General Election: Voter registration deadline on October 4

The 2010 General Election voter registration deadline is coming up. The Affidavit on Application for Voter Registration must be received by the City or County Clerk by 4:30 p.m. on Monday, October 4.

Election Day happens on Tuesday, November 2.

You may vote in the election if you are a citizen of the United States of America, a legal resident of Hawaii, and at least 18 years old. Hawaii laws allow U.S. citizens to pre-register at age 16, but must be 18 by election day to vote.

You are not eligible to register or to vote if you are a convicted and confined felon or you are declared mentally incompetent.

You should re-register if you changed your name, residence address, or mailing address.

If you are (1) registering to vote for the first time in the State of Hawaii; and (2) are mailing in the Affidavit on Application for Voter Registration, federal law (42 U.S.C. § 15483) requires you to provide proof of identification—a copy of a current and valid photo identification, or a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or government document that shows your name and address. If you do not provide the required proof of identification with the Affidavit on Application for Voter Registration, you will be required to do so at your polling place, or with your voted absentee mail-in ballot.

An Affidavit on Application for Voter Registration is available for download at http://hawaii.gov/elections/forms/voter_application.pdf. Voter registration forms are also available at Satellite City Hall, public libraries, U.S. Post Offices, Phone Directory, State services agencies, and University of Hawaii System offices.

Mail the completed Affidavit on Application for Voter Registration no later than 30 days prior to the election to the appropriate City/County Clerk:

County of Hawaii
25 Aupuni St., Rm. 105
Hilo, HI 96720-4245
Ph. (808) 961-8277

County of Kauai
4386 Rice St.
Lihue, HI 96766-1371
Ph. (808) 241-4800

After registering, your City/County Clerk will send you a Notice of Voter Registration and Address Confirmation (NVRAC) card with your polling place listed on it.

You are not properly registered if you do not receive the NVRAC card; you no longer live at the address listed on the NVRAC card; or your residence address on the NVRAC is the address of a mailing service or a business.

Be sure to have an I.D. with a picture and signature (such as a Hawaii driver’s license or state I.D. card) when you go to vote on election day. The NVRAC card is not an acceptable form of identification.

You may be entitled to not more than two consecutive hours off from work on election day in order to vote. Ask your employer first and keep your ballot stub as proof of voting (ref. HRS §11-95).

For additional information, call the Voter Hotline at (808) 453-VOTE (8683). “Neighbor Islands” call toll-free at 1-800-442-VOTE (8683).
Website address: www.hawaii.gov/elections.

Persons with hearing or speech disabilities should call the Office of Elections’ TTY phone at (808) 453-6150. Neighbor Islands call TTY toll-free at 1-800-345-5915 or the Sprint Relay Hawaii TRS at 711 (V/TTY); 847-9508 (FAX); Voice Carry Over (VCO): 1 (877) 447-5992; Speech to Speech (STS): 1 (877) 447-8711.