REPORT TITLE:
Elections, Voters Guide


DESCRIPTION:
Requires chief election officer to produce a voters guide for
each general election.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                            611         
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.           
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO AN ELECTION VOTERS GUIDE.



BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  Elections are the lifeblood of democracy.
 
 2 Hawaii's voter turnout, once the pride of the nation at 93.6 per
 
 3 cent -- in 1959, and over eighty per cent for most of the '60s,
 
 4 '70s, and '80s, has slipped significantly through the 1990s
 
 5 years, resulting in a turnout of only 67 to 68 per cent -- in the
 
 6 last two general elections.  The State must take positive steps
 
 7 to encourage voter interest in, and information about, elections,
 
 8 to make electoral decisions reflect a wider cross-section of its
 
 9 people.
 
10      States such as California have a voter information guide for
 
11 each general election that clearly summarizes and explains all
 
12 ballot measures and contains candidate statements for statewide
 
13 offices.  Requiring the issuance of a similar guide for Hawaii
 
14 would be a benefit to all voters and encourage voter
 
15 participation in elections.  
 
16      SECTION 2.  Chapter 11, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended
 
17 by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to
 
18 read as follows:
 
19      "§11-     Voters guide.  (a)  The chief election officer
 

 
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 1 shall publish a voters guide for each general election.  The
 
 2 voters guide shall contain the following categories of
 
 3 information:
 
 4      (1)  A summary of each ballot measure, prepared by the chief
 
 5           election officer;
 
 6      (2)  A statement of the fiscal impact of each ballot
 
 7           measure, in plain language, prepared by the legislative
 
 8           analyst;
 
 9      (3)  An analysis of the impact of each measure, in plain
 
10           language, prepared by the chief election officer, that
 
11           may include information prepared by the legislative
 
12           reference bureau under section 11-2(e);
 
13      (4)  Statements of the pros and cons of each ballot measure,
 
14           prepared and submitted as provided in subsection (b);
 
15      (5)  Candidate statements, prepared by each candidate; and
 
16      (6)  The full text of each ballot measure.
 
17 The chief election officer shall set standards for the submission
 
18 of materials, including length of submittals and the deadlines
 
19 for submission.  The chief election officer may also include
 
20 tables of contents, indexes, art work, graphics, and other aids
 
21 to make the guide easier to understand or more useful to the
 
22 average voter.   The chief election officer may also include
 
23 other information in the guide as is appropriate.
 

 
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 1      (b)  The pros and cons for the voter guide shall be prepared
 
 2 as provided for in this subsection.  The primary introducer of
 
 3 the measure, and no more than two persons appointed by the
 
 4 primary introducer, shall prepare one or more statements in favor
 
 5 of the measure, not to exceed five hundred words total.  The
 
 6 presiding officers of the legislature shall each appoint one
 
 7 member from their respective house who opposed the bill to draft
 
 8 one or more arguments in opposition to the measure, not to exceed
 
 9 five hundred words total.  The legislative members may appoint
 
10 another person to draft the argument in opposition.  No more than
 
11 three names and titles, if applicable, shall appear with any
 
12 argument.
 
13      Arguments prepared as provided above shall be submitted to
 
14 the chief election officer on or before a date established by the
 
15 officer.  Once filed, the arguments cannot be changed or amended.
 
16 If no argument for or against has been filed with the chief
 
17 election officer by the date established for submittal, the chief
 
18 election officer shall publish notice to that effect statewide as
 
19 required by section 1-28.5.  Any member of the public may contact
 
20 the chief election officer within seven days from the date the
 
21 notice appears and request permission to draft the missing
 
22 argument.  The chief election officer shall grant permission and
 
23 establish a deadline for submittal.  In the event that more than
 

 
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 1 one person or entity applies to draft the argument, the chief
 
 2 election officer shall select the person or entity to do so, with
 
 3 preference given to bona fide organizations established under
 
 4 state law.
 
 5      After each pair of ballot arguments has been received, the
 
 6 chief election officer shall give each side a copy of the other
 
 7 argument.  Each side shall have seven days to prepare a rebuttal,
 
 8 not to exceed two hundred fifty words.  Once submitted, no
 
 9 rebuttal can be changed or amended.  Any rebuttal received after
 
10 the seven-day period shall not be accepted.
 
11      The following statement shall be printed at the bottom of
 
12 each page where the arguments appear:  "Arguments printed on this
 
13 page are the opinions of the authors, and have not been checked
 
14 for accuracy by any official state agency."
 
15      (c)  The chief election officer shall have printed one guide
 
16 for each registered voter, as well as additional guides, at the
 
17 discretion of the chief election officer, for distribution of a
 
18 reasonable number, not less than twelve, upon request, to high
 
19 schools in the State, and a reasonable number, not less than
 
20 twenty-five, upon request, to each accredited institute of higher
 
21 learning in the State, and for three copies at each polling
 
22 place.  The chief election officer shall also have a copy of the
 
23 guide available on the internet.
 

 
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 1      The guide shall be mailed to all voters between the fortieth
 
 2 and twenty-first day prior to the general election.
 
 3      (d)  The chief election officer may contract qualified
 
 4 personnel to produce any information required under this
 
 5 section."
 
 6      SECTION 3.  Until such time as the position of the
 
 7 legislative analyst, authorized pursuant to section 21F-6, Hawaii
 
 8 Revised Statutes, is funded, the tasks of the legislative analyst
 
 9 as required by this Act shall be undertaken by the auditor.
 
10      SECTION 4.  New statutory material is underscored.
 
11      SECTION 5.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
 
12 
 
13                           INTRODUCED BY:  _______________________