Honolulu City Charter Amendment Question 5 — Ranked-Choice Voting for City Elections Beginning in 2032

What it does

Beginning in 2032, should the City use ranked-choice voting to elect the Mayor, City Council, and Prosecuting Attorney, allowing voters to rank candidates in the order they prefer (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.) in a single November election?

A YES vote means

Starting in 2032, the Mayor, City Council and Prosecuting Attorney would be elected by ranked-choice voting in a single November election, with voters ranking candidates 1st, 2nd, 3rd and so on.

A NO vote means

These city offices would not be elected by ranked-choice voting.

Needed to pass

A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Hawaii adds a second test for constitutional amendments: YES must also equal at least half of all ballots cast in the election, so leaving it blank works against it.

Left–right lean

Not a left–right issue: a procedural or local question that liberals and conservatives don't typically split on (AI read of the official ballot summary).

The YES and NO lines are SpectrumVote's plain-language reading of the official text above; the official text is what you vote on.

Official text: source

Background

The 2025-2026 Honolulu Charter Commission, which the charter requires every ten years, approved this amendment as proposal P130 on July 20, 2026, according to the commission's final proposal document.

City offices are now filled through a two-step nonpartisan election: a first round with the August primary, where a candidate with a majority wins, and a top-two runoff in November, according to the city's explanation in the state voter guide, which notes all city officials were elected in August in 2024.

The explanation says state law (HRS section 11-100) currently limits ranked-choice voting to special elections to fill City Council vacancies.

Starting in 2032, the Mayor, City Council and Prosecuting Attorney would be elected in November by ranked-choice voting, and the City Clerk would adopt rules and run a public education program.

Put on the ballot by Honolulu Charter Commission, July 20, 2026 (proposal P130; vote tally not stated in the posted proposal).

From official source 1, official source 2, official source 3, official source 4.

Next elections here

• 2028 presidential election · Who has filed so far, from FEC filings

Also on Honolulu County ballots

• Honolulu City Charter Amendment Question 1 — Food Security Fund
• Honolulu City Charter Amendment Question 2 — New Charter Preamble
• Honolulu City Charter Amendment Question 3 — Office of ‘Ōiwi Resources and Cultural Stewardship
• Honolulu City Charter Amendment Question 4 — LGBTQIA+ Commission
• Honolulu City Charter Amendment Question 6 — Police Department Policies on Immigration Enforcement
• Honolulu City Charter Amendment Question 7 — Housing Availability and Preservation Policy
• Honolulu City Charter Amendment Question 8 — Affordable Housing Fund as a Revolving Fund
• Honolulu City Charter Amendment Question 9 — Second Public Hearing for City Real Property Transactions
• Honolulu City Charter Amendment Question 10 — Affordable Housing Functional Plan
• Honolulu City Charter Amendment Question 11 — Grants to Nonprofits from the Clean Water and Natural Lands and Climate Resiliency Funds
• Honolulu City Charter Amendment Question 12 — Outside Funding Sources for Charter Special Funds
• Honolulu City Charter Amendment Question 13 — Historic Preservation Use and Renaming of the Clean Water and Natural Lands Fund
• Honolulu City Charter Amendment Question 14 — Land Management Appropriation from the Clean Water and Natural Lands Fund
• Honolulu City Charter Amendment Question 15 — Office of Data and Innovation
• Honolulu City Charter Amendment Question 16 — Permanent Resident Aliens on City Boards and Commissions
• Honolulu City Charter Amendment Question 17 — Quorum and Board Action Based on Eligible Members

All Honolulu County races and measures →

Quick answers

What does a YES vote on Honolulu City Charter Amendment Question 5 mean?

Starting in 2032, the Mayor, City Council and Prosecuting Attorney would be elected by ranked-choice voting in a single November election, with voters ranking candidates 1st, 2nd, 3rd and so on.

What does a NO vote on Honolulu City Charter Amendment Question 5 mean?

These city offices would not be elected by ranked-choice voting.

How many votes does Honolulu City Charter Amendment Question 5 need to pass?

A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Hawaii adds a second test for constitutional amendments: YES must also equal at least half of all ballots cast in the election, so leaving it blank works against it.

Should I vote yes or no on Honolulu City Charter Amendment Question 5?

SpectrumVote doesn't endorse anyone or tell you how to vote. Read what a YES and a NO vote each do, and the official text, then decide based on what you want to happen.

When is the vote?

The general election was Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Counts are unofficial until each state certifies its results over the following weeks; your state or county election office has the official results.