H.C.R. NO. 115 Summary

• Requests the Legislative Reference Bureau to establish a task force to review Hawaii's current voter education system and propose improvements, including recommendations on costs, best practices, and future system design.

• Task force composition includes the Chief Election Officer, county clerks, legislative appointees from both chambers and both parties, a University of Hawaii political scientist, and three voter education advocates from Common Cause Hawaii, League of Women Voters of Hawaii, and Associated Students of the University of Hawaii.

• Task force chair shall be elected by two-thirds vote of members.

• Preliminary report due to the Legislature no later than 20 days before the 2020 Regular Session convening, with final report including recommended legislation due 20 days prior to the 2021 Regular Session convening.

• Resolution cites Hawaii's 2018 general election voter turnout of 39.3 percent and registered voter participation of 52.7 percent as evidence that insufficient voter education contributes to poor citizen engagement.