Ballot measure · Hawaii · November 3, 2026

Question 2

Title as the state lists it: Directing the Hawaii State Legislature to Establish Procedures for Counties to Issue RISE Bonds, Exempt from County Debt Limits.^1,2,3

Research draftReferred by the legislatureConstitutional amendment

How it got there: Referred by the legislature
Kind of measure: Constitutional amendment
To pass: More than one condition
Researched: October 27, 2026

Research draft. We gathered this from official sources on October 27, 2026: election offices, state laws and court records, each linked to its source. Separate reviewers checked a random sample of 48 facts from the ballot-measure research against the cited sources and found no errors. The rest hasn't been reviewed fact by fact yet, so check the linked source before relying on anything here.

§1What your vote means

Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

A yes vote

A yes vote would amend the Hawaii Constitution to direct the Legislature to let counties issue resilient infrastructure for shelter and equity (RISE) bonds for public improvements in set districts, repaid only from growth in property tax revenue there and not counted toward county debt limits.^1,2 Where in the source: p. 74

A no vote

A no vote would make no change, so the Hawaii Constitution would not provide for RISE bonds, and counties would keep borrowing only through the bond types and under the debt limits it now sets.^2,3 Where in the source: voter guide p. 74; Haw. Const. art. VII, §§ 12-13

More about it

The Attorney General’s explanation says the amendment would not create a new tax or raise property tax rates.² Where in the source: p. 74 The Office of Elections lists Senate Bill 3219, HD3, CD1 (2026) as the full text of this amendment.¹

§2How it got on the ballot

Referred by the legislature. The legislature voted to put it on the ballot.^1,2,3

Constitutional amendment. It would change the state constitution.^1,2,3

It is on Hawaii's list of statewide measures for November 3, 2026.^1,2 None of the official sources we read calls the list certified or final, so we don’t either. What we couldn't confirm about the list is in the notes on Hawaii's measures.

§3What it needs to pass

Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

More than one condition. An amendment passes only if yes votes are a majority of the yes and no votes on it and also equal at least half of all votes cast in the election, counting blank votes and overvotes on the question.^1,2,3 Where in the source: Haw. Const. art. XVII, §§ 2-3; voter guide p. 73