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 House Resolution asks Hawaii's Office of Elections to form a working group that studies whether to replace primary elections with ranked-choice voting in general and special elections. The proposal would allow voters to rank candidates in order of preference rather than selecting a single candidate, with the goal of increasing voter participation and ensuring candidates receive majority support. The working group would analyze costs, administrative requirements, legal implications, and potential impacts on political parties before making recommendations to the Legislature. This measure does not change election rules immediately but instead initiates a review process to determine if such changes are feasible and beneficial for Hawaii.