LIHU‘E — Carol and Joe Williams of Lihu‘e waited for the opening of the special general election Voter Service Center Friday to cast their ballots for the county’s prosecuting attorney.
“I like to come in here,” Carol Williams said, showing off her voting receipt. “It’s great to get in-person voting. The people are really nice. We already did our early voting.”
The VSC, located in the basement of the Historic County Building Annex in Lihu‘e, opened up last week and is open through election day on Feb. 26.
The VSC offers accessible, in-person voting and same-day registration, and serves as a mail-ballot-collection site.
Accessible, in-person voting and same-day registration services are only for voters who have not yet returned a voted mail ballot, and for unregistered individuals wishing to register to and then vote.
Services are offered Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. except for county holidays. The VSC is closed Sundays and on Feb. 21, in observance of Presidents’ Day.
On the day of the special general election voting deadline, Saturday, Feb. 26, the VSC will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
While inside the VSC, voters and those registering to vote should wear masks covering their noses and mouths and maintain 6 feet of separation from nearby individuals. Voters at the VSC may also experience longer-than-desired wait times, as only a limited number of voters are allowed to enter the voting area at any given time. Any voter in line at the time of closing will be allowed to vote.
For additional information, contact the Elections Division of the Office of the County Clerk at 808-241-4800.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
