By Lexus Yamashiro | Staff Writer

The election is Tuesday, Nov. 8, and for those who are first- or second-time voters, they may not know some of the basics of election time and voting.

There are many questions that voters have during this time of the year in regards to the election; here are some things that you should be aware of as a voter:

How do I find out where I can vote?
There are two ways to vote: You can either visit a polling place or mail in a ballot.

Polling places: These places are normally located at schools around the island and allow people of that precinct/district to come out and vote in polling booths if they haven’t already mailed in their ballot. To find your polling place, click here.

Mail-in ballots: Ballots get mailed to your home about 20 days before the election. This allows you to take your time and look over each candidate that is running. Voters are able to register online to vote and request that they would like to vote by mail. The ballots are due by 6 p.m. on election day.

What are the election polling place hours?
Early walk-in voting is open now but will close on Saturday, Nov. 5. According to the State of Hawaiʻi’s Office of Elections, polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Election Day.

Does KCC have school on Nov. 8?
No, KCC will not be have school in session on Election Day.

What political parties are there to vote for?

  • Democrat (D)
  • Republican (R)
  • Green Party (G)
  • Libertarian (L)
  • Constitution (C)
  • Nonpartisan (N)

Who will be on the ballot for U.S. president?
Castle, Darrell for president; Bradley, Scott for vice president (C)
Clinton, Hillary for president; Kaine, Tim for vice president (D)
Johnson, Gary for president; Weld, Bill for vice president (L)
Stein, Jill for president; Baraka, Ajamu for vice president (G)
Trump, Donald for president; Pence, Mike for vice president (R)

Who is running in our local election?
Honolulu Mayor:
Caldwell, Kirk (D)
Djou, Charles K. (R)

It is most likely that Caldwell will win the position for mayor since many believe that he has done a lot for the State of Hawaiʻi. However, voters may lean toward Djou to see a change in office.

First Congressional District:
Hanabusa, Colleen Wakako (D)
Ostrov, Shirlene DelaCruz (R)

Hanabusa is most likely going to win this position since the late Senator Mark Takai nominated her to complete his remaining term in office.

Second Congressional District:
Gabbard, Tulsi (D)
Kaaihue, Angela Aulani (R)

After many incidents and stories of Kaʻaihue’s vulgar statements toward Japanese people and displaying a banner that read “I’m healthy, I’m cancer-free” after our state had lost Takai to pancreatic cancer, it is highly likely that the people of Hawaiʻi will vote for the incumbent Gabbard.

U.S. Senate:
Schatz, Brian (D)
Carroll, John (R)

With nearly 163,000 votes in the primary, Schatz will most likely will win against Carroll (27,000 primary votes). According to Schatz’s website, he has been committed to working with President Obama to help make the costs of college more affordable for students and middle class families.

What other questions will I see on my ballot?
After voting for the candidates of your choosing, there are two sections afterward that you would need to complete:

Amendments to the State Constitution Proposed by the Twenty-Eighth Legislature:

This section will include two proposed constitutional amendments that were adopted during the the Twenty-Eighth Legislature’s Regular Sessions during the years of 2015 and 2016. The first question will discuss jury trials in civil cases, and the disposition of excess revenues where you will be simply answer yes or no.

Amendments to the Charter of the City and County of Honolulu Proposed by the Charter Commission:

This section includes proposed charter amendment questions.  According to the 2016 Charter Amendments booklet, these proposed amendments establish the principles in which the city government will operate. There are 20 questions, each representing the 20 proposed amendments that there are.

To learn more about the charter amendments, click here.

What do I need to vote?
According to the State of Hawai‘i Office of Elections, an individual must be:

  • A U.S. citizen
  • A resident of the State of Hawai‘i
  • At least 18 years of age

For those who are first-time voters and are registering by mailing in an application, it is required that the individual provides a copy of:

  • A current and valid photo ID; or
  • A current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that provides proof of your name and current address

Can I legally take a selfie with my ballot?
According to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Hawai‘i has recently passed a law that allows voters to take photographs of themselves with their ballot to share with others via social media. Other states such as Washington and Idaho also legally allow this, while in Florida and New York it is illegal to do so, according to the Washington Post.

For more information visit http://elections.hawaii.gov/ or http://honoluluelections.us/ or call (808) 768-3800.