Report Title:

Elections

Description:

Requires office of elections to establish a vote-by-mail pilot program. (HB1746 HD1)

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1746

TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2005

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

  

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

relating to elections.

 

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

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that Hawaii has the lowest voter turnout rate in the nation, with just over forty per cent of eligible voters voting in the two most recent elections. In contrast, eighty-four per cent of registered voters in Oregon voted in 2004. Oregon's vote-by-mail system, approved by almost seventy per cent of Oregonians in a 1998 initiative, is credited with improving voter participation in Oregon. Oregon's vote-by-mail system is used for all elections and is popular with voters because it empowers the voter and eliminates many of the problems that exist in other voting systems. Ballots are mailed to voters, and the voter is required to return the ballot by mail or by dropping it off at designated sites within a two-week period.

Although Oregon is the only state to use a vote-by-mail system for all elections, at least ten other states allow voting by mail at some level. In some of those states, a vote-by-mail system is used only for ballot questions and not for candidate elections. The legislature finds that a vote-by-mail system has a number of advantages over traditional polling.

The purpose of this Act is to require the office of elections to develop and implement a vote-by-mail system pilot program, similar to Oregon's vote-by-mail system. The pilot program shall be implemented for elections in 2006, in the three representative districts with the lowest voter turnout rates in the last two election years.

SECTION 2. The office of elections shall develop and implement a vote-by-mail pilot program that shall replace traditional polling places in certain representative districts for elections in 2006. The vote-by-mail pilot program shall include a requirement that vote-by-mail ballots be received by the close of the polls on election day in order to be counted. The pilot program shall be implemented in the three representative districts with the lowest voter turnout rate in the last two election cycles and shall include voter education materials relating to the vote-by-mail system for eligible voters who reside in the pilot program precincts.

Upon the conclusion of the 2006 general election, but not later than the convening of the regular session of 2007, the chief election officer shall submit a report to the legislature that includes:

(1) The voter demographics and other statistical information, as deemed necessary by the chief election officer, to accurately assess the efficacy of the pilot project for each selected representative district;

(2) The efforts made by the office of elections to advertise, educate, and promote the pilot project to enhance the pilot project's chance of success and the cost of such efforts;

(3) Whether the pilot project had any effect on increasing or decreasing voter participation and, if so, by how much;

(4) Any operational problems or legal impediments that arose that affected the implementation or operation of the pilot project;

(5) The actual cost of implementing the pilot project, including postage costs;

(6) A recommendation as to whether the pilot project should be made permanent on a limited or all-encompassing basis and, if recommended to be made permanent, a recommendation on what statutory revisions need to be made to fully effectuate the mail-in voting system; and

(7) An estimate on the cost, including postage costs, to continue the pilot project permanently on a limited or all-encompassing basis.

The vote-by-mail pilot program shall be funded by federal funds, when available, and legislative appropriations. The office of elections shall use federal funds whenever possible to develop and implement the pilot program.

SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $           or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2005-2006 and the sum of $           or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2006-2007 to establish a vote-by-mail pilot program for elections in 2006.

The sums appropriated shall be expended by the office of elections for the purpose of this Act.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2005, and shall be repealed on December 31, 2007.