Ballots are already in the hands of voters. In addition to containing the candidates running for office, the ballot contains proposals for state Constitution and county Charter amendments. These proposals are important to the way our local and state governments operate. Voters should carefully consider each proposal. Information about the state proposals is available by downloading your 2024 Voter Guide through elections.hawaii.gov.

In order to pass, each amendment must have a majority of the number of ballots cast. Functionally, this means that leaving the question blank is the same as voting “no.”

The proposed constitutional amendment Question No. 1 is very important to maintaining Hawaii’s reputation as a welcoming place for all people. This proposal would repeal the state Legislature’s authority to reserve marriage to opposite-sex couples. Voting “yes” would remove this discriminatory provision from our Constitution.

Judith Wong

Kuliouou

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