Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Transportation, Military Affairs, and Government Operations and Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 754 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to allow any federal, state, or county election held other than on the date of a regularly scheduled primary or general election to be held by mail.

Testimony in support of this measure was received from the Office of Elections, the Disability and Communications Access Board, the League of Women Voters of Hawaii, and Hawaii Pro Democracy Initiative.

This measure is intended to reduce confusion, costs, and the inconvenience of holding a non-regularly-scheduled election. An example is the recent special election to fill the seat of the U.S. Representative from Hawaii's Second District. This election could have been conducted by mail, had this option been available, resulting in the saving of public funds.

Your Committees find that holding elections by mail will likely increase voter turnout, by giving voters more flexibility in submitting their ballots and by enabling persons with mobility difficulties to vote from their homes.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Transportation, Military Affairs, and Government Operations and Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 754, and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.