CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 108-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: S.B. No. 2162

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

C.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 2162, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO RANKED CHOICE VOTING,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this measure is to establish ranked-choice voting for special federal elections and special elections of vacant county council seats.

Your Committee on Conference finds that the existing plurality voting method in special elections allows a candidate to win an election without a majority of votes when there are more than two candidates for the office. Your Committee on Conference further finds that ranked choice voting provides voters with the ability to rank candidates in order of preference and has been used effectively in other jurisdictions in the nation and the world.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by inserting an effective date of January 1, 2023.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2162, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2162, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ MARK M. NAKASHIMA Co-Chair	____________________________ KARL RHOADS Chair
____________________________ SCOTT Y. NISHIMOTO Co-Chair	____________________________ GILBERT S.C. KEITH-AGARAN Co-Chair