Bill > HCR181

This resolution requests the Hawaii State Office of Elections to convene a working group focused on improving automatic voter registration, in response to the state's historically low voter participation rates. The working group would include representatives from the Office of Elections (who would chair the group), the Honolulu Department of Customer Services, Common Cause Hawaii, the League of Women Voters, and the Institute for Responsive Government. The resolution highlights that Hawaii's current automatic voter registration system, established in 2021, is an opt-in model that places registration responsibility on individual voters, which has not fully engaged the potential voter population. By creating this working group, the legislature aims to explore transitioning to an opt-out model that could maximize democratic participation and make voter registration more streamlined. The working group would be tasked with submitting a report containing their findings and recommendations, including potential legislation, no later than twenty days before the 2026 Regular Legislative Session. The resolution reflects concerns about voter engagement, noting that in the 2024 primary election, only 32.1 percent of registered voters cast ballots, which was the lowest turnout in 65 years.

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https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HCR&billnumber=181&year=2025