Even in a caucus season low on drama, Hawaii’s contribution to the presidential nomination process will be a tick off the political radar.

What You Need To Know

  • The Democratic Party of Hawaii’s Party-Run Presidential Primary will take place a day after Super Tuesday, while the Hawaii Republican Party Presidential Caucus is scheduled for March 12
  • President Joe Biden leads a Democratic field that also includes Jason Michael Palmer, Armando “Mando” Perez-Serrato, Dean Phillips and Marianne Williamson

  • Voting for both caucuses will be in-person only

  • This year’s Republican caucus will be the first since 2016; the 2020 caucus was canceled due to the pandemic and because Trump was the only candidate

Most of the attention next week will be focused on Super Tuesday, when the presumptive favorites — President Joe Biden for the Democrats and former President Donald Trump for the Republicans — will seek to cement their all-but-inevitable party nominations. Voters in 16 states cast votes to determine how a third of the total available delegates are awarded.

Hawaii’s first caucus, the Democratic Party of Hawaii’s Party-Run Presidential Primary, will take place a day later. The Hawaii Republican Party Presidential Caucus is scheduled for March 12.

Biden leads a Democratic field that also includes Jason Michael Palmer, Armando “Mando” Perez-Serrato, Dean Phillips and Marianne Williamson. The PPP ballot will also include an option for “uncommitted.”

Voting will be in-person only, from 6 to 8 p.m., at House District polling stations across the state and is limited to registered members of the Democratic Party of Hawaii who are also registered to vote. Same-day voter registration and party enrollment will be available at each site. Registered voters may also enroll in the party online at hawaiidemocrats.org/join.

A full listing of voting sites is available at hawaiidemocrats.org.

Besides the party’s presidential nominee, voters will also select delegates to the DPH state and county conventions as well as district council leadership (including district chair, vice-chair, secretary, treasurer and 11 at-large directors).

Under the updated PPP voting plan, which was adopted by the State Central Committee on Jan. 13, delegates and alternates will be based on the strength of the Democratic vote from each precinct in the proceeding election for the Democratic candidates for either president/vice president or governor/Lt. governor. Every precinct is guaranteed at least two delegates and two alternates.

Election of the delegates to the 2024 Democratic National Convention begins at the DPH State Convention in May. The 2024 Democratic National Convention will be held in Chicago, Aug. 19-22.

This year’s Republican caucus will be the first since 2016. The 2020 caucus was canceled due to the pandemic and because Trump was the only candidate.

This year’s ballot includes Trump, Nikki Haley, Ryan Binkley and a quintet of candidates who have suspended their campaigns: Ron DeSantis, David Stuckenberg, Doug Burgum, Vivek Ramaswamy and Chris Christie.

In-person voting, limited to registered voters belonging to the Hawaii Republican Party, will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at district voting sites statewide. Votes will be cast with traditional paper ballots.

Photo identification is required and all voters must complete a new Hawaii GOP Party Card. On-site voter registration will be available.

Mail-in and proxy voting are not allowed. Absentee voters may cast provisional ballots in-person only at any caucus location if the voter is unable to make to their home district.

A full listing of Republican polling sites is available at thehawaiirepublicanparty.com/caucus-locations.

Michael Tsai covers local and state politics for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at michael.tsai@charter.com.