How to Register to Vote in Hawaii

Meeting the Qualifications

Be a citizen of the United States to vote. You’re automatically a U.S. citizen if one or both of your parents is a citizen, or if you were born in the United States. You can become a U.S. citizen by applying for a green card and naturalization, marrying a citizen, or serving in the U.S. military. Obtaining U.S. citizenship is a very long process. In the meantime, find other ways to contribute around election season, like volunteering for a campaign or at the polls.

Wait until you are 16 years old to register to vote. You need to be 18 years old to actually vote in the elections. However, you can pre-register to vote if you are at least 16 years old, and then when you turn 18 the system will automatically register you. Don't worry if you don't have your driver's license yet! You can use other forms of ID to register to vote.

Be a resident of Hawaii. If you qualify to vote in any other state in the U.S., you’re disqualified from voting in Hawaii. If you’re a college student who is from a different state, but going to college in Hawaii, you can register to vote in Hawaii. If you’re a college student in Hawaii, from a different part of Hawaii, you can apply for an absentee ballot to be sent to your campus. You can find the absentee application here: https://elections.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/AB-Form-English-20210614E-Form-Fillabe.pdf If you’re a resident of Hawaii is currently overseas, you can still vote in Hawaii. Fill out an absentee ballot request so you will be able to mail in your ballot.

Do not vote if you are currently serving time for a felony. You can vote in Hawaii if you are out on parole or probation. You’re also allowed to vote as soon as you’ve finished serving your sentence, but you’ll have to re-register. If you’re serving time for a misdemeanor, you can vote while you’re incarcerated by filling out an absentee ballot. If you’re incarcerated and waiting for your trial, you’re allowed to vote by absentee ballot.

Register on time for the election. To vote in the primary presidential election, you should register by July 9, 2020. To register for the general election you should register by October 5, 2020. If you don’t register in time, you can register at your polling place on the day of the election, but that generally means a long line and a long wait. Register early so that you don’t have to worry about it!

Registering Online or by Mail

Register online if you have a Hawaii driver’s license or state ID. Online registration is the quickest way to register, and you can do it any time up until the election. The form will guide you through the necessary steps. You’ll have to enter your name, your birthdate, your driver’s license number or state ID number, the last 4 digits of your social security number, your email address, your political party affiliation, and a few other details. You can find the online form to register to vote in Hawaii at this address: https://olvr.hawaii.gov/register.aspx. If you don’t have a political party affiliation, you can put down “Independent.” If you’re overseas, register to vote with an absentee ballot. Find more information and register here: https://www.overseasvotefoundation.org/vote/VoterInformation.htm

Mail in your registration form if you don’t have a driver’s license. Print out the registration form on your home printer or at a library. Fill out the form with your name, political party affiliation, the last 4 digits of your social security number, your phone number, your birth date, and your home address. Here is the form in English: https://elections.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/Voter-Registration-and-Permanent-Absentee-Application_Form-Fillable.pdf.

Include proof of ID if you are a first-time voter registering by mail. If you’ve never registered before, you’ll have to provide a copy of a valid photo ID, such as a driver’s license, passport, or student ID, and a copy of a document that proves your residence. This can include a utility bill, a paycheck, or a different kind of government check. If you have already registered to vote before, and are just re-registering, you don’t have to include proof of ID.

Mail your printed-out registration to the county clerk. Put your registration form in an envelope with a stamp and address it to your county clerk. You must mail your registration no later than 30 days before the registration for it to be processed. The addresses of all the county clerks of Hawaii are: County of Hawaii25 Aupuni St., Rm. 1502Hilo, HI 96720 County of Maui/County of Kalawao200 S. High St., Rm. 708Wailuku, HI 96793 County of Kauai4386 Rice St., Rm. 101Lihue, HI 96766 City & County of Honolulu530 S. King St., Rm. 100Honolulu, HI 96813

Re-register if you change your name, address, or political party. You can re-register online or by mail. You can also report a change of address on Election Day at the polling place. You will need to bring proof of residence of your new address to the polling place. Proof of residence includes: Current utility bill Bank statement Government check Paycheck Another government document

Registering in Person

Get a form in person at most government-affiliated sites. You can get a paper copy of a registration form at state libraries, U.S. post offices, city halls, clerk’s offices, and most state agencies. You can also pick up a form at the Office of Elections if you happen to live nearby. Not all of the places that offer registration forms allow you to submit the form at the same place. For example, libraries will give you the form, but you can’t submit it there. Some non-profits also do voter-registration drives, and hand out paper forms.

Fill out the registration form and attach proof of ID. Follow the steps of the form to enter your name, state ID number or social security number, political party affiliation, phone number, birth date, and home address. If you’re a first-time voter, you’ll have to provide a copy of a valid photo ID, such as a driver’s license, passport, or student ID, and a copy of a document that proves your residence. Proof of residence can include a utility bill, a paycheck, or a different kind of government check that has your address printed on it.

Submit your form at the Office of Elections or county clerk’s office. If you live near the Office of Elections or your local clerk’s office, then you can just go over and submit your form in person. If this is too much hassle, then mail your registration form in. The address of the Office of Elections is:Office of Elections802 Lehua AvenuePearl City, Hawaii 96782 You can find the addresses of the county clerks’ offices here: https://elections.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/Voter-Registration-and-Permanent-Absentee-Application_Form-Fillable.pdf Just because you received your registration form in person doesn’t mean you have to submit it in person.

Registering on Election Day

Register to vote at your polling place on election day. If you haven’t registered yet, and it’s election day, just go to your polling place and tell one of the volunteers that you would like to register to vote. They will give you the right form to fill out with your name, political party affiliation, birth date, phone number, and home address. As soon as you’ve registered, you can vote. If you’re not sure where your polling place is, you can check here: https://olvr.hawaii.gov/altpollingplacesearch.aspx If you’re voting at an early walk-in polling place, before the day of the election, you can register to vote there too.

Bring a valid photo ID to register at the polling place. The easiest way to do this is to bring your Hawaii driver’s license or state ID, which has a photo of you and has your address printed on it. Proof of ID must include a current, valid photo of you, and an expiration date. Examples include: US passport US military ID Current Hawaii student ID

Bring proof of address to the polling place. If you don’t have a Hawaii driver’s license, which can double as a photo ID and proof of residence, then you can prove your address in other ways. You can bring in a copy of an official document that has your address printed on it. Examples include a: Residential lease Utility bill or cell phone bill Bank statement Paycheck Government check