STAND. COM. REP. NO.  773-12

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2012

RE:   H.B. No. 1755

      H.D. 2

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 1755, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to modify voter registration and related procedures by, among other things:

     (1)  Allowing online voter registration, and establishing that using the electronic application for registration constitutes consent by the applicant for confirmatory information to be obtained from other government databases regarding the applicant's information;

     (2)  Amending record keeping requirements affecting the maintenance of voters' names, affidavits of registration, and the use of tabulating cards, computer tapes, the register, and voter lists;

     (3)  Deleting requirements that the county clerk maintain segregated records for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs registered voters, and the requirement that a person voting for the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs affirm that the person is Hawaiian;

     (4)  Deleting the requirement that the county clerk prepare a list of all registered voters in each precinct to be posted at the precinct polling place on election day;

     (5)  Appropriating $500,000 from the general fund for the planning, designing, and implementation of an online voter registration system; and

     (6)  Requiring the Chief Election Officer and county clerks to consider and report on the feasibility of using the last four digits of the social security number in lieu of using that number in its entirety in voter registration and record keeping.

The Elections Division of the Office of the Clerk of the County of Kauai, Americans for Democratic Action Hawaii, and five individuals supported this measure.  The Office of Elections, The Office of the County Clerk of the County of Maui, Common Cause Hawaii, and the League of Women Voters of Hawaii commented on this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Deleting the appropriation amount;

     (2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2030, for the purpose of facilitating further discussion; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1755, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1755, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair