STAND. COM. REP. NO. 781

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 132

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 132 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish definitions for purposes of electronic voting; and

(2) Specify additional requirements and procedures that election officials must comply with when using an electronic voting system, including procedures for conducting the post-election, pre-certification audit.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Elections. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii Federation of Republican Women and numerous individuals.

Your Committee finds that this measure clarifies the use of electronic voting systems for the purpose of marking and counting ballots as well as auditing election results.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Retaining language that requires the post-election, pre‑certification audit to be of a random sample of no less than ten percent of the precincts; 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 Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 132, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 132, H.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair