Requires poll watchers to be instructed and certified by an authorized instructor. Requires list of watchers to be submitted 90 rather than 10 days before an election.

A BILL FOR AN ACT

SECTION 1. Section 11-77, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§11-77 Appointment of watchers; service. (a) Each qualified political party shall be entitled to appoint no more than one watcher in each precinct and absentee polling place in which the candidates of such party are on the ballot. Each party shall submit its list of watchers not later than 4:30 p.m. on the [tenth] ninetieth day prior to any election to the chief election officer or to the clerk in county elections. All watchers shall serve without expense to the State or county. All watchers so appointed shall be registered voters. No person shall serve as a watcher unless that person has received instruction and has been certified by the authorized instructor to that affect. No person shall serve as a watcher who could not qualify to serve as a precinct official under section 11-72(3).

(b) Each watcher shall be provided with identification from the chief election officer, or by the clerk in the case of county elections, stating the watcher's name and the name of the party the watcher represents. On election day the watcher shall present identification to the chairperson of precinct officials of the precinct or precincts where the watcher is to serve.

(c) All watchers for precincts shall be permitted to observe the conduct of the election in the precinct. The watchers may remain in the precinct as long as the precinct is in operation subject to section 19-6.

(d) The watcher shall call the attention of the chairperson to any violations of the election laws that the watcher observes. After the chairperson's attention is called to the violation the chairperson shall make an attempt to correct such violation. If the chairperson fails to correct the violation, the watcher may appeal to the chief election officer or the clerk of the county[.] in county elections.

(e) The watcher shall be permitted to observe the operations of the absentee polling place. Any violation of the election laws shall be reported to the clerk."

SECTION 2. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.