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Early Walk-In Voting Starts Across Hawai'i

Wayne Yoshioka

Early walk-in voting started today at sites across the state. HPR’s Wayne Yoshioka visited the Honolulu site and filed this report.

 

Credit Wayne Yoshioka
Rojo Herera was the first in line for early walk-in voting and voted Republican

Voters filed in at a steady rate for early walk-in voting at Honolulu Hale.  Rojo Herera never voted early but will be out of town next month.  He voted Republican all the way, including for Governor.

 

“I voted for a friend of mine, Ray L’Heureux.  I’m a small business owner, okay, and the Democratic Party is not favorable for small businesses.  Ray brings a lot of great, fresh ideas and I believe he has the executive leadership, management style that we need.”

 

Credit Wayne Yoshioka
Kim Lingbald voted for the Democratic challenger for Governor

Kim Lingbald has lived in Hawai’i for 52 years and settled down in Makiki.  She voted for the Democratic challenger for governor.

 

“I chose to vote for Colleen Hanabusa.  I believe we need many changes and I found out that she was the one that stepped up and did the homework and corrected the errors, I felt that’s the type of leader we need in office.  And, sometimes, maybe women do a harder job than men do.  You know, I believe.”

 

Credit Wayne Yoshioka
Katrina Souza, a public school teacher, voted for the incumbent Governor

Katrina Souza lives in Kane’ohe and starts teaching at public school Tuesday.  She decided to vote early for the Democratic incumbent. 

 

“Governor Ige.  I’m a teacher so he’s helped us in public education.  And, you know, it was hard during our contract negotiation times and he came through so, you know, our union’s supporting him so I wanted to support him as well.”

 

A number of voters did not want to disclose who they actually voted for but said they were familiar with the issues, like Mililani resident Teresa McCann.

 

Credit Wayne Yoshioka
Teresa McCann says she is aware of the issues but would not disclose who she voted for

“I’d rather not say.  I always vote here since I was 18 years old and I’m 72, now.  I’ve lived here all my life.  I even ran one of the polls one year in Waikiki.  So, I’m very aware of what we’re voting for.”

 

Voters who did not register can go to the early walk-in polling sites with proper identification and vote on the Big Island, Maui, O’ahu and Kaua’i.    Honolulu City and County of Honolulu Election Administrator, Rex Quidilla, says a majority of voters are on track to cast ballots before official polling stations open, August 11th.

 

Credit Wayne Yoshioka
Honolulu Election Officer, Rex Quidilla, says a majority of voters will cast their ballots absentee and early walk-in

“The last election – 2016 primary – we did about almost 10-thousand voters at our sites at Honolulu Hale and Kapolei Hale.  We’re seeing a huge increase in the number of requests on our absentee mail side.  I think the last time around, we did about 62 percent of ballots were cast before Election Day.  That’s combined with early vote and absentee mail.”  

Quidilla says 154-thousand O’ahu voters

Credit Wayne Yoshioka
Early walk-in voting continues through August 9th

have already requested absente mail-in ballots, exceeding the number requested in the 2016 general election.  The last day to request a mail-in ballot is August 4th with Early Walk-in voting continuing through August 9th.   Wayne Yoshioka, HPR News.

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Wayne Yoshioka
Wayne Yoshioka is an award-winning journalist who has worked in television, print and radio in Hawaiʻi. He also has been on both sides of politics as a state departmental appointee and political/government reporter. He covered Hurricane Iwa (1982) as a TV reporter; was the State Department of Defense/Civil Defense spokesperson for Hurricane Iniki (1992); and, commanded a public affairs detachment in Afghanistan (2006). He has a master's degree in Communication from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and is a decorated combat veteran (Legion of Merit, Bronze Star and 22 other commendation/service medals). He resides in Honolulu.
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