Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Transportation, Military Affairs and Government Operations, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 117 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a task force to consider new voting procedures designed to increase voter registration and voter turnout.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Libertarian Party of Hawaii, the Center for Voting and Democracy, and Common Cause Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that the State of Hawaii has the lowest voter turnout of any state in the United States. With such low voter turnout the entire state suffers, because our elected officials may not truly represent all of the people of the State.

Your Committee finds that there are many possible causes for Hawaii's low rates of voter registration and voter turnout. The task force proposed by this measure will serve an important function, to consider new voting procedures designed to increase citizen participation in our democratic government.

Your Committee amended this measure to include an additional issue for consideration by the task force. Recent years have seen a significant increase in voter confusion at the polls, and as a result the number of spoiled ballots has increased as well.

Your Committee amended this measure to request that the task force consider whether using single-party ballots, rather than the multi-party ballot currently employed, will reduce voter confusion. In addition, the task force should consider any additional steps that can be taken to reduce the number of spoiled ballots.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation, Military Affairs and Government Operations that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 117, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Judiciary, in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 117, S.D. 1.