Bill Text: HI HB473 | 2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating To Voter Registration.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 22-1)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-21 - Referred to EDN, JHA, FIN, referral sheet 2 [HB473 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2025-HB473-Introduced.html
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.B. NO. |
473 |
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THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
relating to voter registration.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The legislature finds that voter turnout in the State remains low and continues to decline. Additionally, the State has a historically low rate of registered voters.
The legislature further finds that voting at a young age creates and empowers life-long voters. Data shows that after an individual votes once, the individual often becomes a habitual voter. Therefore, by facilitating the ability of those sixteen years of age and older to preregister or register to vote, the State will be empowering a new generation of lifelong voters.
The purpose of this Act is to increase voter participation and encourage civic engagement in Hawaii's schools by establishing a process for the automatic preregistration and registration of public, charter, and private school-enrolled students who are at least sixteen years of age.
SECTION 2. Chapter 11, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to part II to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:
"§11- Automatic
voter preregistration and registration. (a) Beginning January 1, 2026, any person who:
(1) Is
enrolled in a public high school, public charter school, or private school;
(2) Is at least
sixteen years of age;
(3) Is otherwise
qualified to preregister or register to vote under this part; and
(4) Properly
completes and submits a voter registration affidavit,
shall be automatically preregistered or
registered to vote as provided in this section.
(b) Between January 1 and January 31 of each
year, the superintendent of education, in collaboration with the office of
elections, shall provide and may collect from each public school student who is
at least sixteen years of age a voter affidavit containing the information required by
section 11-15 to allow the student to preregister or register to vote or to opt
out of preregistering or registering to vote.
The superintendent of education may transmit the voter registration affidavit
to the clerk of the county in which the applicant resides; provided that the
superintendent of education shall not maintain, scan, review, or copy any voter
affidavit nor transmit any information maintained by the department of
education.
(c) Between January 1 and January 31 of each
year, an authorizer, as defined in section 302D-1, in collaboration with the
office of elections, shall provide and may collect from each charter school
student who is at least sixteen years of age a voter affidavit containing the information
required by section 11-15 to allow the student to preregister or register to
vote or to opt out of preregistering or registering to vote. The authorizer may transmit the voter registration
affidavit to the clerk of the county in which the applicant resides; provided
that the authorizer shall not maintain, scan, review, or copy any voter
affidavit nor transmit any information maintained by the state public charter
school commission.
(d) Between January 1 and January 31 of each
year, each private school, in collaboration with the office of elections, shall
provide and may collect from each private school student who is at least
sixteen years of age a voter affidavit containing the information required by
section 11-15 to allow the student to preregister or register to vote or to opt
out of preregistering or registering to vote.
The private school may transmit the voter registration affidavit to the
clerk of the county in which the applicant resides; provided that the private
school shall not maintain, scan, review, or copy any voter affidavit nor
transmit any information maintained by the private school.
(e) The clerk shall determine whether the
applicant is currently preregistered or registered in the general county
register."
SECTION 3. Chapter 302A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to part II, subpart C, to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:
"§302A- Automatic voter preregistration and registration. The board and the superintendent, in consultation with the office of elections, may adopt policies as necessary to maximize and facilitate the preregistration and registration of qualifying students to vote as provided in section 11- , including online and in-person options for pre-registration."
SECTION 4. Chapter 302C, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:
"§302C- Automatic voter preregistration and registration. Each private school, in consultation with the office of elections, may adopt policies as necessary to maximize and facilitate the preregistration and registration of qualifying students to vote as provided in section 11- , including online and in-person options for pre-registration."
SECTION 5. Chapter 302D, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:
"§302D- Automatic
voter preregistration and registration.
The commission, in consultation with the office of elections, may
adopt policies as necessary to maximize and facilitate the preregistration and
registration of qualifying students to vote as provided in section
11- , including online and in-person options for
pre-registration."
SECTION 6. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 7. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2025.
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INTRODUCED BY: |
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Report Title:
Automatic Voter Preregistration or Registration; DOE; State Public Charter School Commission; Private Schools
Description:
Establishes a process, beginning on January 1, 2026, for automatically preregistering or registering public, charter, and private school-enrolled students who are at least 16 years old to vote.
The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
