sign-ups at polling locations. On Maui, those locations are at the ILWU Union Hall 896 on Lower Main St. in Wailuku, ILWU Union Hall 840 on Waineʻe St. in Lahaina, and Hana High and Elementary School at 4111 Hana Hwy. Polling stations will be open from 7am until 3pm, and voters must be at least 18 years old by Nov. 3, 2020 (Election Day).
The candidates on the Democratic Presidential Primary ballot in Hawai‘i were finalized in January and include Michael Bennet, Joe Biden, Michael Bloomberg, Pete Buttigieg, John Delaney, Tulsi Gabbard, Amy Klobuchar, Deval Patrick, Bernie Sanders, Tom Steyer, Elizabeth Warren, and Andrew Yang. Voters will select their top three picks in ranked-choice style voting. Ballots with votes for candidates who have dropped from the race will count for the next ranked choice.
In 2016, Bernie Sanders received 70 percent of the vote in the Party-Run Presidential Primary compared to Hillary Clinton’s 30 percent. The Hawai‘i Republican Party has cancelled its primary election and is awarding all of its delegates to President Trump.
Visit Hawaiidemocrats.org and Elections.hawaii.gov for more information.
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