Hawaii Overview

Redistricting Process: Article IV of the Hawaii Constitution establishes a commission with responsibility for drawing congressional as well as state legislative districts. The commission starts with eight members, as the majority and minority leaders of each house of the state legislature each select two members. These eight commissioners then select a ninth member to serve as chairman. None of the members of the commission can hold public office. Moreover, they are restricted from running for public office for the next two elections following reapportionment.

After its creation, the Reapportionment Commission has 150 days to submit a plan for redistricting of legislative and congressional districts to the Chief Election Official. The plan is published and available for public comment and feedback—including one public hearing for each island unit—after which it takes legal force. While Hawaii has detailed rules for representation of each island in the state legislature, these requirements do not apply to congressional districts, in part because the state only has two congressional representatives. For the past several cycles, metropolitan Honolulu has elected one representative to Congress, and the rest of the state the other representative.

Governor: Democrat Neil Abercrombie

Legislature: Democrats control both chambers.

Number of Congressional Seats in 2011: 2 (no change from 2010)

2011 Ideal District Population: 680,151

Link to Hawaii Office of Elections: Redistricting and Reapportionment