1. (a) In presidential elections, the names of the candidates for president and vice president shall be used on the ballot in lieu of the names of the presidential electors, and the votes cast for president and vice president of each political party shall be counted for the presidential electors and alternates nominated by each political party.
2. (b) A "national party" as used in this section shall mean a party established and admitted to the ballot in at least one state other than Hawaii or one which is determined by the chief election officer to be making a bona fide effort to become a national party. If there is no national party or the national and state parties or factions in either the national or state party do not agree on the presidential and vice presidential candidates, the chief election officer may determine which candidates' names shall be placed on the ballot or may leave the candidates' names off the ballot completely.

3. (c) All candidates for president and vice president of the United States shall be qualified for inclusion on the general election ballot under either of the following procedures:

   1. (1) In the case of candidates of political parties that have been qualified to place candidates on the primary and general election ballots, the appropriate official of those parties shall file a sworn application with the chief election officer not later than 4:30 p.m. on the sixtieth day prior to the general election, which shall include:

      1. (A) The name and address of each of the two candidates;
      2. (B) A statement that each candidate is legally qualified to serve under the provisions of the United States Constitution; and
      3. (C) A statement that the candidates are the duly chosen candidates of both the state and the national party, giving the time, place, and manner of the selection; and

   2. (2) In the case of candidates of parties or groups not qualified to place candidates on the primary or general election ballots, the person desiring to place the names on the general election ballot shall file with the chief election officer not later than 4:30 p.m. on the ninetieth day prior to the general election:

      1. (A) A sworn application that shall include the information required under paragraph (1)(A), (B), and (C), where applicable; and

      2. (B) A petition that shall be upon the form prescribed and provided by the chief election officer containing the signatures of currently registered voters which constitute not less than one per cent of the votes cast in the State at the last presidential election. The petition shall contain the names of the candidates, a statement that the persons signing intend to support those candidates, the address of each signatory, the date of the signer's signature, and other information as determined by the chief election officer.

         Prior to being issued the petition form, the person desiring to place the names on the general election ballot shall submit a notarized statement from each prospective candidate of that prospective candidate's intent to be a candidate for president or vice president of the United States on the general election ballot of the State of Hawaii. The statements by a prospective candidate for vice president may be withdrawn by that prospective candidate and an alternative candidate for vice president may be substituted any time prior to the notification of qualification or disqualification provided in subsection (d). Any substitutions shall be accompanied by a notice of substitution satisfying subparagraph (A), a statement of intent as required by this paragraph, and a letter by the candidate for president endorsing the substitute candidate for vice president. Upon receipt of a notice of substitution and all other required documents, the substitute shall replace the original candidate for vice president on the general election ballot. The petitions issued in the names of the original candidates will remain valid for the purposes of this section.

4. (d) Each applicant and the candidates named, shall be notified in writing of the applicant's or candidate's eligibility or disqualification for placement on the ballot not later than 4:30 p.m. on the tenth business day after filing. The chief election officer may extend the notification period up to an additional five business days, if the applicants and candidates are provided with notice of the extension and the reasons therefore.
5. (e) If the applicant, or any other party, individual, or group with a candidate on the presidential ballot, objects to the finding of eligibility or disqualification the person may, not later than 4:30 p.m. on the fifth day after the finding, file a request in writing with the chief election officer for a hearing on the question. A hearing shall be called not later than 4:30 p.m. on the tenth day after the receipt of the request and shall be conducted in accord with chapter 91. A decision shall be issued not later than 4:30 p.m. on the fifth day after the conclusion of the hearing.

[L 1970, c 26, pt of §2; am L 1973, c 217, §1(ff); am L 1977, c 189, §1(8); am L 1983, c 34, §14; am L 1993, c 304, §6; am L 2011, c 143, §2]

Attorney General Opinions

General election presidential ballots shall contain the candidate's party or group affiliation along with the candidate's name, regardless of whether the party is qualified under §§11-61 and 11-62. Att. Gen. Op. 13-2.

Case Notes

Independent candidates for president denied access to State's ballot for the 2004 election appealed district court's holding that relevant provisions governing access do not violate the First and Fourteenth Amendments or the equal protection clause; district court's holding that the presidential ballot access scheme is constitutional, affirmed. 620 F.3d 1214 (2010).