Native Hawaiian turnout for elections is low. Two college students created resource to bolster voting

For centuries, Native Hawaiian society was built on a system of governance that required constant community collectivity and collaboration. According to the 2019 U.S. Census Bureau, only 10.6% of Native Hawaiians or part-Hawaiians hold an associate degree or higher. Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander students accounted for only 0.3% of all associate degrees. Current 2026 data indicate nearly 17% of Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander families live in poverty, 4% higher than the national average. “In one of the most recent censuses done, there are more Native Hawaiians living outside of Hawaiʻi than inside Hawaiʻi,” Halemanu said.