2026 ELECTION CENTER:

For Humane Cat Policy and Hawaiʻi’s Cat-Connected Electorate

Helping voters and candidates understand humane, evidence-based cat policy. 

Note: Primary Election Coming Soon - Sat, Aug 8, 2026.



Hawaiʻi’s 2026 elections matter for cats, wildlife, public health, and community trust.

County and state officials make decisions that affect spay/neuter access, adoption pathways, feeding policy, shelter intake, enforcement priorities, conservation claims, public-health messaging, and whether humane cat population management is treated as a serious public-policy issue.

Hawaiʻi Animal Advocacy created this 2026 Election Center to help voters and candidates understand where humane cat policy fits into the election.

This section includes;

  • HAA’s Voter Impact Profile,
  • Candidate Questionnaire,
  • Survey Methodology,
  • Candidate Responses, and
  • HAA Analysis of how each candidate’s position aligns with humane, evidence-based, conservation-aware, and One Health-aligned cat population management.

This is not a partisan project. HAA does not evaluate candidates by political party. We evaluate candidates based on whether they understand the issue, respond to voters, support humane and practical solutions, and recognize that cat policy must address animal welfare, public health, conservation, community cooperation, and government accountability together.


Why Humane Cat Policy Is an Election Issue

Humane cat policy is often treated as a narrow animal issue. That framing misses the scale of public concern.

Thousands of Hawaiʻi residents live with cats, have previously lived with cats, feed or help cats informally, volunteer, foster, donate, adopt, support rescue work, or oppose cruelty as a matter of public policy.

These residents are part of Hawaiʻi’s cat-connected electorate.

HAA’s Hawaiʻi County Voter Impact Profile estimates that Hawaiʻi County alone may have approximately 62,000 to 97,000 registered voters who are likely strong supporters of humane treatment of cats, with a midpoint estimate near 79,000.

Many recent county races have been decided by margins many times smaller than the estimated number of these voters. And even a small activated share of humane-cat-policy voters can matter in close races.

The point is not that every cat-connected voter votes only on this issue. The point is that candidates and elected officials should not assume humane-cat-policy voters are politically irrelevant.


HAA’s Policy Foundation

HAA’s candidate analysis is grounded in three connected policy tools.

Coexistence Framework

HAA’s Coexistence Framework recognizes three connected zones of cat policy:

Pet Zone: Owned cats should be sterilized, identified, and kept from contributing to the homeless-cat population.
Community Zone: Free-roaming cats should be managed through targeted sterilization, vaccination, adoption pathways, certified caretakers, managed feeding, and transparent tracking.
Wildlife Zone: Sensitive habitats require special protection, and cat management in those areas should be coordinated with conservation authorities.

Conservation Science Compliance Standard

The Conservation Science Compliance Standard evaluates whether conservation-related claims and policies are based on site-specific evidence, proper predator attribution, measurable outcomes, risk-based prioritization, and realistic management assumptions.

HAA supports wildlife protection. We also believe conservation policy should be scientifically accountable and should not rely on incomplete evidence, single-species blame, or actions that do not produce measurable ecological benefit.

One Health Alignment Standard

The One Health Alignment Standard evaluates whether cat policy protects the whole connected system: animal health and welfare, public health, ecological health, community cooperation, surveillance, governance, and response capacity.

Humane cat policy should reduce disease risk, reduce unmanaged reproduction, reduce abandonment, improve vaccination and sterilization coverage, support public trust, and avoid actions that create additional unmanaged animals or public-health problems.

Together, these tools allow HAA to evaluate candidate responses through a serious public-policy lens rather than a simple “pro-cat” or “anti-cat” label.


What You Will Find in This Section

1.  Voter Impact Profile

The Voter Impact Profile estimates the size and political relevance of Hawaiʻi County’s cat-connected electorate. It explains the assumptions, shows the estimated voter base, and includes examples of recent close races where humane-cat-policy voters could matter.

Link: Hawaiʻi County Voter Impact Profile


2.  Candidate Questionnaire and Methodology

HAA invited candidates to respond to questions about humane cat policy, spay/neuter, adoption pathways, managed colony care, public health, conservation science, and government follow-through.

This page explains the questions, why they were asked, how responses are evaluated, and how HAA distinguishes clear support, partial support, unclear responses, non-responses, and positions that may conflict with humane, evidence-based cat policy.

Link: Candidate Questionnaire and Methodology


3.  Candidate Response Summary

This page lists candidates by race and district, showing whether they responded to HAA’s questionnaire and summarizing the main themes in their responses.

Candidate summaries are intended to help voters quickly compare positions. Full candidate responses and HAA analysis are available on each candidate’s individual page.

Link: Candidate Response Summary


4.  Candidate Pages by Office / County / District

Each candidate page may include:

  • candidate name, race, and district;
  • whether the candidate responded to HAA’s questionnaire;
  • the candidate’s full response, when provided;
  • HAA’s summary of the response;
  • HAA’s analysis of alignment with the Coexistence Framework, Conservation Science Compliance Standard, and One Health Alignment Standard;
  • relevant public statements, voting history, or policy actions when available;
  • notes helpful to voters evaluating the candidate’s position.

Link: Candidate Pages


5.  Voter Action Guide

This page explains how humane-cat-policy supporters can use their vote, candidate questions, public testimony, letters, calls, and community organizing to influence policy.

Link: Voter Action Guide


How HAA Evaluates Candidates

HAA does not expect every candidate to be an expert in cat population management. We do expect candidates to take the issue seriously, respond honestly, and show a willingness to support humane, evidence-based solutions.

HAA’s review considers whether a candidate:

  • supports targeted spay/neuter, vaccination, microchipping, and adoption pathways;
  • distinguishes unmanaged feeding from accountable managed colony care;
  • supports humane treatment and opposes cruelty, abandonment, starvation, and unmanaged killing;
  • understands that feeding bans alone do not create a population management plan;
  • recognizes the connection between pet cats, abandonment, backyard breeding, shelter intake, and community cats;
  • supports conservation claims being evaluated with site-specific evidence and proper predator attribution;
  • supports a One Health approach that integrates animal welfare, public health, ecological health, and community cooperation;
  • demonstrates willingness to follow through after meetings, testimony, and stakeholder engagement.

HAA may identify areas of strong alignment, partial alignment, concern, or insufficient information. Non-response is also noted, because voters deserve to know when candidates choose not to answer questions on issues that matter to them.


What HAA Is Asking Candidates to Support

HAA is asking candidates and elected officials to support humane, evidence-based, accountable cat population management.

Meaningful action may include:

  • expanding targeted spay/neuter access;
  • creating county-supported adoption pathways;
  • partnering with certified rescue and adoption organizations;
  • requiring sterilization, vaccination, and basic health standards for county-supported adoptions;
  • supporting microchipping and traceability;
  • reducing demand for backyard-bred animals through adoption-first public messaging;
  • distinguishing unmanaged feeding from accountable managed colony care;
  • creating pathways for certified caretakers and transparent colony tracking;
  • coordinating animal welfare, public health, and conservation goals under one accountable framework.

HAA does not ask government to ignore wildlife, public health, nuisance concerns, or fiscal responsibility. We ask government to stop relying on ineffective or punitive approaches and to support practical solutions that reduce the number of homeless cats, reduce abandonment, reduce unmanaged reproduction, improve public trust, and reduce conflict.


Important Election Dates

The 2026 Primary Election is Saturday, August 8, 2026.

The 2026 General Election is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.

Hawaiʻi conducts elections primarily by mail. Voters should confirm their registration, mailing address, ballot status, and ballot return options through the Hawaiʻi Office of Elections or their county elections division.

Official election information: Hawaiʻi Office of Elections
County election information: County of Hawaiʻi Elections Division


A Message to Voters...

(yes, your single vote can make a very big difference especially in council races, see voter impact profile)

Your vote matters.

Humane-cat-policy supporters are often told, directly or indirectly, that their concerns are too small, too emotional, or too politically insignificant to shape policy. The data tells a different story. Hawaiʻi County’s cat-connected electorate is large enough to matter, especially in close races.

Voting is not the only tool, but it is one of the most important. Ask candidates where they stand. Read their responses. Share information with other voters. Submit testimony. Contact elected officials. Support candidates who take humane, evidence-based cat policy seriously.

Cats, wildlife, public health, and community trust all deserve better than delay, conflict, and ineffective enforcement-only policy.


A Message to Candidates and Elected Officials...

Humane-cat-policy voters are paying attention.

They are watching whether candidates respond to questions. They are watching whether elected officials follow through after meetings, summits, testimony, and policy proposals. They are watching whether government supports practical solutions or continues to rely on delay, punishment, and unmanaged outcomes.

This voter base is not asking for slogans. It is asking for serious policy.

Candidates and elected officials who engage this constituency with respect, honesty, and practical solutions may build trust. Those who dismiss humane-cat-policy voters or fail to follow through risk alienating a constituency large enough to matter in county and state races.



Disclaimer

HAA’s candidate analysis is based on available information, candidate responses, public records, and HAA’s policy standards. The analysis is intended to educate voters and encourage accountability. It should not be read as a scientific survey, legal opinion, or automatic endorsement unless HAA clearly states otherwise.

Candidates are encouraged to provide responses, corrections, updates, or clarifications.
HAA may update candidate pages as additional information becomes available.

The 2026 dates in the draft are supported by the Hawaiʻi Office of Elections, which lists the Primary Election as August 8, 2026 and the General Election as November 3, 2026. Candidate filing for the 2026 elections closed on June 2, 2026. (elections.hawaii.gov)