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Hawaii Revised Statutes

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 19-6 (2026)

  Misdemeanors

✓ current as of July 2026
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     §19-6  Misdemeanors.  The following persons shall be guilty of a misdemeanor:

     (1)  Any person who offers any bribe or makes any promise of gain, or with knowledge of the same, permits any person to offer any bribe or make any promise of gain for the person's benefit to any voter to induce the voter to sign a nomination paper, and any person who accepts any bribe or promise of gain of any kind as consideration for signing the same, whether the bribe or promise of gain be offered or accepted before or after the signing;

     (2)  Any person who wilfully tears down, destroys, or defaces any election proclamation, poster, notice, facsimile ballot, or election signage issued or posted by authority of law;

     (3)  Any person printing or duplicating or causing to be printed or duplicated any ballot, conforming as to the size, weight, shape, thickness, or color to the official ballot so that it could be cast or counted as an official ballot in an election;

     (4)  Every person who is disorderly or creates a disturbance whereby any meeting of the board of registration of voters during an election is disturbed or interfered with; or whereby any person who intends to be lawfully present at any meeting or election is prevented from attending; or who causes any disturbance at any election; and every person assisting or aiding or abetting any disturbance;

     (5)  Every person who, either in person or through another, in any manner breaks up or prevents, or endeavors to break up or prevent, the holding of any meeting of the board of registration of voters, or in any manner breaks up or prevents, or endeavors to break up or prevent, the holding of any election;

     (6)  Any person, other than those designated by section 11-132, who remains or loiters within the area set aside for voting as set forth in section 11-132 during the time appointed for voting;

     (7)  Any person, including candidates carrying on any campaign activities within the area described in section 11-132 during the period of time starting one hour before voting opens and ending when voting closes for the purpose of influencing votes.  Campaign activities shall include the following:

          (A)  Any distribution, circulation, carrying, holding, posting, or staking of campaign cards, pamphlets, posters, and other literature;

          (B)  The use of public address systems and other public communication media;

          (C)  The use of motor caravans or parades; and

          (D)  The use of entertainment troupes or the free distribution of goods and services;

     (8)  Any person who opens a return envelope containing:

          (A)  An absentee ballot voted under chapter 15 other than those persons authorized to do so under chapter 15; or

          (B)  A ballot voted by mail under part VIIA of chapter 11 other than those persons authorized to do so under part VIIA of chapter 11;

     (9)  Any unauthorized person found in possession of any voting machine or keys thereof;

    (10)  Any person other than the postal service or the clerk as authorized in section 11-109, who sponsors, establishes, or displays a collection receptacle for the purpose of receiving voted mail ballots or ballot return envelopes in an election; and

    (11)  Every person who wilfully violates or fails to obey any of the provisions of law, punishment for which is not otherwise specified in this chapter. [L 1970, c 26, pt of §2; am L 1973, c 217, §8; am L 1974, c 34, §5(b); am L 1975, c 36, §6 and c 146, §2(b); am L 1976, c 106, §5; am L 1980, c 264, §7; am L 1989, c 121, §2; am L 1990, c 115, §3; am L 2019, c 136, §37; am L 2021, c 213, §44]

 

Attorney General Opinions

 

  Precludes "exit polling" within a polling place and within a thousand-foot radius thereof.  Att. Gen. Op. 84-4.

 

Case Notes

 

  Par. 7:  Activity of poll watchers in recording names of those who have voted is not proscribed by section; constitutionality of section questioned but not decided.  54 H. 254, 506 P.2d 13.

 

 

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 4 cases, 1973–2018 · leading case: Coray v. Ariyoshi, 506 P.2d 13 (Haw. 1973).
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Coray v. Ariyoshi, 506 P.2d 13 (Haw. 1973). · cites it 40× “HRS § 19-6 is entitled "Misdemeanors. The following persons shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.”
State v. Good Guys for Fasi, 528 P.2d 811 (Haw. 1974). · cites it 64× “While HRS § 19-6(10) clearly punishes certain natural persons for failing to file, HRS § 19-6(13) just as clearly punishes all other "persons" who violate duties imposed by the statute. HRS § 19-6(13) is a catch-all provision in regard to penalties and applies here because HRS §…”
State v. Park, 525 P.2d 586 (Haw. 1974). · cites it 4× “1972) reads: § 11-155 Certification of results of election. On receipt of certified tabulations from the election officials concerned, the chief election officer or county clerk in county elections shall compile, certify, and release the election results.”
Jane & John Doe Voters 1-47 v. Cachola (Haw. 2018). · cites it 6× “As against Cachola, Plaintiffs allege that during the course of the 2018 primary campaign, Cachola violated several provisions of federal and state law –- voter fraud (HRS § 19-3), illegal handling of absentee ballots (HRS § 19-6), asking to see a ballot (HRS § 11-137),…”
— Haw. Rev. Stat. § 19-6(1) — 1 case
State v. Park, 525 P.2d 586 (Haw. 1974). “1972) reads: § 11-155 Certification of results of election. On receipt of certified tabulations from the election officials concerned, the chief election officer or county clerk in county elections shall compile, certify, and release the election results.”
— Haw. Rev. Stat. § 19-6(10) — 1 case
State v. Good Guys for Fasi, 528 P.2d 811 (Haw. 1974). “While HRS § 19-6(10) clearly punishes certain natural persons for failing to file, HRS § 19-6(13) just as clearly punishes all other "persons" who violate duties imposed by the statute. HRS § 19-6(13) is a catch-all provision in regard to penalties and applies here because HRS §…”
— Haw. Rev. Stat. § 19-6(13) — 1 case
State v. Good Guys for Fasi, 528 P.2d 811 (Haw. 1974). “While HRS § 19-6(10) clearly punishes certain natural persons for failing to file, HRS § 19-6(13) just as clearly punishes all other "persons" who violate duties imposed by the statute. HRS § 19-6(13) is a catch-all provision in regard to penalties and applies here because HRS §…”
— Haw. Rev. Stat. § 19-6(6) — 1 case
Coray v. Ariyoshi, 506 P.2d 13 (Haw. 1973). “HRS § 19-6 is entitled "Misdemeanors. The following persons shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.”
— Haw. Rev. Stat. § 19-6(7) — 1 case
Coray v. Ariyoshi, 506 P.2d 13 (Haw. 1973). “HRS § 19-6 is entitled "Misdemeanors. The following persons shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.”
— Haw. Rev. Stat. § 19-6(8) — 1 case
Jane & John Doe Voters 1-47 v. Cachola (Haw. 2018). “As against Cachola, Plaintiffs allege that during the course of the 2018 primary campaign, Cachola violated several provisions of federal and state law –- voter fraud (HRS § 19-3), illegal handling of absentee ballots (HRS § 19-6), asking to see a ballot (HRS § 11-137),…”
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