STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2109

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2162

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 2162 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

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

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the League of Women Voters of Hawaii, Common Cause Hawaii, Green Party of Hawai‘i, Pono Hawai‘i Initiative, Americans for Democratic Action Hawai‘i, FairVote Action, and eleven individuals.

Your Committee finds that numerous candidates often run in special elections for federal or county council offices, which often results in the election of a candidate by a mere plurality of votes. Your Committee recognizes that conducting these elections by ranked choice voting would result in the election of candidates who receive a clear majority of votes, thus eliminating the need for costly and inefficient runoff elections.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2162 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

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KARL RHOADS, Chair