SB1165

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	1165
THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2023
STATE OF HAWAII

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. In 2022, Hawaii had one of the lowest voter turnouts in the United States. Only 48.7 per cent of registered Hawaii voters cast ballots in the 2022 general election. This represents a sharp decline in voter turnout over the years, as approximately ninety-four per cent of registered voters cast ballots in the State's first gubernatorial election in 1959.

Additionally, the State has a historically low rate of registered voters. According to a 2016 estimate from the United States Census Bureau, Hawaii had the lowest percentage of registered voters in the country at 49.8 per cent, well below the national average of 64.2 per cent. Therefore, of the 1,064,000 people in Hawaii who were qualified to vote in the 2016 election, 534,128 were not registered to vote.

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 can empower a new generation of lifelong voters.

Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to increase voter participation and encourage civic engagement in Hawaii's public higher education institutions by establishing a process for the automatic preregistration and registration of University of Hawaii system-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; opt out. (a) Beginning January 1, 2024, any person who:

(1) Is enrolled in the University of Hawaii system at any level;

(2) Is otherwise qualified to preregister or register to vote under this part;

(3) Is at least sixteen years of age; 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 chancellor of each University of Hawaii campus shall provide and may collect from each 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 chancellor of each University of Hawaii campus shall transmit the collected voter registration affidavits to the clerk of the county in which the applicant resides; provided that the chancellor of each University of Hawaii campus shall not maintain, scan, review, or copy any voter affidavit nor transmit any information maintained by the University of Hawaii.

(c) Upon receipt of a collected voter registration affidavit, the clerk shall determine whether the applicant is currently preregistered or registered in the general county register."

SECTION 3. Chapter 304A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to part II, subpart G, to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§304A- Automatic voter preregistration and registration. The board of regents and the chancellor of each campus, 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- ."

SECTION 4. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect on January 1, 2024.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________