STAND. COM. REP. NO.  869-16

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

RE:   H.B. No. 1654

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 1654 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ABSENTEE BALLOTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1)  Adopt a process for permanent absentee voters to receive a ballot at both their address of record and an alternate address inside or outside the State for different elections occurring within the same election cycle without affecting their permanent absentee status or permanent on record mailing address; and

(2)  Allow voters to receive an absentee ballot by electronic transmission if the voter requires a replacement ballot within five days of an election or would otherwise not be able to return their properly issued ballot by the close of polls, and to return the voted replacement ballot and executed forms by electronic transmission.

The Office of Elections, Office of the City Clerk of the City and County of Honolulu, Office of the County Clerk of the County of Kauai, Office of the County Clerk of the County of Maui, and the League of Women Voters of Hawaii supported this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2030, to encourage further discussion; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for 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. 1654, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1654, H.D. 1.

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

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair