REQUESTING THE OFFICE OF ELECTIONS TO CONVENE A WORKING GROUP TO EXAMINE THE FISCAL IMPACTS, POTENTIAL COST SAVINGS, ADMINISTRATIVE CONSIDERATIONS, AND BROADER POLICY IMPLICATIONS OF ELIMINATING PRIMARY ELECTIONS AND IMPLEMENTING RANKED-CHOICE VOTING IN GENERAL AND SPECIAL ELECTIONS.

This bill requests the Office of Elections in Hawaii to form a working group to study the costs and policy effects of removing primary elections and adopting ranked-choice voting for general and special elections. The proposed working group would include election officials, legislators, political party representatives, and public experts to analyze fiscal impacts, administrative needs, and potential constitutional changes. Members would examine data from jurisdictions that use ranked-choice voting, evaluate voter participation trends, and develop recommendations on whether to propose constitutional amendments to implement these changes. The group is tasked with submitting a final report with findings and proposed legislation to the Legislature by early 2027.