STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1108

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1613

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred H.B. No. 1613, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO VOTING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to reduce the barriers to voter registration by:

     (1)  Requiring that an application to register to vote in person or by mail include a space to request a permanent absentee ballot; and

     (2)  Deleting the provision prohibiting a registered voter from requesting an absentee or permanent absentee ballot from the clerk earlier than the sixtieth day prior to the election.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawai‘i, Hawai‘i Alliance for Retired Americans, Common Cause Hawaii, and eight individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of Elections and the Office of the County Clerk of the County of Maui.

     Your Committee finds that improving access to permanent absentee ballot applications will help ensure the integrity of Hawaii's electoral system and increase voter access and turnout.

     Your Committee heard concerns regarding the expense associated with the creation of new voter registration application forms that would be necessitated by this measure.

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Adding language directing the Office of Elections to continue to use its existing voter registration application forms where possible until such time as new forms are developed and printed to implement this measure; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1613, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1613, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary and Labor,

____________________________

CLAYTON HEE, Chair