THE SENATE
S.B. NO.
1240
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025
STATE OF HAWAII
A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO ELECTIONS.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The legislature recognizes that current election law requires the establishment and operation of voter service centers, which are intended to provide several walk-in services to voters, including registration, ballot receipt, and in-person voting. The legislature also recognizes, however, that the State has far too few voter service centers, as infamously demonstrated during the November 5, 2024, general election, during which voters faced widespread issues, including excessively long lines and insufficient access to voting services. The problems revealed systemic inequalities in the State's administration of elections.
Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to ensure a fair, efficient, equitable, and accessible voting process by:
(1) Increasing the number of voter service centers in the State;
(2) Requiring all voter services centers to operate during the same days and hours statewide;
(3) Clarifying that during each day of operation, during all hours of operation, each voter service center is to provide in-person voter registration, receive absentee and election-by-mail ballots, allow voters to vote in person, and provide voting machine services for persons with disabilities; and
(4) Appropriating moneys to the counties for the administrative costs of voter service centers.
SECTION 2. Section 11-1, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending the definition of "voter service center" to read as follows:
""Voter service center" means a location [[Struck through: within the county of the voter's registration address]] established pursuant to section 11-109 [[Struck through: to serve all of the following purposes:]
[Struck through: (1)] [Struck through: Receive return envelopes for absentee ballots pursuant to chapter 15;]
[Struck through: (2)] [Struck through: Receive return identification envelopes in an election by mail conducted pursuant to part VIIA;]
[Struck through: (3)] [Struck through: Provide voting machine services for persons with disabilities pursuant to the Help America Vote Act of 2002, P.L. 107-252, as amended, and any other federal or state law relating to persons with disabilities;]
[Struck through: (4)] [Struck through: Provide any other voting services as provided by law; and]
[Struck through: (5)] [Struck through: Any other purposes the chief election officer or clerk may deem necessary if a natural disaster or other exigent circumstance occurs before an election]]."
SECTION 3. Section 11-109, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:
"§11-109 Voter service centers; places of deposit. (a) Voter service centers shall be established by the clerks to service the particular needs of each county's voters. [Underlined: Each voter service center within a county shall serve any voter who resides within the county. The number of voter service centers within a county shall be equal to the number of county councilmembers serving on the county council. Further, one voter service center shall be located in each county council district; provided that in any county having at-large county council members, voter service centers shall be located in a manner designed to be equitable and accommodate all of the county's residents, including those in rural areas.]
(b) In each county, [[Struck through: a]] [Underlined: each] voter service center shall be open from the tenth business day preceding the day of the election during regular business hours until the closing hour of voting and at the same times statewide. [[Struck through: The clerks may operate additional voter service centers with varying days or hours of operation to service the voters of particular areas that otherwise could not support the operation of a voter service center for ten business days or the same times statewide.] [Struck through: Anyone]] [Underlined: Any person] standing in line at a voter service center at the closing hour of voting with the intent of voting shall be permitted to do so. A person eligible to vote but who is not registered to vote standing in line at a voter service center at the closing hour of voting shall be permitted to apply under section 11-15.2 to register to vote and subsequently vote that election day. To the extent the registration clerk determines the applicant to be registered at that time, the applicant will be permitted to vote a regular ballot. If additional time is required to process the application, the applicant shall be provided a provisional ballot.
(c) Each voter service center shall [[Struck through: provide the services specified in section 11-1 under the definition of "voter service center".]][Underlined: :]
[Underlined: (1)] [Underlined: During each day of operation, during all hours of operation, as established pursuant to subsection (b):]
[Underlined: (A)] [Underlined: Register voters in-person, pursuant to section 11-15.2;]
[Underlined: (B)] [Underlined: Receive return envelopes for absentee ballots pursuant to chapter 15; and]
[Underlined: (C)] [Underlined: Receive return identification envelopes in an election by mail conducted pursuant to part VIIA;]
[Underlined: (D)] [Underlined: Allow voters to vote in person; and]
[Underlined: (E)] [Underlined: Provide voting machine services for persons with disabilities pursuant to the Help America Vote Act of 2002, P.L. 107-252, as amended, and any other federal or state law relating to persons with disabilities;]
[Underlined: (2)] [Underlined: Perform other duties the chief election officer or clerk may deem necessary if a natural disaster or other exigent circumstance occurs before an election; and]
[Underlined: (3)] [Underlined: Provide any other voting services as provided by law.]"
(d) The clerks may designate and provide for places of deposit to be open as early as the mailing of ballots by the clerks; provided that the locations and apparatus for receiving voted ballots can be securely maintained during the period of use for each election, and as [[Struck through: may be]] permitted by the operational hours."
SECTION 4. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of:
(1) $ to the city and county of Honolulu;
(2) $ to the county of Hawaii;
(3) $ to the county of Maui; and
(4) $ to the county of Kauai;
or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2025-2026 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 for the administrative costs of operating voter service centers pursuant to this Act.
The sums appropriated shall be expended by the respective counties for the purposes of this Act.
SECTION 5. This Act does not affect rights and duties that matured, penalties that were incurred, and proceedings that were begun before its effective date.
SECTION 6. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 7. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2025.
INTRODUCED BY:
_____________________________
Report Title:
Elections; Voter Service Centers; Counties; Appropriations
Description:
Increases the number of voter service centers in the State. Requiring all voter services centers to operate during the same days and hours statewide. Clarifies that during each day of operation, during all hours of operation, each voter service center is to provide in-person voter registration, receive absentee and election-by-mail ballots, allow voters to vote in person, and provide voting machine services for persons with disabilities. Appropriates moneys to the counties for the administrative costs of voter service centers.
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