Why in-person turnout was so high this election (and it’s not the reason you might think)

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Election officials say in-person voter turnout numbers are surprisingly high this election, exceeding numbers from the previous election.

The unexpected turnout has led to longer lines and delays in results.

Some locations such as Honolulu Hale have seen up to 50 people voting at one time, which is insufficient for the current demand.

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During the 2020 elections, voters opted to mail in their votes to avoid the risk of contracting COVID-19.

“Last time people were afraid of getting COVID, they’re more likely not to come to stand in line. This year, no fear of COVID, and they are out now,” said Hawaii News Now political reporter Daryl Huff.

Huff said, “They got a vote, they got a ballot in the mail, they got instructions. You know, I think more likely it’s just people prefer to vote this way. You really got to ask, is this a repudiation of the vote by mail system? If so, many people want to do it this way.”

Huff and officials also discussed the development of a potential secure national database that monitors any irregularities when it comes to ballot collecting and processing.

“Republicans are trying to develop a national database of irregularities, as observed by people anecdotally, but collecting them in a database to make it look like real data,” said Huff.

Huff believes this could be why in-person voter turnout has exceeded expectations this year, as residents want to be sure their vote is counted.