STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2108

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2146

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 2146 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLICATION OF ELECTION NOTICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to provide that whenever an election officer is required to issue a public notice in a statewide or county publication, the publication requirement is satisfied upon the submission of the notice to the publication; provided that the notice is also posted on the website associated with the election officer.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Elections.

Your Committee finds that timely filing of public notice relating to elections is important to keep the public well-informed. Unusual situations, such as vacancies in close proximity to the candidate filing deadline that add a contest to the ballot and extend the candidate filing deadline, should be brought to the attention of the public as soon as possible. The Office of Elections cannot guarantee compliance by an outside entity once the Office provides a proclamation or other public notice, so requiring the Office to post the notice on the Office's website will ensure that the Office can meet election deadlines regardless of the actions of outside entities.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2146 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

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

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BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair