CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 11

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: S.B. No. 176

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

C.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir and Madam:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 176, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO RECOUNTS,"

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:

(1) Allow for ballots designated by the county clerks for inclusion to be included in the initial tabulation for purposes of initial recounts;

(2) Prohibit ballots that the county clerks initially determine are deficient or need additional time to be corrected or verified from being included in the initial tabulation; and

(3) Increase the minimum threshold required to trigger an automatic recount.

Your Committee on Conference finds that under existing law, the required vote difference to cause an automatic recount by the State or county is the lower of two benchmarks, which are either less than one hundred votes between the top two candidates or less than one-quarter of one percent of the total number of votes cast in that race. Your Committee on Conference further finds that most states that require automatic recounts use the standard margin of vote difference that is double that required by existing law: one-half of one percent of the total number of votes in that race. This measure will align the State's minimum requirements to trigger an automatic recount with the minimum threshold set by the majority of other states that require automatic recounts.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by making it effective upon its approval.

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. 176, 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. 176, 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

____________________________ DAVID A. TARNAS Chair

____________________________ KARL RHOADS Chair