STAND. COM. REP. NO. 281

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: S.B. No. 1058

S.D. 1

 

 

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. 1058 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO VOTING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a voter education program to promote participation in elections by encouraging voter registration, voter education, and voter turnout. This measure also appropriates funds to implement this program.

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

Your Committee finds that to increase voter participation in all elections, voters must not only be properly educated in regard to voter registration, but also encouraged to turn out and vote as part of a voter education program.

Your Committee has amended this measure in response to concerns voiced by the Office of Elections. The Office of Elections was concerned about being actively involved in encouraging eligible voters to turn out and vote as part of this voter education program. The Office of Elections believes that a voter education program should be focused on providing relevant information related to the "mechanics" of voting, such as how to vote, when to vote, and where to vote. The measure has been amended to remove language requiring the Office of Elections to "encourage" voter to turn out and register to vote as part of a voter education program. Instead the measure now requires the Office of Elections to enact a more general voter education program designed to promote voter participation in elections.

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. 1058, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1058, S.D. 1, 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