Lahaina residents among Maui in-person voters casting ballots on Election Day

LAHAINA (HawaiiNewsNow) – Election officials on Maui report a steady stream of in-person voters Tuesday, as well as voters dropping off their ballots.
There were two voter service centers open on Maui for Election Day: Lahaina Civic Center and Velma McWayne Santos Community Center in Wailuku.
Kahului resident Lorie Yanuaria captured long lines in Wailuku at around 1:30 p.m.
While it wasn’t as packed in Lahaina, elections officials say it was a lot busier than expected.
They said it was very important to have a voter service center located in Lahaina this election because of the devastating fire last summer.
They wanted to make it a little bit easier and convenient for West Maui residents.
“Because it’s my hometown and because of the fires, we’re here to make sure that we are accessible to everyone and we’ve just had a great turnout,” said Maui County Clerk Moana Lutey. “From seven o’clock in the morning, we had people waiting. So we opened a little bit early, a little before seven, and people have been able to come and drop off their ballots.”
Lahaina fire survivor Noah Tomkinson said, “I’m very proud. First-time voter, first time voting in person. I wanted to vote in person to kind of feel the energy a little bit. I’m excited.”
Elections officials say approximately 700 registered voters in Maui County did not receive their ballots in the mail, and many are residents who lived in the burn zone.
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