Report Title:

Elections; Voting

 

Description:

Allows voter with physical disability to receive a ballot outside the polling place but within the 100 feet area and allowed to vote.

 

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

1429

TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2001

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

RELATING TO ELECTIONS.

 

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

SECTION 1. Section 11-139, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§11-139 Voting assistance. (a) Any voter who requires assistance to vote [by reason of blindness, disability, or inability to read or write], may be given assistance by a person of the voter’s choice, other than the voter’s employer or agent of that employer or agent of the voter’s union, or the voter may receive the assistance of two precinct officials who are not of the same political party. [Before rendering assistance or permitting assistance to be rendered, the precinct officials shall be satisfied that the physical disability exists. If a voter with a physical disability finds it unduly burdensome to enter the polling place, the voter may be handed a ballot outside the polling place but within one hundred feet thereof by the precinct officials and in their presence but in a secret manner, mark and return the same to the precinct officials.]

(b) If a voter with a physical disability finds it unduly burdensome to enter the polling place, the voter may be handed a ballot outside the polling place but within one hundred feet thereof by the precinct officials and in their presence but in a secret manner, mark and return the same to the precinct officials.

[(b)] (c) The precinct officials shall enter in writing in the record book the following:

(1) The voter’s name; and

[(2) The fact that the voter cannot read the names on the ballot, if that is the reason for requiring assistance, and otherwise, the specific physical disability which requires the voter to receive assistance; and

(3)] (2) The name or names of the person or persons furnishing the assistance."

SECTION 2. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

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