STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1064

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 427

       S.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 427, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO RANKED CHOICE VOTING,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish ranked choice voting as the method of voting in certain elections.

 

     Specifically, this measure requires that the following elections be determined by ranked choice voting:

 

     (1)  Any federal election not held on the date of a regularly scheduled primary or general election; and

 

     (2)  Any special election for a vacant seat on a county council.

 

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, FairVote Action, and two individuals.

 

     Your Committee received written comments in opposition to this measure from one individual.

 

     Your Committee finds that special elections for vacant federal office and county council seats often involve many candidates and result in situations in which a candidate wins by a mere plurality of votes.  Accordingly, your Committee finds that this measure is intended to ensure that these elections are conducted so that the winning candidate wins by a majority of the votes.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 427, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 427, S.D. 2.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

 

 

 

 

________________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair