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Honolulu Election's Voting Issues
Long lines and delayed results marred Honolulu's 2024 election, highlighting insufficient voting centers and resource allocation. Experts advocate for more polling places.
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United States
PoliticsUs PoliticsElectionsVotingResourcesHawaii
Honolulu City CouncilCommon Cause HawaiiLeague Of Women Voters Of HonoluluNational Vote At Home InstituteUniversity Of Southern California's Center For Inclusive Democracy
Glen TakahashiPhil KeislingBen HovlandRadiant CorderoAndria Tupola
- What were the main issues during the 2024 Honolulu elections?
- Honolulu's 2024 election saw long lines and delayed results due to only two voting centers open on Oahu. This mirrored issues from the 2020 election, despite efforts to improve voting access.
- What is the recommended number of voting centers for Oahu, and why?
- Experts and voting rights advocates say Oahu needs more than two voting centers, citing other mail-voting states' ratios of centers to voters. Proposals for more centers have repeatedly failed in the Hawaii legislature.
- Why did some voters choose in-person voting despite the option to vote by mail?
- Some voters chose in-person voting on Election Day due to concerns about ballot security, despite the availability of mail-in voting. This preference for in-person voting contributed to the long lines.
- What recommendations were made to improve voting access, and what was the response?
- Common Cause Hawaii recommended additional voting centers across Oahu and other Hawaiian islands, based on population density and other factors to improve access for underrepresented communities. However, these recommendations were largely ignored.
- How did the Honolulu City Clerk's office handle resource allocation for the election?
- The Honolulu City Clerk's office didn't request significantly increased resources or funding before the 2024 election, opting instead for media campaigns promoting early voting. The budget remained relatively flat compared to previous years.