STAND. COM. REP. NO. 190

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: S.B. No. 975

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 975 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO VOTING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to enact same-day voter registration and reduce the closing date for voter registration from thirty days to fifteen days before the date of a primary, general, special primary, special general, or special election.

Testimony in support of the measure was submitted by the Office of Elections and the League of Women Voters for Hawaii. The Office of the City Clerk for the City and County of Honolulu testified in opposition to the measure.

Your Committee finds that Hawaii has one of the lowest voter turnout rates in the nation. To increase participation among eligible Hawaii voters, your Committee finds that voter friendly initiatives such as same-day voter registration and reducing the voter registration closing date to fifteen days before the date of an election will remove barriers to voter registration and voting. Same-day voter registration has been successfully enacted in six other states and these states consistently lead the nation in voter turnout.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 975 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 and Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

COLLEEN HANABUSA, Chair