Bill Text: HI SR89 | 2022 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Requesting The Office Of Elections To Establish A Working Group To Conduct A Study On The Implications Of Changing The Minimum Voting Age In Hawaii To Expand Voter Participation.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-03-16 - Referred to JDC. [SR89 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2022-SR89-Introduced.html

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THE SENATE	S.R. NO.	89
THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2022
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE RESOLUTION

 

 

requesting the office of elections to establish a working group to conduct a study on the implications of changing the minimum voting age in hawaii to expand voter participation.

 

 

     WHEREAS, Hawaii once boasted the highest voter participation in the United States during the early years of statehood; and

 

     WHEREAS, in 1971, the minimum voting age in Hawaii was changed from twenty to eighteen years of age; and

 

     WHEREAS, since 1971, the young people of Hawaii have been given more responsibility in the labor workforce, paying of taxes, and driving a car, all before the right to vote; and

 

     WHEREAS, in recent years, Hawaii's voter turnout has been the lowest in the United States for the presidential elections between 2008 and 2016, where voter turnout dropped from forty-nine percent to 42.5 percent in 2016; and

 

     WHEREAS, the enactment of Act 136, Session Laws of Hawaii 2019, which requires all state elections to be conducted by mail, was intended to increase voter turnout and accessibility; and

 

     WHEREAS, in the first all-mail-in ballot election in the State, there was a record turnout of 69.6 percent, or 579,784 registered voters, who participated in the 2020 general election; and

 

     WHEREAS, despite the significant turnout in the 2020 general election, 30.4 percent, or 252,682 registered voters, did not cast a ballot for the 2020 general election; and

 

     WHEREAS, just as many adults are unprepared to make informed decisions to vote, many younger citizens are prepared to participate but are unable to engage in the process; and

 

     WHEREAS, expanding the voting population to include Hawaii residents who may be younger than eighteen years old may address some of the longstanding issues with Hawaii's historically low voter turnout; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2022, that the Office of Elections is requested to establish a working group to study the implications of changing the minimum voting age to increase voter participation; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group is requested to address the following issues:

 

     (1)  The pros and cons of a lower voting age;

 

     (2)  The experiences of countries, states, and municipalities that have changed the minimum voting age below eighteen years old;

 

     (3)  Whether a changed voting age should apply to all elections conducted in the State or only to certain elections; and

 

     (4)  Necessary processes and considerations, if any, on changing the minimum voting age in Hawaii; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group is requested to include the following members:

 

     (1)  The Chief Election Officer, who shall serve as the chair;

 

     (2)  The Dean of the William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawaii;

 

     (3)  The Superintendent of the Department of Education; and

 

     (4)  At least one member of the community representing an organization that promotes civic engagement, expanded voting rights, and good government; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the chairperson of the working group is requested to invite student representatives from public and private schools across the State; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group is requested to submit a report on its findings, recommendations, and proposed legislation, if necessary, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2023; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Chief Election Officer; Dean of the William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawaii; and Superintendent of the Department of Education.

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title: 

Voting Age; Elections; Working Group; Report