HONOLULU -- Six polling places on Oahu had a rough start Saturday morning when key staffers failed to show up, according to state elections officials.

Nuuanu Elementary School was one of the locations that had delays.

"It was really bad at the places where the supervisory staff voter assistance officials and chairs didn't set up the precinct. So, we had delays at least a handful of precincts," state Office of Elections spokesman Rex Quidilla said.

Workers without specific training tried to open the polls at some locations. About 100 people were lined up at Nuuanu Elementary School waiting to vote as the volunteers dealt with some glitches, precinct officials said.

"I was about ready to cry. I got these people's complaints. People complained, but what we did was make it so people could vote," election precinct chairwoman Beverly Toomey said.

Toomey became the chairperson just 15 minutes before the polls were supposed to open.

Over at Central Middle School, staff shortage was a big problem, although the precinct chairman showed up.

"Well, we're very short. We were supposed to have myself plus 12 workers, and I have me plus three, so everyone's hanging around like a one-armed paperhanger," precinct chairman Willis Moore said.

Other sites that had problems included Makiki District Park and Puunui.

One voter complained about sign-wavers standing too close to the polling places. Although technically outside the 200-foot range, the Collin Wong campaign moved back. The precinct chairman said the Karl Rhoads camp was on the borderline of the boundaries, but could remain.

Other voters had trouble finding their polling places.

"I've been voting the past 10 years. I've been voting at this place, but unfortunately today I couldn't find my name on the list," voter Edward lee said.

The delay in opening the precincts means that there would be a delay in the delivery of the results of the first printout, according to elections officials. The first results could be released at 7 p.m.-7:30 p.m., they said.

Despite the problems most polling places opened at 7 a.m. and will remain open until 6 p.m. Polls will remain open to allow voters who are in line at the time of closing to cast their votes.

Valid photo identification is required.

Absentee and early voting ended Thursday. Mail-in ballots had to be mailed out Friday morning at the latest.

The number of mail-in ballots saw a significant increase, according to election officials.

In 2004, 39,000 people voted by mail on Oahu. This year, 44,000 people already sent their mail-in ballots by Wednesday. That's a 13 percent increase that will climb once the last two days' worth of mail-in ballots are counted.

Many people enjoy the convenience of mailing in their ballots instead of waiting in line, election officials said.