AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Hawaii on Election Day

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hawaii voters will elect leaders for federal, state and other offices on Tuesday. Here are some of the key facts about the election and data points the AP Decision Team will monitor as the votes are tallied.

When do polls close?

Polls close at 7 p.m. Hawaii time, which is midnight ET.

What’s on the ballot?

The Associated Press will provide vote results and declare winners in races for governor, U.S. House, statewide ballot measures, state Senate and state House.

How many people voted in the last midterm election?

About 409,000 votes were cast in Hawaii’s 2022 race for U.S. Senate.

How much of the vote is cast early or by absentee ballot?

Hawaii conducts its elections primarily by mail. Ballots are mailed to all registered voters. The latest advance vote totals for Hawaii can be found in the AP’s advance vote tracker.

When are early and absentee votes released?

All four counties in Hawaii are expected to release most of their results from early in-person and mail voting in their first vote updates of the night, before any in-person Election Day votes are released. Almost all results are expected to be released by the final election night vote update.

How long does vote counting usually take?

The first results of the 2024 general election were reported starting at 5:07 a.m. ET on Nov. 6, about five hours after polls closed. The state reached 50% of votes reporting at 5:08 a.m. ET, and 90% of votes reporting at 11:11 a.m. ET.

When will the AP declare a winner?

The Associated Press does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow a trailing candidate to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.

How do recounts work?

Recounts in Hawaii are automatic if the vote margin is 100 votes or less, or 0.5% or less of the total votes cast for a contest, whichever is smaller. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is subject to a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.

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Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2026 election at https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/.