Hawaii Passes Automatic Voter Registration
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Democratic Legislature in Hawaii almost unanimously passed an automatic voter registration bill. Senate Bill 159 would require Hawaiians to choose if they want to register to vote or change information in their registration when applying for a driver’s license or government ID. Only one member of the House, a Republican, voted no.
Gov. David Ige (D) is expected to sign the bill, passage of which has been attempted many times over the last few years. Once he does, the law will go into effect on July 1. Voting rights groups like Common Cause Hawaii and the Hawaii League of Women Voters applauded the bill’s passage.
The Legislature also unanimously passed Senate Bill 548, which would expand voting centers in Hawaii and require that parolees or people on probation be provided with information on how to vote once their rights are restored.