The State of Hawaiʻi Office of Elections announced that Hawaiʻi voters should expect to receive their general election ballots by Friday, Oct. 16.
As Election Day approaches, some watchdog groups are keeping their guard up over what they see as efforts to suppress voter participation before the ballots are cast.
To hear more about what some voting rights organization are doing to prepare, HPR spoke with Judith Wong, president of the League of Women Voters of Hawaiʻi, and Lisa Gibson, founder of Indivisible Hawaiʻi.
Interview Highlights
On voter turnout in Hawaiʻi
JUDITH WONG: We have very low voter turnout here in Hawaiʻi, and sometimes that's because people feel disengaged or they feel that their vote doesn't count. We are voting on local and state issues here, and your vote very much does count. And in the case of this election, we're voting for representatives and senators and councilmen, and some people feel like, “well, I vote for people and then they don't do what I want them to do.” But you are also, in this election, voting on amendments. … When you vote on an amendment, that's something totally different, because when you vote on a councilperson or a senator or whoever, you are voting for someone to possibly take the actions that you hope they will take. But when you vote on an amendment, you're voting for the action directly. … So there is no more direct say in your government than that. So I encourage people, no matter how you feel about other things, learn about the election, learn about the amendments, and exercise your right to control your government.
On mobilizing for the right to vote
LISA GIBSON: This Saturday is the “No Dictators” Day across the country. … I think there are over 3,000 events scheduled across the country. The objective of this Saturday is to send the message: Vote early. It is more important than ever for people in Hawaiʻi and across the country to vote early. Our vote is a sacred gift. Don't take it for granted. It is a sacred gift, and quite frankly, we want to engage people because if there are any shenanigans after this Nov. 3rd election, we're going to need to engage people to rally to protect our democracy.
On voter suppression and early voting
WONG: One of the things I try to stress to people is the state of Hawaiʻi is one of the safest places in the nation to vote. We have a supportive government. We have a supportive Office of Elections. We have a supportive legislature, who stand with the people, in making the right to vote safe. The other thing is we have the right to vote by mail. It is much harder to intimidate someone in their own living room while they are filling out their ballot than if they are standing in a polling place. … There are several reasons to turn in your ballot early. … You rest assured that your ballot is there, and it is counted. Second, it just makes it a lot easier to count them.
Follow these links for more information about the upcoming general election and what’s going to be on the ballot.
This story aired on The Conversation on Oct. 14, 2026. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. Jinwook Lee adapted this story for the web.
