STAND. COM. REP. NO. 643

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 327

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 327, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to modernize the State's voter registration operations.

Specifically, the measure:

(1)  Requires that databases containing driver's license and civil identification card information be transmitted electronically to election officials and the statewide voter registration system;

(2)  Requires the Office of Elections to become a member of the Electronic Registration Information Center and share information with the counties, pursuant to the terms of the membership agreement;

(3)  Requires the Office of Elections and each county office that administers elections to verify their respective voter registration rolls; and

(4)  Appropriates funds to the Office of Elections to join the Electronic Registration Information Center.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Elections, Common Cause Hawaii, League of Women Voters of Hawaii, and one individual.  Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Office of the County Clerk, County of Kauai.

     Your Committee notes that the Electronic Registration Information Center is a nonprofit organization that helps states improve the accuracy of voter registration rolls by using secure data-matching tools.  Your Committee finds that membership in the Electronic Registration Information Center would help to improve the accuracy of voter registration rolls maintained by the Office of Elections and the respective county clerks' offices, which, in turn, is likely to result in greater efficiency and cost savings in administering Hawaii's voter registration systems.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 327, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair