STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2192

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2019

RE: S.B. No. 216

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 216, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the chief election officer or county clerk to conduct a recount of all votes in any election contest or ballot measure if the margin of victory was equal to or less than one hundred votes or 0.5 percent of the total number of votes cast for the contest, whichever is greater.

The League of Women Voters, Common Cause Hawaii, and three individuals submitted testimony in support of this measure. An individual submitted comments on this measure.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that the mandatory recount shall be undertaken without a complaint to the Court if the vote tally falls within the statutory margin of victory;

(2) Clarifying the filing deadlines for a complaint for a contest for cause that arises from a mandatory recount;

(3) Authorizing, rather than mandating, that the chief election officer adopt rules for the mandatory recount of votes;

(4) Changing its effective date to upon approval; and

(5) 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 S.B. No. 216, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 216, S.D. 2, H.D. 1.

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

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair