HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

157

TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

Requesting the Counties of the State of Hawaii to Propose revisions to their respective county charters to authorize consolidation of the first special election and the second special election for nonpartisan county elective officials into a single election held in conjunction with the state general election.

 

 

 


     WHEREAS, generally, the mayors, county council members, and prosecutors in the counties of the State of Hawaii are required to run for office as nonpartisan candidates; and

 

     WHEREAS, nonpartisan county elective officials are elected through county nonpartisan first and second special elections that are held in conjunction with the state primary and general elections, respectively, of the applicable election year; and

 

     WHEREAS, if a candidate for a nonpartisan county office receives the majority of votes cast for that office in a first special election, held in conjunction with the primary election, that candidate is deemed elected; and

 

     WHEREAS, if no county candidate is elected in a first special election, the two candidates who receive the highest number of votes for each office are placed on the ballot for the second special primary election, held in conjunction with the general election, and the candidate who receives the highest number of votes for each office in the second special election is deemed elected; and

 

     WHEREAS, although voter turnout has been extremely low in Hawaii in recent years, the voter turnout for first special elections is noticeably lower than for second special elections since voter turn out generally is higher in general elections than primary elections; and

 

     WHEREAS, an extremely low voter participation in first special elections may result in final candidates for the second special election being chosen by relatively a small number of voters; and

 

     WHEREAS, on the other hand, a voter who forgets to vote or fails to vote in the first special election risks having no say in choosing the ultimate winner, if a nonpartisan county candidate receives a majority of the votes in the first special election; and

 

     WHEREAS, Australia, Ireland, and several cities in the United States have consolidated the nonpartisan first special election and nonpartisan second special election elections into one instant runoff voting election, eliminating the expense of a second election; and

 

     WHEREAS, instant runoff voting allows voters to rank candidates in order of their preference and a second special election is unnecessary; and

 

     WHEREAS, consolidation of first and second special elections for nonpartisan county offices deserves further consideration; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2007, the Senate concurring, that the counties are requested to consider proposing amendments to their respective county charters to authorize consolidation of the first and second special elections for nonpartisan offices and are urged to adopt ordnances to authorize the election of county nonpartisan officials in one election held in conjunction with the general election; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chief Election Officer, the Mayor, the County Clerk, and the Chairperson of the Council of each county.

 

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title: 

County Nonpartisan Candidates; Elections; Consolidation