STAND. COM. REP. NO.  820

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

RE:   H.B. No. 612

      H.D. 2

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 612, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to promote fairness in the conduct of postponed elections by prohibiting the public disclosure of voting results from every precinct for any ballot contest or question affected by the postponement, until voting for the postponed election has been concluded.

Common Cause Hawaii provided testimony in support of this measure.  The League of Women Voters of Hawaii provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

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

(2)  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. 612, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 612, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair