Maui Ballots: 838 Envelopes Flagged as Deadline Near

Eighty-three-eight ballot return envelopes in Maui County were flagged as deficient as of 9:09 a.m. on Wednesday. The County Clerk’s Office is currently working to contact these voters before the general election deadline.

Voters have until 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 10, to fix any issues with their envelopes. County officials are monitoring State Representative District 14 closely. This district covers West Maui and currently has the tightest margin among the flagged ballots.

According to the third printout released Wednesday morning, Green Party candidate Pā‘ele Kiakona leads Democrat Sne Patel by 107 votes. County Clerk Moana M. Lutey stated that 151 of the 838 deficient envelopes belong to voters in District 14.

Officials clarified that the current 107-vote gap does not force an automatic recount. This remains true even if the difference shrinks after cured ballots are processed on the evening of Nov. 10.

Lutey explained the notification process. “All voters with a deficient ballot envelope condition are sent a letter, with instructions on how to address the deficiency, and a postage-paid envelope,” Lutey said. “Additionally, if a voter has included their email address in their voter registration record, we email the same information, and we follow up with phone calls.”

Voters can check their status on Hawaii BallotTrax. If a problem exists, they must download an Affidavit to Cure form from mauicountyvotes.gov. They can also email County.Clerk@mauicounty.us or call (808) 270-7749.

Some issues require a government-issued photo ID along with the signed affidavit. Computer-generated signatures are not accepted. All documents must reach the Maui County Elections Division by 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 10. Submissions can be made by email, in person, or by mail to the Office of the County Clerk on the seventh floor of the Kalana O Maui County Building. Voters who already fixed their errors can ignore later notices.