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How To Cast Your Ballot

Problems in
last election may
not happen again

Primary Election 2000

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Star-Bulletin staff

State elections officials hope problems with high-technology ballot boxes will be a thing of the past.

The state has contracted with the same company that provided equipment for the problem-plagued elections two years ago.

In the primary election two years ago, there was a high number of disqualified ballots and late returns.

In the general election, seven malfunctioning ballot counting machines led an exhaustive recount of the several state races, include the governor's race. The audit didn't change the outcome of any election.

Election Systems & Software, the vendor, paid $280,000 for the audit and $250,000 to settle contract disputes.

The high-tech system is a changeover from the punch card system used before 1998.

The state has a $10.1 million contract with Election Systems & Software to provide and run the new computers for the primary and general elections for eight years.

The state Senate chambers at the Capitol will serve as the counting and distribution center.

Results will not be made public until the last person in the last precinct votes.

The final report of the voting is expected by 11:30 p.m.

The public will be able to check the returns from the state Office of Elections Web site http://www.state.hi.us/elections

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How to vote

1. Nine color choices.

To vote, select only one color-coded individual party ballot or nonpartisan ballot of your choice. (If you vote in more than one colored area in this section, your vote will not be counted)

2. When voting, completely fill the oval to the left of the candidate of your choice in one and only one colored area. Use the black pen provided. (If you vote for more than the number of candidates allowed, your vote will not be counted)

Review the ballot card

Please note that the ballot card has two sides.

3. Nine colors.

Each political party, including the nonpartisan candidates, is indicated by its own individual ballot color.

4. One color.

The backside of the ballot contains a listing of the special nonpartisan offices (pink-colored) section located at the bottom right. All voters, regardless of party affiliation, may vote the special nonpartisan offices section.

Putting the ballot into the box

5. The completed (voted) ballot card now be prepared for depositing in the ballot box machine. The ballot stub will be torn off by an elections official. Keep the ballot card stub as proof of your vote.

6. Next, place the ballot card into the ballot secrecy folder to protect the privacy of your vote.

7. Finally, go to the ballot station where a ballot box official will assist you in the use of the ballot box machine. At the ballot box machine, you will remove your ballot from the ballot-secrecy folder containing your voted ballot card and carefully slide the ballot into the ballot box machine.

Doublechecking ballot for accuracy

8. If the voter mistakenly voted on more than one color-coded ballot, the machine will stop, signal the voter with a beep, and tell the voter that he/she. voted cross-party (voted on more than one color-coded ballot) on the message screen. The voter should follow the instructions to have his/her ballot returned. After the return, the voter must see a precinct official to go through a "spoiled ballot" procedure to correct the mistake.

9. If the voter mistakenly votes more times than he/she is allowed in a single contest, the machine will stop, signal the voter with a beep, and tell the voter an overvoted condition exists somewhere on the ballot card on the message screen. The voter should follow the instructions to get his/her ballot back. The voter should see a precinct official to go through a "spoiled ballot procedure to correct the error.

10. If the voter does not use a proper marking instrument or does not properly mark their ballot (by completely darkening the oval next to his/her choice), the machine will stop, signal the voter with a beep, and tell the voter that he/she has a marginal mark condition. The voter should see their precinct official to correct this condition.

To make voting easier The Office of Elections offers the following suggestions: Take a picture ID with your signature to your polling place. Check your notice of voter registration and address confirmation card for your correct polling place location. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sept. 23. In general, the least busy periods at the polls are from 9 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m. If you have questions about voting, you can call the Hawaii Voter Hotline at 453-VOTE; or call toll free from the neighbor islands at 1-800-442-8683.