Honolulu, HIVoter Guide 2026 · not a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Honolulu City Council Election 2026

2 of 9

council seats up

2 contests

4 candidates

Updated Oct 2, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check →

The candidates

Listed alphabetically by last name. Every position links to its source.

City Council District IV · 1 seat

City Council District VI · 1 seat

Two of the Council's nine seats are on this ballot: District IV and District VI. Voters in each district pick one candidate; the other seven members are listed as holdovers.

2 notes on these statements

Tommy Waters' name appeared on the primary ballot, but votes for him were counted only to determine whether other candidates won a majority. Honolulu Civil Beat · Aug 8, 2026

Oʻahu voters will also decide 20 City Charter amendments on Nov. 3, proposed by the Honolulu Charter Commission. Honolulu Star-Advertiser · Sep 24, 2026

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

Radiant CorderoCouncilmember, District VII8sourcedEsther KiaʻāinaCouncilmember, District III; Council Floor Leader8sourcedScott NishimotoCouncilmember, District V5sourcedVal Aquino OkimotoCouncilmember, District VIII8sourcedAugie TulbaCouncilmember, District IX7sourcedAndria TupolaCouncilmember, District I; Council Vice Chair7sourcedMatt WeyerCouncilmember, District II8sourced

Officeholders' pages compare what they've said with how they've voted, with sources.

Start here

Match quiz6 questions · answers stay on your phoneSeat the CouncilPick winners, see the councilWhat council decidesSkyline rail, Sewer rates and the landfill, Empty homes tax and property taxesKey datesDeadlines and vote centers

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Next date

General Election ballot packets arrive by mail

Fri, Oct 16, 2026

All key dates

What the next council decides

Skyline rail

Where it standsSkyline runs from East Kapolei to Middle Street; construction continues on the segment to Halekauwila and South streets.

What's on the tableWhether and when to plan and pay for extending rail beyond the current line, such as to UH Mānoa or further into Kapolei.

  • Skyline currently operates from East Kapolei to Middle Street; the next phase adds three miles of guideway and six stations to the intersection of Halekauwila and South Street. Honolulu City Council
  • The Council passed Bill 60 (2025) 8-1 in February 2026; HART's director said it authorizes planning for potential extensions to the University of Hawaiʻi or further into Kapolei, but no additional funds are currently available. Honolulu City Council · Feb 18, 2026
  • In 2022 the city postponed the last 1.25 miles of guideway and two stations to reduce the project's cost to about $10 billion. Honolulu Star-Advertiser · Oct 6, 2025

Sewer rates and the landfill

Where it standsSewer rates began rising in 2026 under a six-year plan to pay for federally required upgrades, and the city has not chosen a site for its next landfill.

What's on the tableFuture sewer rate changes and where Oʻahu's trash goes after the Waimānalo Gulch landfill closes.

Empty homes tax and property taxes

Where it standsBill 46, the latest empty homes tax, died in August 2026 without a final vote; the home exemption rises in July 2027.

What's on the tableWhether to try an empty homes tax again, and how to set property tax rates and exemptions.

City budget and the Office of Economic Revitalization

Where it standsThe Council cut most of the Office of Economic Revitalization's budget and overrode the mayor's vetoes of those cuts in July 2026.

What's on the tableThe next city budgets, including whether to restore or replace the office's programs.

Homelessness

Where it standsOʻahu's 2026 Point-in-Time Count found 4,539 people experiencing homelessness, with fewer unsheltered than in 2024.

What's on the tableHow the city funds shelter, treatment and outreach, and how it enforces laws such as Sit-Lie.

Who matches you?

Answer any of these questions. We compare your answers with each person's sourced record, and nothing is stored. Questions where no one has a sourced record yet are left out. Tap a selected answer again to skip it.

  1. 1. Should the city plan to extend Skyline rail beyond its current planned route?

  2. 2. Sewer rates are rising to pay for federally required treatment upgrades. What should the Council do?

  3. 3. Should Honolulu tax homes that sit empty most of the year?

  4. 4. If city revenue falls, should the Council raise property tax rates on homeowners?

  5. 5. The Council cut most funding for the Office of Economic Revitalization. What should happen next?

  6. 6. How should the city respond to people living on streets and beaches?

Seat the Council →

Pick a winner for each open seat and see where the resulting council stands on each issue.

Key dates

The seat math

7 stay (not up this year): Radiant Cordero, Esther Kiaʻāina, Scott Nishimoto, Val Aquino Okimoto, Augie Tulba, Andria Tupola, Matt Weyer2 on this ballot

9 council seats plus a mayor who doesn't vote on council items. The council decides by a 5-vote majority.

  • The Honolulu City Council is made up of nine members elected by the city's nine districts. Ballotpedia
  • Honolulu uses a strong mayor and city council system; the mayor is the city's chief executive. Ballotpedia
  • A majority of the nine councilmembers constitutes a quorum, and five supporting votes are usually required for an action to be taken. Honolulu City Council
  • City offices up for election in 2026 are the Council seats for Districts II, IV, VI and VIII. Honolulu Elections Division
  • Council members Val Okimoto and Matt Weyer ran unopposed this year; Tyler Dos Santos-Tam has one opponent, so he went straight to the November general election. Honolulu Civil Beat · Aug 8, 2026
  • The City Charter allows council members to serve two consecutive four-year terms. Hawaiʻi Public Radio · Aug 31, 2026
  • The Hawaiʻi Supreme Court ruled Council Chair Tommy Waters ineligible for a third consecutive term and ordered Trevor Ozawa and Tara Malia Gregory, the top two eligible primary finishers, to the Nov. 3 general election for District 4. Honolulu Star-Advertiser · Aug 28, 2026
  • In the Aug. 8 District IV primary, Trevor Ozawa received 39.8%, Tommy Waters 28.2%, Tara Malia Gregory 13.7% and Jason K. Liang 8.7%. Hawaii Office of Elections · Aug 14, 2026

Every claim here links to its source and was checked against it before publishing. How this guide works →

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