LIHU‘E – Employees at the county clerk’s office were not prepared for the scene that greeted them at 8 a.m. Friday, Sept. 3, the first day of Early Voting.
“I thought I was going to be in the top ten, at least,” said one voter as he exited the polling place set up in the former Kaua‘i Bus offices at the back of the historic county building.
“But, I was number 32. And, I had to wait in line!” the voter noted.
The office of the county clerk was greeted by a line that snaked down the steps of the building when they opened the doors at 8 a.m. Friday.
“And, we were right on time,” employee Val Barretto-Oshita said.
Formerly billed as “absentee voting,” this year’s Primary has the event billed as “early voting” to accommodate voters who might not be able to squeeze in time to vote on Primary Election Day, Saturday, Sept. 18, or the General Election which falls on Tuesday, Nov. 2.
“I was just driving by, and I saw the sign, so I thought I might as well get it out of the way,” one voter said while filling out the pre-voting registration form in the lobby of the old county building.
County Clerk Peter Nakamura said that in order to participate in the Primary Election, voters must be registered to vote. Deadline for registering for the Primary Election was Aug. 19, but there’s still time to register for the General Election. That deadline is Monday, Oct. 4, and the Office of the County Clerk must receive the Voter Registration Application no later than 4:30 p.m. on that date.
Voter registration sites are hosted around the island at various locations and events, or people can drop by the Clerk’s office for a form.
Additionally, voters taking advantage of the Early Voting need to have a picture ID with them, and a reminder that cell phones need to be deactivated within 25 feet of the polling place.
Voting at the historic county building will continue through Thursday, Sept. 16, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. except for Sundays and this coming Monday, Labor Day when the polling place will be closed.
Nakamura said they will be open on Saturdays, Sept. 4 and Sept. 11 to accommodate weekend voters as well.
Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) and dfujimoto@pulitzer.net
