Like most elections, today’s General Election can generate a wealth of emotions for candidates, supporters and voters. Anxiety does not need to be a factor. Precinct officials will be available at information and ballot demonstration stations outside every polling place
Like most elections, today’s General Election can generate a wealth of emotions for candidates, supporters and voters.
Anxiety does not need to be a factor. Precinct officials will be available at information and ballot demonstration stations outside every polling place to help the voter check that his or her name is indeed on the registered voters list, verify that the voter has made it to the right polling place and is properly registered and instruct voters in the proper voting procedures.
Once that is done, voters should proceed to the poll book station where their names should be among those arranged alphabetically by last name. The first letter of your last name determines which alphabetically divided line you should head for.
Once there, voters will be asked to:
Verify their identity with a picture ID (such as a driver’s license) verify the information in the poll book; and sign the poll book.
Next voters will head for the ballot issuing station where they will receive ballots and a ballot secrecy folder. The number of ballots received and the procedures for voting vary according to the type of election (special, primary, or general). Be sure to read each ballot carefully. Voting for more than one party’s slate in the primary election could result in your vote being nullified. The only exception is the nonpartisan election ballots for Mayor of Kaua‘i and the County Council races. Once done voting, the ballots can be cast by depositing them into the precinct counter machine at the ballot box station.
Polls will open at 7 a.m. and close at 6 p.m. Officials suggest voting during non-peak hours of 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. or 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. to avoid long lines at the polls. Employers must allow two hours of time away from work to vote for employees who don’t have two consecutive hours (excluding lunch breaks) during poll hours.
Coordinating time off with employers to vote before or after work is suggested.
Anyone unsure where their official polling place is located can either call the Elections Division of the Kauai Office of the County Clerk at 241-6350 or use the state Office of Elections online polling place locator at http://elections.hawaii.gov/govote.htm.
The Garden Island’s special general election supplement included in Sunday’s paper has sample ballots, and profiles of most of the candidates seeking your vote in the General Election. Much of the information was excerpted from profiles candidates submitted to the Office of Elections when filing.
More candidate information and Web sites, if available, can be found at www.hawaii.gov/elections/candidates/profiles.
