Hawaii Election Campaign Fund

The Hawaii Election Campaign Fund was created during the 1978 Constitutional Convention as Article II, Section 5 of the Hawaii State Constitution. The legislature was directed to "establish a campaign fund to be used for partial public financing of campaigns of the State and its political subdivisions." The fund was established by the 1979 legislature under section 11-217, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

The following tables reflect the activity of the fund:

TABLE I
(Revised August, 2008)

Hawaii Election Campaign Fund Status
Fiscal Year 2008

Beginning Balance as of July 1, 2007

Receipts

Revenue from the Department of Taxation
July - December 2007
January - June 2008
Interest
Copies
Reimburse Prior Period
Fines & Penalties
Excess, Surplus & Anonymous Contributions

Total Receipts

Balance with the addition of Total Receipts

Expenditures

Administration
Payroll
Public Funds

Total Expenditures

Closing Balance as of June 30, 2008

$5,622,895.64

$23,814.00
$166,666.00
$258,796.37
$127.90
$402.73
$114,344.52
$19,093.95

$583,245.47

$6,206,141.11

$105,594.69
$549,051.65
$2,074.00

$656,720.34

$5,549,420.77

The source of revenue for the fund is a state income tax check-off system which is similar to the federal income tax check-off for presidential campaigns. Tax filers can indicate on state tax forms whether they want $2 to go to the fund. Filers are informed that participation is voluntary and does not increase their tax or reduce their refund. Additional revenue to the fund are from fines, penalties, and other sources that are collected by the Commission.

Year

1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007

Source: State of Hawaii, Department of Taxation

Amount

$419,388
$456,952
$388,418
$375,956
$351,234
$268,460
$323,314
$280,678
$256,484
$250,226
$243,810
$231,226
$280,342
$257,476
$234,978
$204,606
$191,550

Year 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007	Returns Filed 565,185 570,067 570,190 584,701 555,845 556,374 562,746 565,397 566,723 574,874 575,170 578,292 584,932 606,062 622,149 -- --	Boxes Checked 209,694 228,476 194,209 187,978 175,617 134,230 161,657 140,339 128,242 125,113 121,905 115,613 140,171 128,738 117,489 102,303 95,775	Estimated Returns Checked 141,685 154,376 131,222 127,012 118,660 90,696 109,227 94,824 86,650 84,536 82,368 78,117 94,710 86,985 -- -- --	Percent 25% 27% 23% 22% 21% 16% 19% 17% 15% 15% 14% 14% 16% 14% -- -- --
Source: State of Hawaii, Department of Taxation
TABLE IV Public Funds Disbursed to Candidates
1980 Election Year* 1982 Election Year 1984 Election Year 1986 Election Year 1988 Election Year 1990 Election Year 1992 Election Year 1994 Election Year 1996 Election Year 1998 Election Year 2000 Election Year 2002 Election Year 2004 Election Year 2006 Election Year 2008 Election Year *1980 was the first Hawaii election in which public funds were made available to candidates.