SB1638

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the current system of allocating a state's electoral votes in presidential elections on a statewide winner-takes-all basis divides the country along regional lines, undermines accountability, creates a limited number of "battleground" states, dampens voter participation, and can result in the election of a presidential candidate who did not prevail in the national popular vote. The purpose of this Act is to require the State to enter into an interstate compact with other states that would obligate Hawaii's chief election officer to certify to the governor the names of the presidential electors of the same political party as the candidates for president and vice president receiving the highest number of votes in the national popular vote.

SECTION 2. Chapter 14, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§14- Enactment of compact. The Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote is hereby enacted into law and entered into by this State as a party, and is in full force and effect between this State and any other state joining therein in accordance with the terms of the compact, which compact is substantially as follows:

AGREEMENT AMONG THE STATES TO ELECT THE PRESIDENT

BY NATIONAL POPULAR VOTE

ARTICLE I

MEMBERSHIP

Any state of the United States and the District of Columbia may become a member of this agreement by enacting this agreement.

ARTICLE II

RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE IN MEMBER STATES TO VOTE FOR

PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT

Each member state shall conduct a statewide popular election for President and Vice President of the United States.

ARTICLE III

MANNER OF APPOINTING PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORS

IN MEMBER STATES

Prior to the time set by law for the meeting and voting by the presidential electors, the chief election official of each member state shall determine the number of votes for each presidential slate in each state of the United States and in the District of Columbia in which votes have been cast in a statewide popular election and shall add such votes together to produce a national popular vote total for each presidential slate.

The chief election official of each member state shall designate the presidential slate with the largest national popular vote total as the national popular vote winner.

The presidential elector certifying official of each member state shall certify the appointment in that official's own state of the elector slate nominated in that state in association with the national popular vote winner.

At least six days before the day fixed by law for the meeting and voting by the presidential electors, each member state shall make a final determination of the number of popular votes cast in the state for each presidential slate and shall communicate an official statement of such determination within twenty-four hours to the chief election official of each member state.

The chief election official of each member state shall treat as conclusive an official statement containing the number of popular votes in a state for each presidential slate made by the day established by federal law for making a state's final determination conclusive as to the counting of electoral votes by Congress.

In the event of a tie for the national popular vote winner, the presidential elector certifying official of each member state shall certify the appointment of the elector slate nominated in association with the presidential slate receiving the largest number of popular votes within that official's own state.

If, for any reason, the number of presidential electors nominated in a member state in association with the national popular vote winner is less than or greater than that state's number of electoral votes, the presidential candidate on the presidential slate that has been designated as the national popular vote winner shall have the power to nominate the presidential electors for that state and that state's presidential elector certifying official shall certify the appointment of such nominees. The chief election official of each member state shall immediately release to the public all vote counts or statements of votes as they are determined or obtained.

This article shall govern the appointment of presidential electors in each member state in any year in which this agreement is, on July 20, in effect in states cumulatively possessing a majority of the electoral votes.

ARTICLE IV

OTHER PROVISIONS

This agreement shall take effect when states cumulatively possessing a majority of the electoral votes have enacted this agreement in substantially the same form and the enactments by such states have taken effect in each state.

Any member state may withdraw from this agreement, except that a withdrawal occurring six months or less before the end of a President's term shall not become effective until a President or Vice President shall have been qualified to serve the next term.

The chief executive of each member state shall promptly notify the chief executive of all other states of when this agreement has been enacted and has taken effect in that official's state, when the state has withdrawn from this agreement, and when this agreement takes effect generally.

This agreement shall terminate if the electoral college is abolished.

If any provision of this agreement is held invalid, the remaining provisions shall not be affected.

ARTICLE V

DEFINITIONS

For purposes of this agreement:

"Chief election official" shall mean the state official or body that is authorized to certify the total number of popular votes for each presidential slate;

"Chief executive" shall mean the governor of a state of the United States or the mayor of the District of Columbia;

"Elector slate" shall mean a slate of candidates who have been nominated in a state for the position of presidential elector in association with a presidential slate;

"Presidential elector" shall mean an elector for President and Vice President of the United States;

"Presidential elector certifying official" shall mean the state official or body that is authorized to certify the appointment of the state's presidential electors;

"Presidential slate" shall mean a slate of two persons, the first of whom has been nominated as a candidate for President of the United States and the second of whom has been nominated as a candidate for Vice President of the United States, or any legal successors to such persons, regardless of whether both names appear on the ballot presented to the voter in a particular state;

"State" shall mean a state of the United States and the District of Columbia; and

"Statewide popular election" shall mean a general election in which votes are cast for presidential slates by individual voters and counted on a statewide basis."

SECTION 3. Section 14-24, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§14-24 Certificate of election, notice of meeting. [Not later than 4:30 p.m. on the last day in the month of the election, or as soon as the returns have been received from all counties in the State, if received before that time, the chief election officer shall] In the manner provided in section 14- , the chief election officer shall certify to the governor the names of the presidential electors and alternates of the same political party or group as the candidates for president and vice president receiving the highest number of votes in the national popular vote as elected as presidential electors and alternates. Thereupon the governor shall in accordance with the laws of the United States, communicate by registered mail under the seal of the State of Hawaii to the administrator of general services of the United States, the certificates of persons elected as presidential electors, setting forth the names of the electors and the total number of votes cast for each elector. The chief election officer shall thereupon, together with a notice of the time and place of the meeting of the electors, cause to issue and transmit to each elector and alternate a certificate of election signed by the governor in substantially the following form:

CERTIFICATE OF ELECTION OF

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORS

I,...............Governor of the State of Hawaii, do hereby certify that..............., a member of the...............party or group, was on the...............day of..............., [19] 20....., duly elected a Presidential Elector for the State of Hawaii for the presidential election of [19] 20.....

CERTIFICATE OF ELECTION OF

ALTERNATE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTOR

I,...............Governor of the State of Hawaii, do hereby certify that..............., a member of the...............party or group, was on the...............day of..............., [19] 20....., duly elected...............Alternate Presidential Elector for Presidential Elector...............for the State of Hawaii for the presidential election of [19] 20......"

SECTION 4. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	1638
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007
STATE OF HAWAII