STAND. COM. REP. NO. 704
Honolulu, Hawaii
S.D. 1
President of the Senate
Thirty-First State Legislature
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 550 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO VOTING,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The
purpose and intent of this measure is to allow an
individual who is seventeen years of age but will be eighteen years of age on
or before the next state or local general election to register and vote at the
state or local primary election immediately preceding that state or local
general election.
Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the League of Women Voters of Hawaii, Young Progressives Demanding Action, Pono Hawai‘i Initiative, and twelve individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General, Vote16HI, and Common Cause Hawaii.
Your Committee finds that the earlier a person begins civic participation, such as voting, the more likely that person is to remain a lifelong active citizen and participant in democracy. Your Committee further finds that primary elections are a crucial phase of the election cycle, and that full participation as a voter in a general election involves the opportunity to vote in the corresponding primary election.
Your Committee has amended this measure by:
(1) Allowing individuals who are seventeen years of age but will be eighteen years of age on or before the next general election to vote in all co-occurring or intervening special elections; and
(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.
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. 550, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 550, S.D. 1, 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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________________________________ KARL RHOADS, Chair |
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