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, but all of you reading this who are registered to vote should have already received your mail-in ballots.

Voting in Hawaii has become the easiest thing to do now that elections are conducted by mail. Unfortunately, voter apathy and non-participation has increasingly become a problem in our islands.

In 1959, 84% of voters participated in that year’s primary. In 2022, only 39% voted. 

Primary elections are, in many ways, more important than the general election. In primaries, we determine who will be our final choices in November. For this reason, anyone who seeks reform, relief or a revolution of our system of government must absolutely get out the vote and participate in primary elections.

In the past, prior to all-mail voting, there were somewhat legitimate excuses as to why one might not be able to participate in a primary. If you didn’t know to register absentee to get a paper ballot and you weren’t the type to vote early, then you could get overwhelmed by life and just miss the opportunity to vote. 

In the past, it was hard to make time to vote if you worked under extremely stressful conditions for long hours or multiple jobs and then have family commitments during your time off. 

Job-induced burnout from having to make too many stressful, high-stakes choices is a very real thing, and to be on the spot and have to make a political choice in a primary while standing in a booth can be intimidating. That’s typically why one should request paper ballots for the time advantage, but again, if you didn’t know you could, that’s understandable.

Other people may not have had transportation to get to a polling location, or they may not have known where it was. Still others may have been adult residential care home patients, and they could have limited mobility and not be able to walk or stand in a line.

As someone who almost missed a primary — emphasis on almost — because I was hospitalized, I totally get it. All of this tracks and is completely understandable.

But those days are long gone and in 2024 with every single possible post-pandemic convenience made available to voters, there is absolutely no excuse not to vote in this year’s primary. 

As , it is a “Mission: Impossible” assignment to get voters to do their civic duty, but your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to vote and to get everyone around you to vote before Aug. 10.

Normalize Asking People If They Voted Until They Say ‘Yes’

People these days are too shy. We don’t speak up, we don’t ask questions, we hate follow-up on questions we’re still waiting for an answer to, and we let things go because we assume if it happens it was meant to be, and if not, then “the universe” must have not wanted it.

Nonsense. Unless you are direct, persistent and consistent in seeking change, the status quo will always reign. And the edgiest thing that you can do right now is to ask every single person you come into contact with in Hawaii a simple question before Aug. 10: “Did you vote in the primary yet?”

If the answer is “no” then ask them if there is anything you can do to help them, whether its registering them to vote, or showing them how to properly complete the ballot.

Most will tell you that they plan to vote but will do it “soon,” so then you keep asking them again if they’ve voted until they confirm “yes.” This should be done with all your family, friends, coworkers, neighbors and yes, I dare say even if a stranger strikes up a conversation with you.

As an ordained minister, one of the verses from Scripture that motivates me is when Jesus told his disciples to show “shameless insistence and persistence” . Those of us who care about Hawaii need to show shameless insistence and persistence in asking people if they’ve voted and keep asking them until they do vote. Is this annoying? Yes. But a better tomorrow is well worth being annoying over today.

Talk About Issues To People, Not Personalities

To be honest, it’s likely our poor voter participation is the result of people not valuing the power of their vote. That’s the polite way of saying they don’t care.

However, in your circle of influence, if you make it a point to talk about what’s going on in the world and why policy issues impact the people around you, you will quickly become an opinion gatekeeper in their lives.

Notice I said “issues” and not personalities. When we reduce politics to personalities, it becomes all about palace intrigue, and this can deter people from participation because they feel there’s nothing they can do. Saying “the so-and-so people just endorsed this person,” or “the this-and-that group want this person to win,” just embitters people over time and shuts them down. 

But when you talk about what’s happening, what one can do, and why it’s important to take action, then we develop a connection and a resolve to do something. I encourage all of you, especially in these recent turbulent times, to talk to people about the issues and mobilize people who haven’t voted before to vote in this primary election.

Just say something. Talk, don’t be silent. You need to be heard and people need to listen. Locals who haven’t voted before might be hesitant at first, but keep nudging them.

Talk at all costs about this primary. It’s like when the fictional James Bond went to India and sat down for a souffle and lamb dinner and asked his hosts, “Hypothetically, what happens if I don’t talk?”

“You will,” he was told. “You will!” 

Get Informed

People often tell me, “Even if I did vote, I don’t know who to vote for or know any of these names.” Well, we have a wealth of information about political candidates at our disposal this year.

Civil Beat’s candidate Q&As are a great way to instantly learn about who’s running — that is, among those who completed the Q&A. There’s also , which is styled like a high school yearbook of candidates, allowing you to see their portrait photos and a brief self-description.

If someone tells you, “I don’t know who to vote for,” direct them to these resources. (And I’ll be the rebel rouser to say if an incumbent candidate didn’t complete a survey, don’t vote for them.)

Mentor The Next Generation

I personally hate the term “high information voter” because it implies that there is a kind of power voter who takes voting seriously, and then there’s everyone else. In reality, every citizen registered to vote holds power, and power is force, so all of us must aim to be the most discerning, informed and, when necessary, strategic voters possible.

When I was growing up, my parents would sit around the dinner table and complete their absentee ballots with me and explain why they voted a certain way. Children model their behavior and development after their parents, and if they see their parents voting and discussing politics, they’ll grow up to be responsible, informed citizens.

If you have children, complete your ballots in front of them and tell them why you voted a certain way or what concerns you in this election. They’ll thank you when they’re older.

Make Time To Vote

Last but not least, we have to make time to vote. Let me say that again: Make time to vote.

This election is important and it is better to lose 10 minutes of your life completing a paper ballot than it is to lose the next two or four years of your life due to inconveniences created by bad leadership. 

You and I have it in our power to ensure that this year’s primary isn’t another disappointment. Get out the vote!