Bill > HB1435

This bill replaces Hawaii's boards of registration with on-call circuit judges to handle election-related disputes and challenges. An "on-call circuit judge" is defined as a judge of the circuit court who is available in their respective judicial circuit. The legislation stems from the observation that with the transition to vote-by-mail, the number of incidents requiring immediate resolution has significantly declined, and most board of registration decisions were being appealed to appellate courts anyway. The bill modifies multiple sections of Hawaii's election laws to replace references to "boards of registration" with "on-call circuit judges," which means that voter registration challenges, residency disputes, and other election-related appeals will now be heard by a single on-call circuit judge instead of a board. The judge will have the power to review challenges, allow challenged voters to cast sealed ballots pending appeal, and make expedited rulings. Appeals from the on-call circuit judge's decisions can still be made to the intermediate appellate court. The bill also repeals the part of Hawaii's law that established boards of registration and will take effect on July 1, 2025, ensuring that existing rights, penalties, and proceedings are not disrupted by the change.

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https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=1435&year=2026