STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1127

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 545

       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. 545, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO VOTER REGISTRATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish an online voter registration system that is available on the website of the Office of Elections.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawai‘i, Americans for Democratic Action Hawai‘i, The League of Women Voters of Hawaii, Common Cause Hawaii, and one individual.  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 this measure represents an important step in ensuring that all of Hawaii's citizens are able to vote by reducing the barriers to voter registration.  Improving access to voter registration will increase voter turnout, particularly for younger voters who are among those least likely to vote.  Further, online voter registration is an efficient and economical electoral system that has seen great success in a number of states.  In these difficult economic times, it is incumbent upon the State to do more with less, and your Committee believes that encouraging voter turnout while decreasing the cost to register voters is an excellent strategy to meet this goal.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Mandating that the Department of the Attorney General, Examiner of Drivers for each county, county clerks, and Office of Elections cooperate to modify their respective applicable computer systems, develop and implement new computer software, or otherwise develop a method by which the Office of Elections may verify the information in the voter registration affidavits described in section 1 of this measure and may obtain an electronic copy of each applicant's signature;

     (2)  Providing that no state or county agency shall charge the Office of Elections any fees or costs related to compliance with the Office of Elections to implement the online voter registration system; and

     (3)  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. 545, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 545, 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