THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	39
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025
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. Chapter 302A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to part II, subpart C, to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§302A-   Automatic voter registration; eligible students. (a) The department shall incorporate an application for voter registration or pre-registration as part of the enrollment or course registration process for eligible students at all public high schools in the State. Applications for enrollment or course registration forms shall not be processed until the student completes the portion of the application related to voter registration or pre-registration and indicates the student's choice of whether to register to vote. If already registered to vote, the student shall be offered the opportunity to decline any changes being made to their name and address for voter registration purposes.

The submission of the application for enrollment or course registration form of the student shall be deemed to authorize the department to collect and transmit the information necessary to register the student applicant as a voter if the student elected to register or to make changes to the student's voter registration information unless the student applicant declined to make changes. The department shall electronically transmit the necessary information to the clerk of the county in which the student applicant resides, election officials, and the online voter registration system pursuant to subsection (c).

The department shall not transmit any information necessary to register a student applicant as a voter if the student applicant made a choice not to be registered to vote nor transmit any information necessary to make changes to the student applicant's voter registration information if the student applicant declined to make changes. The department shall not transmit any information related to a voter application or changes to the student applicant's voter registration information if the student applicant presents a document demonstrating a lack of United States citizenship.

(b) Upon receipt of the completed voter registration application or changes to the student applicant's voter registration information transmitted from the department, the clerk shall review and either approve or reject the voter registration application in accordance with part II of chapter 11; provided that approved voter registration applications received from the department pursuant to this section shall be treated as having a valid signature for purposes of section 11‑15(c), whether transmitted electronically or by facsimile transmission. Upon the clerk's approval of the voter registration application or any changes to the voter registration information, the clerk shall proceed to number the application and register the name of the voter in the general county register as provided in section 11‑14 or make approved changes to the voter's existing voter registration information as applicable.

(c) Databases maintained or operated by the counties or the department, including any documents or images, shall be accessible and provided electronically to election officials and the online voter registration system to allow for the timely processing of voter applications, ensure the integrity of the voter registration polls, and for any other voter registration or election purposes, as determined by the superintendent."

SECTION 2. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

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Report Title:

DOE; Automatic Voter Registration; Enrollment Application; Registration; Students

Description:

Makes an application for voter registration part of the enrollment applications or course registration process for Department of Education high schools. Requires eligible student applicants to be given the choice to be registered to vote. Requires updating of names and addresses of eligible student applicants who are already registered to vote unless the applicant declines. Requires the sharing of certain information among the counties, Department of Education, election personnel, and online voter registration system.

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.