Hawaiʻi voter guide: Here's what to know about the 2022 election
In the 2022 midterm election, Hawaiʻi residents will vote on the next governor and lieutenant governor, and all state legislators.
Hawaiʻi is one of the nation’s most reliably blue states, with Democrats dominating federal and statewide elected offices. Joe Biden won 63% of the vote in 2020, while 34% cast ballots for Donald Trump.
The top race is the gubernatorial contest featuring Republican former Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona and Lt. Gov. Josh Green, a Democrat. Aiona served as second-in-command under Hawaiʻi’s last Republican governor from 2002 to 2010 but has run unsuccessfully for governor twice since.
Meanwhile, state House Finance Chair Sylvia Luke or Seaula Tupaʻi Jr. would become the lieutenant governor under Green or Aiona, respectively.
On the federal level, Hawaiʻi has one open seat in the U.S. House because incumbent Rep. Kai Kahele decided to run for governor, losing to Green in the Democratic primary. Jill Tokuda and Joe Akana are running to represent that district, which covers the neighbor islands and much of non-urban Oʻahu.
All of Hawaiʻi’s congressional seats are expected to be safe for the incumbents, who are Democrats. U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz and U.S. Rep. Ed Case are running for reelection. U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono's next election year is 2024.
The current mayors of Kauaʻi and Maui counties — Derek Kawakami and Mike Victorino, respectively — are running for reelection. Mayoral races for Oʻahu and the Big Island are scheduled for 2024.
Voters will choose their representatives for the Hawaiʻi County Council, Maui County Council, Kauaʻi County Council, and Districts 2, 4, 6 and 8 of the Honolulu City Council. Ballots in each county will also include charter amendment proposals.
At the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, elections are being held for some trustee seats.
HPR's daily talk show The Conversation interviewed general election candidates for some county council districts, Maui County mayor, Kauaʻi County mayor, the U.S. House of Representatives, lieutenant governor, and governor:
Interviews:
Hawaiʻi County Council District 2: Matthias Kusch | Jenn Kagiwada
Hawaiʻi first lady (not an elected position): Vivian Aiona | Jaime Green
Maui County Council (Kahului): Buddy Nobriga | Tasha Kama (incumbent)
Kauaʻi County Mayor: Derek Kawakami (incumbent) | Michael Roven Poai
Maui County Mayor: Richard "Rick" Bissen | Michael "Mike" Victorino (incumbent)
U.S. House of Representatives - District 1: Ed Case (D) (incumbent) | Conrad Kress (R)
U.S. House of Representatives - District 2: Jill Tokuda (D) | Joe Akana (R)
Lieutenant Governor: Sylvia Luke (D) | Seaula Tupa'i Jr. (declined interview) (R)
Governor: Duke Aiona (R) | Josh Green (D)
Key dates to remember:
- Week of Oct. 17 - General election ballots start arriving in mailboxes.
- Tuesday, Oct. 25 - Voter service centers open for same-day registration and in-person voting.
- Monday, Oct. 31 - Final day for first-time voters to submit a paper registration application for the general election. Voters can still register online or in person at a voter service center.
- Tuesday, Nov. 8 - General election voting ends at 7 p.m.
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Voter resources and important links:
- Register to vote or check if you are registered. You can also call 808-453-VOTE or toll-free 800-442-VOTE from the neighbor islands.
- Track your ballot with BallotTrax
- Unsure which races you're voting in? Input your address to find out.
- Find a voter service center or ballot drop box
- Kauaʻi County Elections Division
- City and County of Honolulu Elections Division
- Maui County Elections Division
- Hawaiʻi County Elections Division
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Mark Ladao/HPROf the nearly 3,000 bills that were introduced at the Legislature, about 270 have made it to the final step of the legislative process. Most of the measures will be voted on a final time by the House and Senate on Wednesday, and the legislative session will end on Friday. That’s a lot to digest. So here at HPR, we’re breaking down what you need to know as the Legislature heads into its final week. -
Sophia McCullough/HPRIn the proposed system, during the application process, eligible residents would automatically be registered to vote — unless they explicitly decline registration.
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Following Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke’s announcement that she will not be running for reelection, Kauaʻi Mayor Derek Kawakami is the only significant Democrat vying for the position. -
The state legislature is looking at a new, untested legal approach to curb corporate money in elections. It's an attempt to get around the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court decision Citizens United. -
Luke ends her campaign a few months after she denied being the "influential lawmaker" who took $35,000 in a paper bag during a meeting cited in a federal bribery case. -
Kauaʻi County Mayor Derek Kawakami has announced he will run for lieutenant governor, challenging current Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke for her spot on the fifth floor of the Hawaiʻi State Capitol. -
Cochran was elected to her seat in 2022 and is up for reelection this year. Her move to the other side of the aisle increases the House Republicans’ numbers to 10. -
Campaign finance has been a topic of interest this legislative session. HPR’s Ashley Mizuo reports on how allegations of an unknown lawmaker accepting $35,000 in a paper bag have impacted the Legislature.
