It is Crucial to Oppose Ranked Choice Voting in Hawaii for Several Reasons:

1. Clarity and Simplicity: Ranked choice voting introduces complexity to the electoral process, potentially confusing voters. Oppose SB 401 to maintain the clarity, simplicity, and security of Hawaii's current voting system, ensuring that citizens can easily understand and participate in elections.

2. Preservation of Traditional Voting Methods: SB 401 rejects the traditional and well-established voting method of one-person, one-vote. SB 401 would fail to preserve the familiar and effective process that voters are accustomed to, increasing the risk of disruption.

3. Prevention of Voter Disenfranchisement: Ranked choice voting is challenging for voters to navigate, leading to unintentional errors that would invalidate their ballots.

4. Avoidance of Electoral Confusion: The implementation of ranked choice voting leads to confusion in understanding the election results. SB 401 would create unnecessary complexity in the tabulation and reporting of votes, preventing a transparent and straightforward electoral outcome that is easily understood by both voters and stakeholders.

5. Resource Allocation: Implementing ranked choice voting would require expensive resources for voter education, election administration, and technology updates. By opposing SB 401, Hawaii can allocate resources more efficiently to address other pressing issues, without the need for substantial investment in a new and complicated voting system.

6. Public Trust in the Electoral Process: It is essential to oppose SB 401 to preserve public trust in the electoral process by avoiding unnecessary changes that may raise concerns among voters. A stable and consistent voting system fosters confidence among citizens, ensuring that their voices are accurately and effectively represented in the democratic process.

Opposing SB 401 is essential for Hawaii to uphold the principles of clarity, accessibility, and consistency in its electoral system, while also avoiding potential challenges associated with the adoption of ranked-choice voting.