Hawaii Revised Statutes

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 12-7 (2026)

Filing of oath

✓ current as of July 2026

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§12-7 Filing of oath. The name of no candidate for any office shall be printed upon any official ballot, in any election, unless the candidate shall have taken and subscribed to the following written oath or affirmation, and filed the oath with the candidate's nomination papers.

The written oath or affirmation shall be in the following form:

"I,..............., do solemnly swear and declare, on oath that if elected to office I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America, and the Constitution and laws of the State of Hawaii, and will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that if elected I will faithfully discharge my duties as.....(name of office)...............to the best of my ability; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; So help me God."

Upon being satisfied as to the sincerity of any person claiming that the person is unwilling to take the above prescribed oath only because the person is unwilling to be sworn, the person may be permitted, in lieu of the oath, to make the person's solemn affirmation which shall be in the same form as the oath except that the words "sincerely and truly affirm" shall be substituted for the word "swear" and the phrases "on oath" and "So help me God" shall be omitted. Such affirmation shall be of the same force and effect as the prescribed oath.

The oath or affirmation shall be subscribed before the officer administering the same, who shall endorse thereon the fact that the oath was subscribed and sworn to or the affirmation was made together with the date thereof and affix the seal of the officer's office or of the court of which the officer is a judge or clerk.

It shall be the duty of every notary public or other public officer by law authorized to administer oaths to administer the oath or affirmation prescribed by this section and to furnish the required endorsement and authentication. [L 1970, c 26, pt of §2; gen ch 1985]

Case Notes

Where individual did not sign the "certification by the partisan candidate", as mandated by §12-3(a), and either the "oath of loyalty" or the "affirmation", as mandated by this section, the individual's incomplete nomination papers were void on their face, and the county clerk had no authority to "accept" the nomination papers; thus, individual did not become an official candidate for the 14th district. 126 H. 115 (App.), 267 P.3d 699 (2011).

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 2 cases, 2010–2011 · leading case: Dejetley v. Kaho'ohalahala, 226 P.3d 421 (Haw. 2010).

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Dejetley v. Kaho'ohalahala, 226 P.3d 421 (Haw. 2010). · cites it 2× “, and that “[a]n elected official can be recalled for any reason” under § 12-7. Again, Kaho'ohalahala asserts that recall and impeachment proceedings would seem to effect the same remedy, i.”

Nishimura v. Williams, 267 P.3d 699 (Haw. App. 2011). · cites it 3× “HRS § 12-7 (2009 Repl.), titled “Filing of oath,” provides in part: The name of no candidate for any office shall be printed upon any official ballot, in any election, unless the candidate shall have taken and subscribed to the following written oath or affirmation, and filed…”

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