HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

32

TWENTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE, 2013

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

relating to elections.

 

 

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

 


     SECTION 1.  Section 11-115, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "§11-115  Arrangement of names on the ballot.  (a)  The names of the candidates shall be placed upon the ballot for their respective offices in alphabetical order [except:]; provided that:

     (1)  Prior to each election cycle, the chief election officer shall select a letter of the alphabet by lot; and

     (2)  For primary, general, and special elections during each election cycle, candidates whose last names begin with the letter selected pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be placed first upon the ballot and the names of other candidates shall follow in alphabetical order, beginning with the letter that follows the letter selected by lot.

     (b)  In addition to the requirement of subsection (a), arrangement of candidate names on a ballot shall be:

     (1)  As provided in section 11-118;

     (2)  [For] Subject to the limitations of the voting system in use; and

     (3)  [For] In the case of the candidates for vice president and lieutenant governor in the general election [whose], the names of those candidates shall be placed immediately below the name of the candidate for president or governor of the same political party.

     [(b)] (c)  In elections using the paper ballot or electronic voting systems where the names of the candidates are printed and the voter records the voter's vote on the face of the ballot, the following format shall be used:  A horizontal line shall be ruled between each candidate's name and the next name, except between the names of presidential and vice presidential candidates and candidates for governor and lieutenant governor of the same political party in the general election.  In such case the horizontal line shall follow the name of the candidates for vice president and lieutenant governor of the same political party, thereby grouping the candidates for president and vice president and governor and lieutenant governor of the same political party within the same pair of horizontal lines.

     [(c)] (d)  Immediately to the left of (before) or to the right of (after) the candidate name or names, according to the requirements of the voting system, two vertical lines shall be ruled, so that in conjunction with the horizontal lines, a box shall be formed to the left of or to the right of the name and its equivalent, if any.

     [(d)] (e)  In case of the candidates for president and vice president and governor and lieutenant governor of the same political party, only one box shall be formed opposite their set of names.  The boxes shall be of sufficient size to give ample room in which to designate the choice of the voter in the manner prescribed for the voting system in use.  All of the names upon a ballot shall be placed at a uniform distance from the left edge and close thereto, and shall be of uniform size and print subject to section 11-119."

     SECTION 2.  The chief election officer is directed to establish procedures to implement the purpose of this Act, which shall apply to the first full two year election cycle next following the effective date of this Act.

     SECTION 3.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

 

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

 

 


 


 

Report Title:

Elections; Ballot; Arrangement of Names

 

Description:

Requires the chief election officer to establish procedures to select a letter of the alphabet by lot and arrange candidate names on ballots in alphabetical order of the last names, beginning with the randomly selected letter.  Applies to elections in the next two year election cycle following effective date.

 

 

 

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