Big Island voters receive election notification cards, check registration details

Hawaiʻi Island voters started receiving election notification cards after the Hawaiʻi County Elections Division mailed them Friday, April 10, a step meant to catch bad addresses and other registration errors before ballots go out for the 2026 primary and general elections.

The cards are not ballots. They are a check on voter registration details, and election officials are using them to make sure the right mail ballot reaches the right mailbox when Hawaiʻi County begins its election run-up. The State Office of Elections said voters will receive a voter registration notice in the coming weeks, confirming they are properly registered and helping officials prepare ballot delivery for later this year.

The warning for voters is simple: ignore the card at your own risk. Chief Election Officer Scott Nago said keeping registration information current helps ensure ballots are delivered to the correct address, and voters who have moved should update their registration immediately. If the information on the card is correct, no action is required. If a voter receives a notice for someone who no longer lives at the address, the state says to write “not at this address” on the card and mail it back. If the person has died, the guidance says to mark it “deceased” and return it.

That matters because Hawaiʻi votes by mail under Act 136, SLH 2019, and the system depends on accurate voter rolls. Registered voters are expected to receive their ballots by mail 18 days before each election. For 2026, primary ballot packets are scheduled to be mailed July 21, with the primary set for Saturday, August 8. General election packets are scheduled for October 16, ahead of the Tuesday, November 3 general election. Voter service centers open 10 days before each election.

For Hawaiʻi Island voters who need to fix an address, name spelling or other registration detail, the county says to act promptly through the online voter registration system or by returning updated forms to election offices. The Hawaiʻi County Elections Division lists its Hilo office at 25 Aupuni Street, Suite 1502, and its Kona satellite office at 74-5044 Ane Keohokālole Highway, Building D, 1st Floor, Kailua-Kona.

The county also says voters can sign up for BallotTrax to track ballot mailout and acceptance. With candidate filing already open since February 2 and closing June 2, the registration check is one of the first defenses against missed ballots, wrong-address deliveries and Election Day confusion later this year.