Hawaii Independent Candidates Perform Well in Midterm Voting

As part of the run-up to the 2018 US November midterm elections, Hawaii held its primaries on August 11th. The Democratic, Republican, Libertarian, Green and Constitution parties were all expected to field candidates although the statewide final summary report (below) revealed the surprising absence of a Constitution Party candidate. The state is known for offering relatively strong access to minor parties and independents. In fact, expert Richard Winger of Ballot Access News noted that Hawaii independent candidates did historically well. You may find a link to the final summary report here.

Hawaii uses what is called an open primary system that allows any voter to vote in primaries regardless of how they are registered. The results of using an open primary system this year are encouraging. Checkout DC’s Voting Methods Central for more coverage of the diverse world of election design.