Honolulu voters will decide in November whether to adopt ranked-choice voting for mayoral, prosecuting attorney and City Council elections. The proposal would move the final decision in all contested city races to November, when voter turnout is typically higher, potentially broadening participation in choosing city officials, according to a new analysis from the (糖心视频ERO). Ranked-choice voting allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference.
In a piece published October 16, Associate Professor Colin Moore examines Question 5, a proposed Honolulu Charter amendment that would change how voters select city officials and how election results are determined.
Under the proposal, races with two to five candidates would be decided through ranked-choice voting in November, giving voters a broader choice than the two finalists in current runoff elections. If six or more candidates run, an August election would narrow the field to five candidates for November. Uncontested candidates would still be elected in August.
If no candidate receives a majority of first-choice votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and those ballots are counted for voters’ next choices still in the race. The process continues until a winner is determined.
The analysis found that Honolulu turnout averaged about 40% of registered voters in August and 58% in November across the five election cycles from 2016 through 2024.
However, Moore noted that Honolulu already uses a runoff system designed to produce a majority winner, meaning the effects of ranked-choice voting could be more modest than in places where candidates can win with only a plurality of votes.
Research reviewed in the report suggested ranked-choice voting may encourage candidates to appeal to a broader range of voters and may lead to less negative campaigns. Evidence that the system independently increases turnout or significantly changes who runs for office and policy outcomes remains mixed.
The report also emphasized the importance of clear ballot design and voter education, including multilingual outreach, to help voters understand the process and avoid errors.
Question 5 would apply to the mayor, prosecuting attorney and all nine City Council seats. The changes could take effect no earlier than 2032 and would require state authorization for counties to use ranked-choice voting in county elections.
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