Both the State of Hawaii and the County of Hawaii had record turnout for the 2020 General Election, which was yesterday, Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Statewide, 832,466 people registered to vote, and of those, 66.9%, or 557,186, actually voted.

In Hawaii County, 127,348 people registered to vote, and of those, 66.9%, or 85,168, actually voted.

In 2018, the State Legislature voted, and the Governor concurred, to make Hawaii’s elections all by mail.  That means that people no longer have the traditional polling places at which to vote, and they are given the opportunity to return their ballots by U.S. Mail or by putting their ballot into special Ballot Drop Boxes located around the island.  There are Voter Service Centers on each island.  On the Big Island, there were two, one in Hilo, and one in Kona.

Most people–more than 94% statewide and in Hawaii County–did vote by mail or via Ballot Drop Box.  And although the Voter Service Centers opened Oct. 20, the crowds at the Voter Service Center in Hilo meant it could not close at 7 p.m., as scheduled, but it finally closed at 8:30 p.m. after everybody waiting in line had voted.  On O’ahu, the Kapolei Voter Service Center’s last voter was still voting after 11 p.m.–after being in line at 7 p.m.  The State will not release election results until all people have voted, so the first release of election results, the first printout, did not come out until 11:25 p.m. — the latest ever.

Elections Chief Scott Nago indicated in televised interviews that the State will need to find a way to help that very late voting not happen in the next election.  But in general, with turnout being a higher percentage than ever–driven partly by the hotly-contested Presidential race but also by important Mayor races on O’ahu and on Hawaii Island–Voting by Mail was successful.

For the full Statewide election results, click here.

For the full County of Hawaii election results, click here.