2026 Elections Guide

Essential information, candidate positions, news stories and more.

Hawaiʻi voters will go to the polls on Nov. 3 along with the rest of the nation. But the ballot will be considerably smaller than in August when voters decided many races that now won’t appear on the general election ballot.

The state’s two congressional seats are still at the top of the ballot followed by the governor and lieutenant governor, which are statewide seats. In the Legislature, many seats were uncontested and others were won outright in the Aug. 8 primary, leaving 30 state House seats and five state Senate seats to be decided by voters in the general election. A sixth Senate seat, in Senate District 18 where Michelle Kidani retired earlier this year, will be decided on Nov. 3 in a special election concurrent with the general.

Also still to be decided in November are five seats on the board of trustees for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, two Honolulu City Council districts, the Maui and Kauaʻi mayors’ positions, all seven Kauaʻi County Council seats, eight spots on the Maui council and three Big Island seats.

We’ll be making another push for candidates in every race to respond to our candidate surveys and we’ll continue to publish those in our Candidate Q&A section as they come in. They are also linked on our general election ballot, located in the tab above. Readers have found those to be invaluable when they sit down to fill out their ballots.

We’re covering as many races as we can, including stories on candidates, their campaigns and finances and of course any breaking news and political twists. Hot races still drawing a lot of attention — and campaign cash — include the Maui mayor and the Kauaʻi mayor plus a handful of legislative districts. Look for that in our Elections 2026 section.

Honolulu voters will also be asked to weigh in on 20 questions aimed at revamping the Honolulu City Charter, including whether to establish a ranked choice voting system, restrict police immigration enforcement actions, creating new city cultural offices, bolstering affordable housing policies and numerous other topics.

Maui voters also will have a number of ballot propositions to address. We’ll add more info on both Maui and Honolulu ballot measures to our general election ballot and our elections coverage section as it develops.

Key Dates For The Hawaiʻi General Election

Oct 16

Voters receive their General Election mail ballot packet

Oct 20

Voter service centers open

Oct 27

Deadline to request an absentee ballot

Nov 3

General Election

Where To Find Out More

The Hawaiʻi Office of Elections website is the best place to find basic information you need about the elections, including how and when to register, how to find your polling place and when you can begin casting your ballot.

Meanwhile, here are some other resources we’ve put together to help you through the 2026 elections:

Hawaiʻi’s 2026 elections are right around the corner and Civil Beat’s elections guide is here to help with essential information, candidate positions, news stories and more.

Find Your Districts

This map from the state Office of Elections shows the congressional, senatorial, representative and council district boundaries.

Track Your Ballot

Hawaiʻi voters can enroll for ballot notifications ahead of the 2026 elections. Voters who sign up will be notified about the status of their mail ballot either through text, email or a phone message.

Voters who choose not to sign up for ballot notifications will still be able to track their ballot by going to elections.hawaii.gov or by contacting their County Elections Division.

Voter Education

Get information and help from these organizations:

Campaign Finance Resources

Both the state and the federal government impose contribution limits when giving directly to candidates. Money has been flowing to candidates and political committees for the 2026 elections. You can follow the money yourself on a number of online campaign and political sites:

Federal Candidates and Committees:

State Candidates and Committees:

Elections Offices Statewide

These offices oversee the elections in Hawaiʻi:

Political Parties

Latest Stories

Ban Taxpayer-Funded Mailers During Elections, Ethics Chief Says
Craig Fujii/Civil Beat/2026

Ban Taxpayer-Funded Mailers During Elections, Ethics Chief Says

The Honolulu ethics director says elected officials should not send printed newsletters to constituents within 60 days of elections.

PAC Spending In Primary Shows That Money Talks

PAC Spending In Primary Shows That Money Talks

An analysis of primary election results shows that most of the candidates supported by political action committees won their races outright or will move on to the November general election.

McDermott, Souza Prevail In Republican Primary Recounts
Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2026

McDermott, Souza Prevail In Republican Primary Recounts

Hawaiʻi Republicans also announced Wednesday the party chose tourism executive Kelly Kitashima to run in a special election for state Senate on Nov. 3.

How A Young Challenger Defeated Hawaiʻi’s Longest-Serving Lawmaker
Craig Fujii/Civil Beat/2026

How A Young Challenger Defeated Hawaiʻi’s Longest-Serving Lawmaker

Jackson Sayama worked hard for Les Ihara’s Senate seat. He focused on getting things done, Ihara on lofty ideas of better government.

Hawaiʻi Democrats Flock To Traditional Post-Primary Get-Together
Craig Fujii/Civil Beat/2026

Hawaiʻi Democrats Flock To Traditional Post-Primary Get-Together

The morning after the primary Democrats say they are focused on taking down Trump and the GOP in November.

Big Island Election: New Faces Moving Forward To Fill County Council Seats

Big Island Election: New Faces Moving Forward To Fill County Council Seats

Incumbents Dennis “Fresh” Onishi and Heather Kimball will advance to the November general election.

Hawaiʻi Legislature: Most Incumbents Won Easily

Hawaiʻi Legislature: Most Incumbents Won Easily

But some races appear too close to call. There will also be a number of new faces in the Legislature.

Kaua‘i Election Results: Rapozo Leading Carvalho For Mayor
Chad Blair/Civil Beat/2026

Kaua‘i Election Results: Rapozo Leading Carvalho For Mayor

The primary will narrow the crowded County Council race down to the top 14 candidates.

OHA Incumbents Move Ahead To General Election
Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2022

OHA Incumbents Move Ahead To General Election

Five seats on the Board of Trustees are up for grabs this year.

Maui Election Results: Bissen Out Ahead Of Sugimura In Mayor’s Race
Nathan Eagle/Civil Beat/2024

Maui Election Results: Bissen Out Ahead Of Sugimura In Mayor’s Race

Voters also narrowed down the top two County Council candidates to advance to the general election in certain district races.