Twelve candidates to appear on Democratic Party of Hawaii Party-run Presidential Primary ballot

News Release from Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, January 22, 2020

Democratic Party of Hawai‘i Interim Chair Kate Stanley announced the list of candidates who will appear on the ballot of Hawai‘i’s Party-run Presidential Primary. All of the candidates filed paperwork prior to the deadline of January 22 at 5 p.m. Hawaii Time.

The candidates are:

Michael Bennet
Joe Biden
Michael Bloomberg
Pete Buttigieg
John Delaney
Tulsi Gabbard
Amy Klobuchar
Deval Patrick
Bernie Sanders
Tom Steyer
Elizabeth Warren
Andrew Yang

One additional campaign, Kamala Harris, filed paperwork to appear on the ballot but later asked that her name be withdrawn.

“This year’s Presidential election is critical, and Hawaii Democratic voters will have an important role to play in selecting the party’s national nominee,” said Kate Stanley, Democratic Party of Hawai‘i Interim Chair. “Mail-in voting will make it easier than ever to participate, and we expect an unprecedented number of voters to return ballots.”

Election day results will be announced on April 4, 2020.

*Mail-in Balloting*

For the first time, Democratic Party of Hawai‘i’s Party-run Presidential Primary will be conducted by mail-in balloting.

To vote, individuals must be registered voters with the State of Hawai‘i and members of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, and be 18-years-old by the General Election on November 3, 2020.

Step 1: Register to vote with the State of Hawai‘i: https://olvr.hawaii.gov

Step 2: Enroll as a member of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i: https://hawaiidemocrats.org

To receive an early ballot in the mail, the deadline to register to vote and enroll in the party is February 18. The final deadline to receive a ballot in the mail is March 8.

In-person voting & same day registration options will be provided on April 4 on each island from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

*Ranked Choice Voting*

Voting will be conducted with ranked choice ballots, allowing voters to list their preferred candidates from 1 to 3. Each ballot will only count for one candidate, but rankings will allow voters whose first-choice candidate is below the 15 percent threshold to have their subsequent candidate be tallied. This provides mail-in voters the most similar experience to what takes place at a traditional caucus when their first choice is not viable.

In order to receive a delegate from Hawai’i to the Democratic National Convention, a presidential candidate must receive 15 percent of the total count within a Congressional District.

Democratic National Convention delegates who are pledged to those candidates will be selected at the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i State Convention to be held May 23 and 24, 2020 at the Sheraton Waikiki.

*Delegate Elections*

Separately, the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i Precinct, District, County and State Conventions Delegate Elections will take place on March 4, 2020, at locations around the state.

2020 Party-run Presidential Primary: https://hawaiidemocrats.org/2020ppp/