Requires poll watchers to be instructed and certified by an authorized instructor. Requires list of watchers to be submitted 20 rather than 10 days before an election. (HB462 HD1)

A BILL FOR AN ACT

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

1. By amending subsection (a) to read:

"(a) Each qualified political party shall be entitled to appoint no more than one watcher who may be present at any time in each precinct and absentee polling place in which the candidates of that political party are on the ballot. Each party shall submit its list of watchers not later than 4:30 p.m. on the [tenth] twentieth 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 effect. No person shall serve as a watcher who could not qualify to serve as a precinct official under [[]section 11-72(b)(3)[]]."

2. By amending subsection (d) to read:

"(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."

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 Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.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

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2020.