The following message was shared with every student turning 18 on or before Election Day on Tuesday, November 5. We hope this information will be helpful to our entire community:

 

In order to vote, you must be 18 years old by Nov. 5, a US citizen, and registered to vote. Almost all voting in Hawai‘i is done by mail-in ballots (although in-person voting is also an option). Hawai‘i is one of the easiest states in the nation to cast your ballot. Here are some handy links to ensure that you're registered and ready to make your voice heard before Nov. 5:

 

If you’ve already received your ballot (it’s an orange envelope that looks like this):

Great, you’re all set! Research the candidates and issues that align with your values and beliefs. One handy guide is the Civil Beat Elections Guide. There you can research candidates and find information about the constitutional and charter amendments on the ballot. The Star-Advertiser also publishes candidate Q&As and provides voter information. Many candidates also have their own webpages, and organizations that share your values may also endorse local and national candidates. Informing yourself has never been easier – one of the reasons young people vote at a far lesser rate than older Americans is because they overestimate the knowledge of older Americans and underestimate their own knowledge.

 

To vote, simply mark your preference for each office or ballot question, sign the outside of the envelope (it looks like this)

and drop your ballot in the mail or find one of the ballot dropboxes located throughout O‘ahu. Ballots must be received by Nov. 5 or placed in a drop box by 7 p.m. on election night. Both of these are very firm deadlines.You can confirm that your ballot has been received by signing up for ballot notification emails.

 

If you think you might already be registered but aren’t sure, you can check your registration status here.

 

If you’d like to register, you can do so online or you can find physical registration forms in Dr. Ball's office, Cooke 134. Don't hesitate to reach out to Dr. Ball directly <dball@puanhou.edu> if you have questions or concerns about the registration process. The voter registration deadline is October 28 (although same-day registration is still possible).

 

On behalf of the Davis Democracy Initiative, thank you for taking your civic responsibility seriously and for exercising your voice this election.

 

With aloha

Dr. David Ball and Dr. Pamela Sakamoto

Coordinators, Davis Democracy Initiative