Early voting in Hawaiʻi is off to a sluggish start, which could mean longer lines and delayed results once Election Day arrives.

• Only about 15.5% of ballots statewide have come in so far, with Maui lagging behind every other island despite having one of the most competitive mayoral races in the state.
• Experts say turnout is soft because there's no presidential race this cycle and most of the marquee contests are already considered decided, so voters feel less urgency.
• Every island also has state constitutional amendment questions on the ballot, and Honolulu voters face a packed list of 20 separate ballot questions, which takes real time to research.
• People who put off voting until Election Day and read the ballot questions for the first time could turn what's normally a quick process into a much longer wait, possibly overwhelming polling places.

Outlook: Experts expect tight races may not be called until the morning after Election Day because of the potential for long lines and slow processing.