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Election Officials Remind Voters of Primary Election Guidelines

News Release from Office of Elections, April 28, 2026

Pearl City – Ahead of the 2026 Primary Election ballots arriving to homes in July, election officials have a few reminders to ensure that voters mark their ballots correctly.

Primary Election Guidelines

• You must select one political party preference on your ballot

• You may vote only for candidates within the party preference you select

• Selecting a party preference is solely for the purpose of voting in the Primary Election and does not register or affiliate you with a political party

The candidates who receive the most votes in each contest move on to represent their party at the General Election in November.

Your Primary Election ballot will also include candidates for Office of Hawaiian Affairs and County contests. You may vote in these contests regardless of your selected political party preference.

Political Party Ballot Order Announced

Earlier today, the Office of Elections held a livestreamed drawing to determine the order that political parties will appear on the 2026 Primary Election ballot.

The party order will be:

• Nonpartisan

• Libertarian Party

• Green Party

• Republican Party

• Democratic Party

View a recording of the party drawing here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmR7gWJJKIc.

Check Your Voter Registration

Voters are urged to check and update their registration at elections.hawaii.gov.

Primary Election ballots will arrive in the mail by July 21.

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Know Your Rights as a Hawaii Voter

Aloha from the Office of Elections!      May 4, 2026

Here’s what you need to know to help you exercise your right to vote in this and every election:

Your right to a secret ballot

• Your vote is anonymous. How you mark your ballot is not linked to your name or voter registration.

• Hawaii does not require you to declare a political party when registering. Election officials do not ask, nor have record of your party affiliation.

Your right to in-person Election Day services

• Not registered yet? No problem. You can register and vote in person at a voter service center in your county on Election Day.

• In line by 7:00 PM? Stay in line! You’ll still be allowed to vote or drop off your ballot.

Your right to register to vote

• No traditional address? For our neighbors who may be experiencing houselessness, you can still register to vote. When you register, you’ll just need to describe your location using cross streets or landmarks.

• A reminder that you can vote if you are a pre-trial detainee, on probation, or paroled after imprisonment. If you have been convicted of a felony, you are not permitted to vote during your imprisonment, however, your voting rights are restored if you are on probation or paroled.

Your right to vote while away from Hawaii

• Temporarily away? Submit an Absentee Ballot Application to receive your ballot at a different address.

• Active-duty military or overseas? Complete a Federal Post Card Application to vote from abroad.

Your right to language assistance

• Voting materials are available in Chinese, Hawaiian, Ilocano, and Tagalog, and assistance in additional languages is available by contacting the Office of Elections.

Your right to accessible voting options

• If you have a disability, consider requesting an accessible electronic ballot or visit a voter service center to use accessible voting equipment to review and mark your ballot independently.

Learn more about your rights and voting services at elections.hawaii.gov.