Around 80 volunteers gathered at the Hawaiʻi State Capitol on Monday, signifying the beginning of ballot processing for this year’s primary election.
Chief Elections Officer Scott Nago spoke with HPR to break down the process.
Counting votes
When a voter returns their ballot, it goes to the county for signature verification. If the signature on the envelope matches the one they have on file for that particular voter, the ballot will move on to the processing stage.
According to Nago, processing is done in two separate steps that ensure the voter’s identity is protected. The election staff member or volunteer handling a specific ballot begins by opening the outer envelope. From there, they remove the ballot from its security sleeve and count it.
If the security sleeve — which is optional for voters — is not used, the secrecy of the voter is still maintained. The individual handling the ballot does not look at the name attached to it, and everything is done facedown.
“Our mission is to provide secure, accessible, convenient elections, and that’s what we’re going to do,” Nago said.
Monitoring the process
Volunteers who act as official observers monitor ballot processing. Evan Nishimura, who has been volunteering since 2016, said observers have eyes on all parts of the process — moving the ballots, scanning them in, and everything in between.
He said that he volunteers in part because of the chance to work with like-minded individuals who want to learn about the voting process.
“Especially in Hawaiʻi, where there’s very little enthusiasm for voting in a lot of people that I know, it’s just something that I enjoy learning a little bit more [about],” he said.
Michael Kerr, another observer, has been volunteering for somewhere between 20 and 30 years. He describes observers as “the eyes and ears of the public.”
Kerr pointed out that his experience volunteering runs contrary to what some people who believe the counting system is rigged might expect.
“Some of them will give me examples of what’s happening in other parts of the country, and I’ll say, ‘Well, I wasn’t there to see what happened. But I am here through this entire process in Hawaiʻi,’” he said. “I’m able to observe every facet of it, and I can honestly testify that I’ve seen nothing crooked or dishonest being done.”
Casting your ballot
Voting closes at 7:00 p.m. on August 8. Voters who choose to mail their ballots in should do so no later than four days before the election. If a voter still has their ballot after that time, they should drop it off in-person at a voting service center.
HPR's Tori DeJournett contributed to this report.
