STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2883

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1755

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 1

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred H.B. No. 1755, H.D. 2, 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 a convenient means for individuals to register to vote and thereby increase voter participation.  Among other things, this measure:

     (1)  Authorizes the county clerk to accept electronic voter registration applications;

     (2)  Makes an unspecified appropriation for fiscal year 2012-2013 for the planning and design of an online voter registration system;

     (3)  Repeals the provision that requires the list postings of all registered voters in each precinct at polling places, due to confidentiality concerns; and

     (4)  Makes several housekeeping amendments to update the voter registration laws to conform to online voter registration, and remove references to obsolete processes and technologies.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Elections, the Office of the County Clerk of the County of Kauai, the Office of the County Clerk of the County of Maui, the Office of the City Clerk of the City and County of Honolulu, Americans for Democratic Action/Hawaii, the League of Women Voters of Hawaii, the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii; Common Cause Hawaii, and four private individuals.

     Your Committee finds that Hawaii's voter turnout has consistently been at or near the bottom of voter turnout across the nation.  This measure establishes a convenient method for individuals to register to vote in order to expedite the voter registration process for registrants and election officials.  Additionally, an online voter registration system will modernize registration methods, and encourage more eligible voters to register and participate in voting.

     Your Committee notes that the appropriation in this measure is for planning and design of an online voter registration system.  Additional funding may be necessary in the future to facilitate the implementation of the online system.  As such, your Committee believes that the dialogue regarding any necessary additional funds should be continued by the Committee on Ways and Means.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by adopting the suggestions made by the Office of Elections to change the effective date to November 8, 2016, with an effective date of July 1, 2012, for the unspecified appropriation for the planning and designing of an online voter registration system.

     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. 1755, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1755, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

CLAYTON HEE, Chair