Bill Text: HI SB2392 | 2024 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating To Elections.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2024-03-07 - Referred to JHA, FIN, referral sheet 16 [SB2392 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2024-SB2392-Introduced.html
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THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
2392 |
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THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2024 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO ELECTIONS.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to:
(1) Specify that election ballots issued by the chief election officer or county clerk shall exclude any candidate who is disqualified by:
(A) Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States;
(B) Article XVI, section 3, of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii; or
(C) Another constitutional or statutory provision;
(2) Provide for a process for challenging a candidate's inclusion or exclusion on a ballot issued by the chief election officer or a county clerk;
(3) Include the grounds referenced in paragraph (1) as grounds for a complaint regarding an election contest;
(4) Specify that electors of presidential and vice presidential candidates shall not be individuals who are disqualified by grounds referenced in paragraph (1), and provide for contests of nominations of individuals disqualified based upon those grounds; and
(5) Prohibit electors of presidential and vice presidential candidates from voting for any presidential or vice presidential nominee who has been disqualified pursuant to Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, as determined by any federal court, or as determined by the state supreme court in an election contest.
SECTION 2. Chapter 11, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to part VIII to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:
"§11- Candidates on ballots; inclusion and exclusion; challenges. (a) Each ballot issued by the chief election
officer and each clerk shall include the name of each qualified candidate and
exclude the name of any disqualified candidate; provided that the chief
election officer or clerk shall exclude any candidate who is disqualified by:
(1) Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States;
(2) Article XVI, section 3, of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii; or
(3) Another constitutional or statutory provision.
(b)
Any challenge to the inclusion or exclusion of any candidate on a ballot
issued by the chief election officer or clerk shall be in writing and, no later
than the fifty-seventh day prior to the general election, shall be filed with
the appropriate district court; provided that for any challenge to the
inclusion or exclusion of a presidential candidate on a general election ballot,
the appropriate district court shall be the district court of the first
circuit. The challenge shall provide
notice in a summary manner of the grounds that give rise to the complaint. No later than the fifty-fourth day prior to
the general election, the district court shall hold a hearing regarding the
challenge. The district court shall assess
the validity of the complaint and shall issue findings of fact and conclusions
of law no later than the fifty-third day prior to the general election. The party filing the challenge shall have the
burden to sustain the challenge by a preponderance of the evidence, unless a higher
burden is required by constitutional law.
(c) Any order entered by the district court may be reviewed and finally adjudicated by the supreme court of this State if either party makes application to the supreme court no later than the fiftieth day prior to the general election, unless the supreme court, in its discretion, declines jurisdiction of the case. If the supreme court declines to review the proceedings, the decision of the district court shall be final and not subject to further appellate review by any court of this State."
SECTION 3. Section 11-113, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (e) to read as follows:
"(e)
[If the] Any applicant[, or]; any other
party, individual, or group with a candidate on the presidential ballot[,];
or any group of no less than thirty voters of any election district that
objects to the finding of eligibility or disqualification [the person] may[,
not later than 4:30 p.m. on the fifth day after the finding, file a request in
writing with the chief election officer for a hearing on the question. A hearing shall be called not later than 4:30
p.m. on the tenth day after the receipt of the request and shall be conducted
in accord with chapter 91. A decision
shall be issued not later than 4:30 p.m. on the fifth day after the conclusion
of the hearing.] pursue a challenge pursuant to section 11- . If
the candidate in question is excluded from the presidential ballot pursuant to
section 11- , another candidate may be selected
pursuant to a procedure conducted pursuant to subsection (c)."
SECTION 4. Section 11-172, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:
"§11-172 Contests for cause; generally. (a) With respect to any election, any candidate, or qualified political party directly interested, or any thirty voters of any election district, may file a complaint in the supreme court.
(b)
The complaint shall set forth any cause or causes, [such as but not
limited to, provable] including:
(1) Provable
fraud, overages, or underages, that could cause a difference in the election
results[.]; and
(2) A
candidate's disqualification pursuant to:
(A) Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States;
(B) Article XVI, section 3, of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii; and
(C) Another constitutional or statutory
provision;
provided that a complaint filed
pursuant to this subsection shall be dismissed if the facts alleged cannot be
proven by a preponderance of the evidence, or by any higher burden of proof
required by constitutional law, or if the complaint is based on facts or
substantially similar facts previously adjudicated pursuant to section 11- or
this paragraph, and the previous action failed.
(c) The complaint shall also set forth any reasons for reversing, correcting, or changing the decisions of the voter service center officials or the officials at a counting center in an election using the electronic voting system.
(d) A copy of the complaint shall be delivered to the chief election officer or the clerk in the case of county elections."
SECTION 5. Section 14-21, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:
"§14-21 Nomination of presidential electors and
alternates; certification by parties; notification of nominees; pledge. (a) In
each year when electors of president and vice president of the United States
are to be chosen, each of the political parties or parties or groups qualified
under section 11-113 shall hold a state party or group convention pursuant to
the constitution, bylaws, and rules of the party or group; and nominate as
candidates for its party or group as many electors, and a first and second
alternate for each elector, of president and vice president of the United
States as the State is then entitled.
The electors and alternates shall be registered voters of the State[.]
and shall not be individuals who are disqualified by Section 3 of the
Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States; article XVI,
section 3 of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii; or another constitutional
or statutory provision. The names
and addresses of the nominees shall be certified by the chairperson and
secretary of the convention of the respective parties or groups and submitted
to the chief election officer no later than 4:30 p.m. on the sixtieth day before
the general election of the same year.
The chief election officer upon receipt thereof, shall immediately
notify each of the nominees for elector and alternate elector of the
nomination.
(b)
Each elector nominee and alternate elector nominee of a political party
or group shall execute the following pledge: "If selected for the position
of elector, I agree to serve and to mark my ballots for president and vice
president for the nominees for those offices of the party or group that
nominated [me".] me, except that I may decline to vote for any nominee
who has died. I also agree not to mark my
ballot for any nominee who is disqualified under Section 3 of the Fourteenth
Amendment to the Constitution of the United States." The executed pledges shall accompany the
submission of the corresponding names to the chief election officer. Electors shall not be [released
from their pledge if the presidential candidate whom they are pledged to vote
for dies. Electors] required to
vote for any nominee who has died. Further,
electors shall not [be released from their pledge under any circumstance
other than the death of the presidential candidate for whom they are pledged to
vote.] vote for any presidential or vice presidential nominee who has
been disqualified from the presidency or vice presidency pursuant to Section 3
of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, as
determined by any federal court, or as determined by the state supreme court pursuant
to part XI of chapter 11."
SECTION 6. Section 14-22, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:
"§14-22 Contested nominations of presidential
electors and alternates. (a) If [more]:
(1) More
than one certificate of choice and selection of presidential electors and
alternate electors of the same political party or group; or
(2) Any
party, individual, or group with a candidate on the presidential ballot; or any
group of no less than thirty voters of any election district asserts
that an elector or alternate is disqualified pursuant to:
(A) Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the
United States;
(B) Article XVI, section 3, of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii;
or
(C) Another constitutional or statutory provision,
and a
complaint is filed with the chief election officer, as chairperson of the
contested presidential electors' committee hereby constituted, the chief
election officer shall notify the state comptroller and attorney general, who
are the remaining members of the committee, of the date, time, and place of [the]
a hearing [to].
(b)
The hearing shall be held for the purposes of [making a
determination of which] determining:
(1) Which
set of electors and alternative electors were lawfully chosen and selected by
the political party or group[.]; or
(2) Whether
an elector or alternate is disqualified as described in subsection (a)(2),
as the
case may be.
(c) Notice of the hearing shall be given to the chairperson of the state central committee of each political party and the chairperson of each party or group qualified under section 11-113, contestants for the positions of electors and alternate electors by written notice, and to all other interested parties by public notice at least once. A determination shall be made by the contested presidential electors' committee by majority vote not later than 4:30 p.m. on October 30 of the same year and the determination shall be final. Notice of the results shall be given to the nominees duly determined to have been chosen. The contested presidential electors' committee shall have all the powers enumerated in section 11‑43."
SECTION 7. Section 14-23, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:
"§14-23 Time for election, number to be chosen. In each presidential election year there
shall be elected at large, at the general election, by the voters of the State,
as many electors and alternates of president and vice president of the United
States as the State is then entitled to elect, in the manner provided under
section 11-113. The electors and the
alternates [must] shall be registered voters of the State[.]
and shall not be individuals who are disqualified by Section 3 of the
Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States; article XVI,
section 3 of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii; or another constitutional
or statutory provision. The election
shall be conducted and the results thereof determined in conformity with the
laws governing general elections except as otherwise provided."
SECTION 8. This Act does not affect rights and duties that matured, penalties that were incurred, and proceedings that were begun before its effective date.
SECTION 9. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 10. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
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INTRODUCED BY: |
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Report Title:
Elections; Candidates; Ballots; Electors; Disqualification
Description:
Specifies that election ballots issued by the chief election officer or county clerk shall exclude any candidate who is disqualified by a constitutional or statutory provision. Provides for a process for challenging an inclusion or exclusion of a candidate from a ballot. Includes a candidate's disqualification as grounds for an election contest complaint. Specifies that electors of presidential and vice presidential candidates shall not be individuals who are disqualified by a constitutional or statutory provision. Prohibits electors from voting for any presidential or vice presidential nominee who has been disqualified pursuant to Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
