Hawaii voters pass state and city ballot initiatives
Stay updated on Hawaii and national elections coverageVoters across the state Tuesday cast their ballots for two proposed amendments to the Hawaii Constitution during the general election.
Successful amendments to the state constitution required at least 50% of total “yes” votes cast. However, a majority of “no” votes would have made no change to the constitution.
The first amendment — to remove specific language concerning the authority of the state Legislature to reserve marriage only to opposite-sex couples — received 52.1% of votes, or 228,866 votes cast, in favor of the amendment.
There were 174,783 votes, 39.8%, in opposition.
Blank votes totaled 33,943 votes, or 7.7% of the vote, while over-votes were 1,677 votes, or 0.4%, according to results released around midnight Wednesday.
The other state amendment — to make the state Senate confirmation process for state District Court judges similar to the selection of judges to Hawaii’s Circuit Courts, Intermediate Court of Appeals and state Supreme Court — garnered 269,261 votes, or 61.3%, in support.
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The amendment received 109,379 votes in opposition, or 24.9%. There were 60,305 blank votes, or 13.7%, and 324 over-votes, or .07%, the results state.
As adopted, this amendment allows District Court appointments to be automatically considered consented to if the state Senate fails to reject the appointment within 30 days.
This change would make the procedures for the Senate confirmation process for all state judicial appointments the same, regardless of whether the appointment is made by the governor or chief justice.
Meanwhile, registered voters in the City and County of Honolulu also revealed their decisions over four City Charter amendments.
Honolulu’s ballot questions included one involving a climate change fund for the city, while another sought the reorganization of the city’s Department of Emergency Management.
Oahu voters were also asked whether a commission should oversee the city’s newly formed Department of Ocean Safety and whether the City Council should vote on its future pay increases.
For charter amendment 1, voters favored the amendment — with 155,247 votes in favor, or 58.1% of the vote — to approve the creation of a climate resiliency fund, which would finance preventive, restorative and educational measures relating to climate change.
There were 111,783 votes, or 41.9%, opposed to this amendment.
The climate fund will be supported by 0.5% of the city’s estimated annual real property tax revenues. Previously, the city had no climate resiliency fund.
For charter amendment 2, voters supported the reorganizing of DEM — with 201,264 votes in favor, or 76.5%, versus 61,842 against, 23.5% — to be like other city departments, and that the Citizens Advisory Commission would fall within that agency.
The charter also would be amended to update the duties of the DEM director and provide “minimum qualifications” for that director’s position and impose an additional requirement of at least five years of responsible administrative experience in emergency management, disaster planning or public safety services management, among other qualifications.
Voters at the ballot box stated they wanted an oversight commission connected to the Ocean Safety Department. They cast 173,394 votes in favor, or 65.4%, while there were 91,655 votes against, or 34.6%.
Under this amendment a five-member panel within OSD will have the authority to make recommendations on its annual budget; review its operations and recommend improvements; and appoint or remove a new OSD chief, among other powers.
The last charter amendment — to see that any future Council pay raises would be capped at 5% annually, and require that future pay hikes be equivalent to the average of the most recent annual salary changes of the city’s various collective bargaining units — tallied 246,681 votes, or 90.6%, in favor of the change.
Those in opposition cast 25,744 votes, or 9.5% of the vote, results state.
The vote also means an amended charter would remove the Council’s authority to vote on its own raises.
Currently, the city Salary Commission establishes the salaries for municipal positions, including those of the Council.
In times past, the Council could either accept or reject any portion of the commission’s resolution, including any part relating to the Council members’ own salaries.
As adopted by voters, the charter will be amended to require the Salary Commission to issue one resolution establishing the salaries for Council members and a separate resolution establishing the salaries for other city employee positions.
In 2023 the city’s top elective panel received a controversial 64% salary increase — with all but three of the Council members accepting a $44,400 pay boost, to $113,304, up from $68,904.
As far as voter approval of the latest charter amendments for Oahu, city Election Administrator Rex Quidilla told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, “they are ratified when the ‘yes’ votes outnumber the ‘no’ votes.”
“Blanks and over-votes are not included in that part of the calculations,” he added.
