HRS §16-46

How defective ballots are replaced and counted

Read the official text at capitol.hawaii.gov ↗

Counting center workers must make a new ballot to replace each damaged or unreadable ballot. The new ballot cannot be counted until at least two official observers check it. The damaged ballots are kept separate, and the new ones are counted under election rules.

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The statute, as written — Counting defective ballots

A copy, taken August 20, 2026. The version published by the Legislature is the one that governs, and it may have changed since. Check it before relying on anything here.

Counting center employees shall prepare a new ballot to replace each defective ballot; provided that the replacement ballot may not be counted until reviewed by at least two official observers. The defective ballots shall be segregated and the replacement ballots counted pursuant to rules adopted by the chief election officer.

Read the official text at capitol.hawaii.gov ↗as published Jan 6, 2026our copy taken Aug 20, 2026

LawTrove is not legal advice. The summary above is a computer-generated restatement — the authoritative text is the official version linked above.