HB 2128 Summary

• Clarifies and improves administration of mail-in elections in Hawaii by defining new terms ("ballot summary," "precinct") and updating references from "polling places" to "voter service centers" throughout election statutes.

• Establishes automatic voter preregistration and registration for public and charter school students aged 16 and older, beginning January 1, 2021, with annual collection of voter registration affidavits by schools.

• Implements ranked choice voting for special federal elections, special elections for vacant state senate or house seats, and special elections for vacant county council seats, with detailed tabulation procedures and tie-breaking rules.

• Extends ballot return deadlines and clarifies procedures for mail-in voting, including provisions allowing voters in line at closing time to vote and expanding voter service center requirements for counties over 150,000 population.

• Amends filing deadlines for candidates seeking to fill vacant state senate seats, changing key deadlines from the 50th to the 75th day before general elections and from the 40th to the 75th day for nonpartisan candidates.