If only all Hawaii voters were as enthusiastic as this little guy!

But alas, Hawaii has an abysmal voter turnout rate. Enough that CNN sent a reporter here for two weeks to report that story. He talked with politicians, tagged along with canvassers in Lahaina, Maui, the city with the lowest voter turnout in the state. His write-up is interesting, and well worth a read.

This summer, Civil Beat also did a series of stories examining what’s behind Hawaii’s low voter turnout and what can be done about it. One of the more interesting findings: while Hawaii election officials get high marks for running elections, the state does a poor job of educating potential voters.

Read the CNN story: Hawaii: The State That Doesn’t Vote

And don’t miss Civil Beat’s series on voter turnout: Hawaii’s Vanishing Voter — Special Report on Voter Participation