Handbook·Elections

Running for office in Hawaii

State page·Verified 2026-07-10

This page covers what's specific to Hawaii on top of the general guide to filing for local office.

Filing in Hawaii

Running for office in Hawaii, whether for the state legislature or a county council seat, starts with an Application for a Nomination Paper. You circulate the resulting paper to collect signatures from registered voters in the district you want to represent, then file it along with a filing fee, or a signed affidavit agreeing to Hawaii's voluntary campaign spending limits in exchange for a discounted fee. State legislative and statewide candidates file with the state Office of Elections. County offices, including county council, file with each county's own Clerk's Office or Elections Division: Hawaii County, Maui County, and Kauai County each run this locally, and Honolulu candidates go through the City and County Clerk. Hawaii's Office of Elections is explicit that there is no flexibility once the window closes: no exceptions, no extensions, and no adding signatures to a nomination paper after it's filed.

Deadlines and numbers

  • 2026 candidate filing window: opened February 2, 2026, closed June 2, 2026 at 4:30pm (the first Tuesday in June, the standard deadline for a regular cycle)
  • Signature minimum, Hawaii State Legislature (senate or house): 15 valid signatures from registered voters in the district sought
  • Signature minimum, U.S. Senator, U.S. Representative, Governor, or Lieutenant Governor: 25 valid signatures
  • A nonrefundable filing fee applies to all offices. Candidates who file a voluntary spending-limit affidavit with the Campaign Spending Commission qualify for a discounted fee

The dossier could not confirm exact filing fee dollar amounts by specific office (state senator, state representative, county council, mayor, prosecuting attorney) beyond the existence of the discounted-fee option, since the full fee schedule lives in HRS 12-6 and the annual Candidate's Manual. Route that to /engage or the Office of Elections.

Where to go