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State elections office outlines vote-by-mail procedures, accessibility options and addresses audio, signature concerns
Summary
Office of Elections staff reviewed Hawaii’s vote-by-mail process, accessible electronic ballots and in-person ballot-marking devices; public commenters and committee members pressed counties and vendors on signature verification for assisted signatures and inconsistent audio on accessible machines. The committee asked staff to notify counties and vendors and to broaden outreach.
Ray, a voter services staffer with the Office of Elections, told the Statewide Elections Accessibility Needs Advisory Committee that Hawaii mails ballots to all registered voters roughly 18 days before each election and that the ballots include everything a voter needs to return a vote-by-mail ballot. "All registered voters automatically receive a mail ballot about 18 days before every election," he said, and he reminded voters that ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on election day to be counted.
Ray described the state’s signature-verification step and processing flow: "If there's a match to the signature that's on your voter registration record, that ballot will move forward to the processing and counting process," he said, adding that county elections divisions handle signature reviews and will contact voters to remedy mismatches.
He also reviewed accessibility options: voters with print disabilities may request an electronic ballot to mark at home, and voter service centers offer…
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