STAND. COM. REP. NO.515

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2001

RE: S.B. No. 208

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 208 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require that the names of candidates of each party be printed on separate ballots.

Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from Common Cause Hawaii. The Office of Elections submitted comments.

Your Committee finds that current law provides an option of separate ballots or a single ballot. This measure is intended to address the apparent problem in the 2000 elections that resulted in an inordinate number of spoiled ballots. Your Committee believes that the predominant reason for ballot spoilage was confusion because all names of the candidates for each party was printed on a single ballot. This measure requires separate ballots to avoid the confusion.

Your Committee realizes that this measure would significantly increase the costs of printing and could cause software problems. However, your Committee believes that the right to vote in a democracy is a precious right that should not be compromised for the sake of economizing.

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. 208 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

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

____________________________

BRIAN KANNO, Chair