REPORT TITLE:
Vote-by-Mail Elections


DESCRIPTION:
Amends section 16-1, HRS, to allow counties to hold vote-by-mail
elections for any special election called to fill a vacancy in
any county office.

 
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                                            683         
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.           
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO VOTE-BY-MAIL ELECTIONS.



BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  The purpose of this Act is to increase voter
 
 2 participation in and decrease the cost of special elections by
 
 3 authorizing the respective county clerks to conduct vote-by-mail
 
 4 elections for any special election called to fill a vacancy in
 
 5 any county office.
 
 6      SECTION 2.  Section 16-1, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
 7 amended to read as follows: 
 
 8      "�16-1 Voting systems authorized.  The chief election
 
 9 officer may adopt, experiment with, or abandon any voting system
 
10 authorized under this chapter or to be authorized by the
 
11 legislature.  These systems shall include, but not be limited to
 
12 voting machines, paper ballots, and electronic voting systems.
 
13 All voting systems approved by the chief election officer under
 
14 this chapter are authorized for use in all elections for voting,
 
15 registering, and counting votes cast at the election.
 
16 Notwithstanding the foregoing, the respective county clerks are
 
17 authorized to conduct vote-by-mail elections for any special
 
18 election called to fill a vacancy in any county office.
 

 
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                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      Voting systems of different kinds [may], at the discretion
 
 2 of the chief election officer, may be adopted for different
 
 3 precincts within the same district.  The chief election officer
 
 4 may provide for the experimental use at any election, in one or
 
 5 more precincts, of a voting system without a formal adoption
 
 6 thereof and its use at the election shall be as valid for all
 
 7 purposes as if it had been permanently adopted; provided that if
 
 8 a voting machine is used experimentally under this paragraph it
 
 9 need not meet the requirements of section 16-12."
 
10      SECTION 3.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed.
 
11 New statutory material is underscored.
 
12      SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
 
13 
 
14                           INTRODUCED BY: ________________________

 
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