PROPOSING AMENDMENTS TO THE HAWAII STATE CONSTITUTION TO REQUIRE RANKED-CHOICE VOTING IN ELECTIONS AND ELIMINATE PRIMARY ELECTIONS.

HB2528

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2528

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

proposing
amendments to the hawaii state constitution to require ranked-choice voting in
elections and eliminate primary elections
.

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

����
SECTION
1.
�
The legislature finds that Hawaii's
current primary election system fails to engage a majority of registered
voters.
�
In 2024, of the 839,618
registered voters in Hawaii, only 271,345 voters participated in the primary
election, representing a mere 32.3 per cent turnout rate. By contrast, 522,236
voters �- or 60.7 per cent of registered voters --participated in the 2024
general election.

����
Hawaii's
open primary system, while intended to be inclusive, creates unusual dynamics
where voters registered with one party can select another party's ballot,
undermining the traditional party nomination purpose of primary elections.
�
Moreover, the current system allows
candidates to win elections with small pluralities when multiple candidates
split the vote in crowded races, resulting in elected officials who may not
have majority support from voters.
�

Additionally, primary elections cost Hawaii taxpayers over $5,000,000 to
administer, including costs associated with staffing and labor, facilities and
equipment, printing and postage, tabulation, and logistics�resources that could
be redirected to other critical state needs.

����
The
legislature further finds that ranked-choice voting is a proven electoral
method that has been successfully used by Ireland, Australia, and Malta for
over a hundred years, demonstrating its reliability and effectiveness.
�
In recent years, numerous cities across the
United States have adopted ranked-choice voting for their general elections,
eliminating the overreliance on primary elections.
�
Under ranked-choice voting, the winner of a
single-seat race must receive fifty per cent of the vote plus one, ensuring
that elected officials have genuine majority support.

����
Ranked-choice
voting neutralizes the "spoiler effect", whereby a third candidate
may be perceived as spoiling the chances of a similarly positioned candidate
and giving an advantage to the least similar candidate.
�
Under ranked-choice voting, voters can assign
preferences to all candidates, ensuring that no vote is wasted and that similar
candidates do not take votes away from each other.
�
This system enables multiple candidates from
the same underrepresented community to run for the same office without fear of
splitting their community's vote, thereby promoting greater diversity in
candidate pools.

����
Emerging
data demonstrates that jurisdictions using ranked-choice voting experience
significant benefits.
�
Over ninety per
cent of voters help to elect one of their top three choices, voter turnout
increases by five to seven per cent, and voters report less negative
campaigning among candidates, as candidates seek to be the second or third
choice of their opponents' supporters.

����
The
legislature further finds that in 2022, the legislature passed Act 47, Session
Laws of Hawaii 2022, which established ranked choice voting for special federal
elections and special elections of vacant county council seats.

����
Eliminating
the primary election and implementing ranked-choice voting in the general
election will allow significantly more voters to participate in candidate
selection and to consider a broader range of candidates.
�
This reform will result in a more
representative, cost-effective, and democratic electoral system that better
serves the people of Hawaii.

����
Accordingly,
the purpose of this Act is to propose amendments to articles II and III of the Hawaii
State Constitution to require general and special elections to use
ranked-choice voting and eliminate primary elections.

����
SECTION
2
.
�
Article II, section 4, of the Constitution of
the State of Hawaii is amended to read as follows:

"
REGISTRATION; VOTING

����
Section 4.
�
The legislature shall provide for the
registration of voters and for absentee voting and shall prescribe the method
of voting at all elections.
�
Ranked-choice
voting shall be used in all elections, as provided by law; provided that if
ranked-choice voting is used in a special election, the special election shall
consist of only one election contest and no subsequent separate runoff election
shall be held.
�
Secrecy of voting
shall be preserved; provided that no person shall be required to declare a
party preference or nonpartisanship as a condition of voting in any [
primary
or special primary
] election.
�

Secrecy of voting and choice of political party affiliation or
nonpartisanship shall be preserved."

����
SECTION
3
.
�
Article II, section 8, of the Constitution of
the State of Hawaii is amended to read as follows:

"GENERAL[
,
]
AND
SPECIAL
[
AND PRIMARY
] ELECTIONS

����
Section 8.
�
General elections shall be held on the first
Tuesday after the first Monday in November in all even-numbered years.
�
Special [
and primary
] elections may be
held as provided by law[
; provided that in no case shall any primary
election precede a general election by less than forty-five days
]."

����
SECTION
4
.
�
Article III, section 4, of the Constitution
of the State of Hawaii is amended to read as follows:

"
ELECTION OF MEMBERS; TERM

����
Section 4.
�
Each member of the legislature shall be
elected at an election.
�
If more than one
candidate has been nominated for election to a seat in the legislature, the
member occupying that seat shall be elected at a general election.
�
[
If a candidate nominated for a seat at a
primary election is unopposed for that seat at the general election, the
candidate shall be deemed elected at the primary election.
]
�
The term of office of a member of the house
of representatives shall be two years and the term of office of a member of the
senate shall be four years.
�
The term of
a member of the legislature shall begin on the day of the general election at
which elected [
or if elected at a primary election, on the day of the
general election immediately following the primary election at which elected
].
�
For a member of the house of representatives,
the term shall end on the day of the general election immediately following the
day the member's term commences.
�
For a
member of the senate, the term shall end on the day of the second general
election immediately following the day the member's term commences."

����
SECTION 5.
�
Article III, section 6, of the Constitution
of the State of Hawaii is amended to read as follows:

"
QUALIFICATIONS OF MEMBERS

����
Section 6
.
�
No person shall be eligible to serve as a
member of the senate unless the person has been a resident of the State for not
less than three years, has attained the age of majority and is, prior to filing
nomination papers and thereafter continues to be, a qualified voter of the
senatorial district from which the person seeks to be elected; except that in
the year of the first general election following reapportionment, [
but prior
to the primary election,
] an incumbent senator may move to a new district
without being disqualified from completing the remainder of the incumbent
senator's term.
�
No person shall be
eligible to serve as a member of the house of representatives unless the person
has been a resident of the State for not less than three years, has attained
the age of majority and is, prior to filing nomination papers and thereafter
continues to be, a qualified voter of the representative district from which
the person seeks to be elected; except that in the year of the first general
election following reapportionment, [
but prior to the primary election,
]
an incumbent representative may move to a new district without being
disqualified from completing the remainder of the incumbent representative's
term. "

����
SECTION 6.
�
The question to be printed on the ballot
shall be as follows:

����
"Shall
the Constitution of the State of Hawaii be amended to:

����
(1)
�
Require the use of ranked-choice method in all
elections; and

����
(2)
�
Eliminate primary elections?"

����
SECTION
7.
�
Constitutional material to be
repealed is bracketed and stricken.
�
New
constitutional material is underscored.

����
SECTION
8.
�
This amendment shall take effect upon
compliance with article XVII, section 3, of the Constitution of the State of
Hawaii.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Constitutional
Amendment; Elections; Ranked-Choice Voting; Primary Elections; Repeal

Description:

Amends
the Hawaii State Constitution to require the use of ranked-choice voting in all
elections and eliminate primary elections.

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