Hawaii primaries still undecided after recount as invalid ballots could swing two races

Aug 13, 2026

Two of Hawaii's tightest legislative primary races remain undecided after a recount, and hundreds of rejected ballots could still flip the results.

  • A 13-hour recount left both races unchanged: Bob McDermott leads Curt Favela by seven votes for a state Senate seat, and Kainani Sousa leads by a single vote for a House seat.
  • More than 1,100 ballots on Oahu are still marked invalid, mostly because signatures were missing or didn't match.
  • Those voters were mailed notice and can fix the problem online, in person, or by mail before the ballots are opened and counted.
  • The uncounted ballots are more than enough to change either outcome: 90 could be cured in the McDermott race and 36 in the Sousa race.

Outlook: The races stay open until Friday at 4:30 p.m., when the fixed ballots are counted and could decide the winners.

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