The Hawaii legislature adjourned on May 8, and HB 1716, the bill to ease the definition of a qualified party, failed to pass. It had passed both houses, but the two versions did not agree with each other. The House had appointed a conference committee to come up with a single version of the bill, but the Senate did not appoint a conference committee.

The House version would have said that if a party has been on the ballot for eight years in a row, it continues to be qualified as long as it continues to run candidates. The Senate version would have said that if it has been on the ballot for four years, it continues in existence for the next ten years.