STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1669

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 168

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 168 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION OF BALLOTS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize a voter with special needs to request that a ballot be forwarded by electronic transmission at any time.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Elections, Disability and Communication Access Board, League of Women Voters of Hawaii, Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, and Common Cause Hawaii.

 

     Your Committee finds that increased voter participation improves the accuracy of elections.  Your Committee further finds that some voters with special needs find it prohibitively difficult to request an absentee ballot within the established window of time or to receive an absentee ballot through the mail.  Your Committee additionally finds that electronic transfer of absentee ballots will better facilitate the participation of these voters in elections.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by clarifying that special needs includes a disability.

 

     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 H.B. No. 168, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 168, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

 

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

 

 

 

________________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair