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HB104 • 2026

RELATING TO CANDIDATES.

RELATING TO CANDIDATES.

Elections
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
TAM, IWAMOTO, KITAGAWA, MARTEN, PERRUSO, TAKAYAMA
Last action
2025-12-08
Official status
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on deadlines or removed court procedures, only that objections must be filed with the Office of Elections.

Rules for Candidate Nomination Papers

This bill requires objections made by political party officers to candidate nomination papers to be filed with and determined by the Office of Elections.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes rules about who can file objections against a candidate's nomination paper.
  • Requires that any objection from a party officer must go directly to the Office of Elections instead of the circuit court.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Candidates running for office
  • Political party officers who file objections against nomination papers
  • The Office of Elections

Terms To Know

Nomination Papers
Documents that candidates must submit to run in an election.
Office of Elections
A government agency responsible for managing elections and voter registration.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if the Office of Elections cannot make a decision within five working days.
  • It is unclear how this change will affect existing election laws or court procedures.
  • This bill has been carried over to the next legislative session and its final status is still pending.

Bill History

  1. 2025-12-08 D

    Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.

  2. 2025-01-21 H

    Referred to JHA, referral sheet 1

  3. 2025-01-16 H

    Introduced and Pass First Reading.

  4. 2025-01-13 H

    Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO CANDIDATES.
Candidates; Office of Elections; Nomination Papers; Challenges; Hearings
Requires objections made by an officer of a political party to candidate nomination papers to be filed with and determined by the Office of Elections.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HB104

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

104

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to candidates
.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

����
SECTION
1
.
�
Section 12-8, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended follows:

����
1.
�
By amending subsections (b) through (d) to
read:

����
"(b)
�
If an objection is made by a registered voter,
the candidate objected [
thereto
]
to
shall be notified of the
objection by the chief election officer or the clerk in the case of county
offices by registered or certified mail.

����
(c)
�
If an objection is filed by an officer of a
political party with the [
circuit court,
]
office of elections,

the candidate objected [
thereto
]
to
shall be notified of the
objection by an officer of the political party by registered or certified mail.

����
(d)
�
[
Except for objections by an officer of a
political party filed directly with the circuit court, the
]
The
chief
election officer or the clerk in the case of county offices shall have the
necessary powers and authority to reach a preliminary decision on the merits of
the objection; provided that nothing in this subsection shall be construed to
extend to the candidate a right to an administrative contested case hearing as
defined in section 91-1(5).
�
The chief
election officer or the clerk in the case of county offices shall render a
preliminary decision not later than five working days after the objection is
filed."

����
2.
�
By amending subsections (f) and (g) to read:

����
"
(f)
�
If a political party objects to the
nomination paper filed by a candidate because the candidate is not a member of
the party pursuant to the party's rules filed in conformance with section
11-63, an officer of the party whose name appears on file with the chief
election officer shall file a complaint in the [
circuit court
]
office
of elections
for a prompt determination of the objection; provided that the
complaint shall be filed with the [
clerk of the circuit court not
]
office
of elections no
later than 4:30 p.m. on the sixtieth day or the next
earliest working day prior to that election day.

����
(g)
�
If [
an officer of a political party whose
name appears on file with the chief election officer,
] the chief election
officer[
,
] or clerk in the case of county offices files a complaint in
the circuit court, the circuit court clerk shall issue to the defendants named
in the complaint a summons to appear before the court not later than 4:30 p.m.
on the fifth day after service thereof."

����
SECTION
2.
�
Statutory material to be repealed is
bracketed and stricken.
�
New statutory
material is underscored.

����
SECTION 3.
�
This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Candidates;
Office of Elections; Nomination Papers; Challenges; Hearings

Description:

Requires objections
made by an officer of a political party to candidate nomination papers to be
filed with and determined by the Office of Elections.

The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.