HONOLULU – Honolulu Hale’s voter service center buzzes with activity, as residents register to vote, drop off ballots, and seek assistance with voting questions. Although most voting in Hawaii is done by mail, the center has helped around 600 in-person voters since its opening on Oct. 22.
Despite this steady stream of activity, Honolulu City Clerk Glenn Takahashi warns that overall voter turnout in 2024 could fall short of previous years.
“Four years ago, which was also a presidential election year and we were right in the middle of COVID, the turnout final number for Oahu was roughly 387,000.”
This year, “I’m thinking it may end up around the 300,000 mark,” said Takahashi.
Low turnout remains a historic challenge for Hawaii. Kaulana Lee, vice chair for the Republican Coordinated Campaigns in Hawaii, echoes Takahashi’s concerns.
He highlights 38% voter participation in 2020, with a show-up rate of only 11% amongst youth under 40.
“You are the future, your voice is going to be way stronger than my voice ever will be,” Lee added, calling on young people to shape Hawaii’s future.
For many in the community, this message is clear.
“Pretty soon, it’s going to be your world. You’ve got to be prepared to handle it,” said voter George Francis, who agrees that the upcoming generation must prepare to take responsibility for the decisions being made today.
“It is their future. If you allow other people to control your actions, you cannot complain that it’s their fault,” added another voter Mark Steingraber, stressing the importance of immediate action.
Community members like Francis, Steingraber, and Lee Champion, believe that regular voting is vital to preserving democratic principles.
“I hope that people like yourself will encourage others to vote on a regular basis, every two years, every chance they get, because your voice means a continuation of our democracy and what our beliefs are,” Champion said.
Ultimately, the public will have to wait while total votes for this year’s general election continue to be tallied, but time to act is limited.
The future of our democracy rests in the hands of today’s youth; any and all efforts to increase their participation are vital to this year’s election process.
For those that haven’t yet cast their vote, the Voter Service Center at Honolulu Hale remains open to provide assistance and receive completed ballots up through 7 p.m. on Election Day, November 5th.
Michael Ramras is a senior journalism student at UH Manoa, he hopes to further his pursuit of journalism in the field of documentary.
