Election season starts Feb. 1
The starting gun for Hawaii’s official election year for federal, state and county offices goes off Feb. 1, the first day candidates can check out nomination papers. The last day for candidates to file is 4:30 p.m. June 5.
Candidate qualification requirements vary, but to seek a state or county office, a candidate needs to be a registered voter and a resident for offices with a resident district requirement. Registered voters need to be at least 18 years old, a Hawaii resident and a U.S. citizen.
Federal officeholders need to be at least 30 years old for the U.S. Senate and at least 25 years old for a U.S. House seat. State House and Senate candidates need to be Hawaii residents for at least three years before the election. Maui County mayor and council candidates need to be county residents for at least a year before filing as a candidate.
To get an application for nomination papers and view the “Candidate’s Manual,” go to www.elections.hawaii.gov.
The Maui County Office of the Clerk is on the seventh floor of the Kalana O Maui building, located at 200 S. High St. in Wailuku. The office phone number is 270-7749. The office hours are from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The primary election is Aug. 11; the general election is Nov. 6.