Polling hours were extended Saturday across Hawaii County after “multiple polling stations” opened later than scheduled, according to a release from Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s office.
The governor issued a proclamation just before 3 p.m. announcing that polling hours on the Big Isle would be extended by an hour and a half. Polling locations in the counties of Maui, Kauai, and Honolulu are still scheduled to close at 6 p.m. Hawaii Island locations will close at 7:30 p.m.
“This morning, there were multiple polling stations on Hawaii Island that opened later than scheduled,” according to the release. “The length of the delays varied from a few minutes in some places to more than a half hour in others, and almost an hour and a half in one location.”
Abercrombie was quoted as saying that “the most important issue in this situation is to make sure that everyone who wants to vote can vote. By extending the poll hours, we are making that possible. I also want to thank all those who are working hard to assist all polling stations across the state.”
No one answered the phone when calls were made to the County Elections Division on Saturday afternoon, and County Clerk Jamae Kawauchi’s mobile phone number was not in operation.
