Hawaii voters increasingly are taking advantage of early voting by mail or at absentee voting sites. In the 2008 General Election, 35 percent of all Maui voters were early voters—18,229 absentees to 33,810 at the polls. Statewide, 38.5 percent of voters turned in absentee ballots.

Beginning this year, there’s an option for Hawaii voters to receive a mail-in ballot for all elections as long as they maintain their current voting address. Applications for a Permanent Absentee Voter Ballot can be picked up at the Elections Office of the Maui County Clerk, 7th floor, Kalana O Maui, 200 S. High St., or downloaded from the State Elections Office website: http://hawaii.gov/elections/voters

Information and applications for regular mail-in voting also are on the site: http://hawaii.gov/elections/voters/voteabsentee.htm

Applications for mail-in ballots are being accepted through Sept. 11. Mail-in ballots must be delivered to the Maui County Clerk’s office by 6 p.m. on Primary Election Day. County Clerk Jeff Kuwada urged early voters to be that: Get your ballots in early.

Voters who already have decided on their choices can begin walk-in voting on Friday, Sept. 3, through Sept. 11. Walk-in voting will be held:

• Maui County Elections Office, 7th floor/Kalana O Maui, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• On Molokai, Mitchell Pauole Center.