SB39 Summary

• Requires the Department of Education to incorporate voter registration or pre-registration applications into enrollment and course registration processes for all eligible students at public high schools in Hawaii.

• Makes completion of the voter registration portion mandatory before enrollment or course registration forms can be processed, with students required to affirmatively indicate whether they wish to register to vote.

• Authorizes the Department of Education to electronically transmit student voter registration information to county clerks and election officials if students elect to register, with exceptions for students who decline or present proof of non-U.S. citizenship.

• Permits updates to existing voter registration information (name and address) for students already registered, unless the student declines the changes.

• Requires county clerks to treat electronically transmitted voter registration applications as having valid signatures and establishes that databases must be accessible to election officials and the online voter registration system for timely processing.