Electoral reform in Hawaii

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Electoral reform in Hawaii refers to efforts, proposals and plans to change the election and voting laws in the Aloha State.

Contents

Ballot access

On April 9, 2005, the Governor of Hawaii signed HB119, which eases the requirement that every signature on a petition must include the signer's social security number; now only the last 4 digits need be included.

Allocation of electoral votes

In 2007, the Hawaii State Legislature passed legislation to join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact but it was vetoed by Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle. [1] She stated, "Hawaii's electoral votes would be awarded in a manner that may not reflect the will of the majority of the voters in Hawaii." The Hawaii Senate overrode her veto but the Hawaii House of Representatives failed to do so, and the bill died.

The legislation subsequently passed over her veto in the next (2008) session of the legislature.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Linda Lingle</span> Governor of Hawaii from 2002 to 2010

Linda Lingle is an American politician, who was the sixth governor of Hawaii from 2002 until 2010. She was the first Republican governor of Hawaii since 1962. Lingle was also the state's first female and first Jewish governor. Prior to serving as governor, Lingle served as Maui County mayor, council member, and chair of the Hawaii Republican Party.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hawaii State Legislature</span> Legislative branch of the state government of Hawaii

The Hawaii State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state legislature is a bicameral body consisting of a lower house, the Hawaii State House of Representatives, with 51 representatives, and an upper house, the 25-member Hawaii State Senate. There are a total of 76 lawmakers in the legislature, each representing single member districts across the islands. The powers of the legislature are granted under Article III of the Constitution of Hawaii. The legislature convenes at the Hawaii State Capitol building in the state capital of Honolulu, on the island of Oahu.

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Mazie Keiko Hirono is an American lawyer and politician serving as the junior United States senator from Hawaii since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, Hirono previously served as a member of the United States House of Representatives for Hawaii's 2nd congressional district from 2007 to 2013. Hirono also served as a member of the Hawaii House of Representatives from 1981 to 1995 and as Hawaii's ninth lieutenant governor from 1994 to 2002, under Ben Cayetano. She was the unsuccessful Democratic nominee for governor of Hawaii in 2002, defeated by Republican Linda Lingle in the general election.

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The Hawaii Republican Party is the affiliate of the Republican Party (GOP) in Hawaii, headquartered in Honolulu. The party was initially strong during Hawaii's territorial days, but following statehood the Democratic Party took control. The Hawaii Republican Party is currently one of the weakest Republican affiliates along with the District of Columbia Republican Party.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Same-sex marriage in Hawaii</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hawaii House Bill 444</span> A 2010 bill to legalize civil unions in the US state

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in Hawaii</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons in the U.S. state of Hawaii enjoy the same rights as non-LGBT people. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal since 1973; Hawaii being one of the first six states to legalize it. In 1993, a ruling by the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court made Hawaii the first state to consider legalizing same-sex marriage. Following the approval of the Hawaii Marriage Equality Act in November 2013, same-sex couples have been allowed to marry on the islands. Additionally, Hawaii law prohibits discrimination on the basis of both sexual orientation and gender identity, and the use of conversion therapy on minors has been banned since July 2018. Gay and lesbian couples enjoy the same rights, benefits and treatment as opposite-sex couples, including the right to marry and adopt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hawaii Senate Bill 232</span>

Hawaii Senate Bill 232 is a 2011 law which legalizes state recognition of civil unions in the state after January 1, 2012. Initiated in the Hawaii Senate and substantively similar to 2010's Hawaii House Bill 444, which was vetoed by then-Governor Linda Lingle. SB232 was backed by her successor, Neil Abercrombie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT history in Hawaii</span>

In Hawaii, the LGBT laws have been evolving for the past hundred years. In the pre-19th century, the influence of Polynesian culture led to a more open-minded state. After the first Christian missionaries began arriving in Hawaii, strict sodomy laws were enacted. Territory v. Bell (1958) was the last sodomy case argued in Hawaii. After the turn of the 20th century, LGBT issues began being taken to and decided by the Supreme Court. In 2013, Hawaii voted in favor of gay marriage, and marriage licenses began to be issued to LGBT couples.

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