Report Title:

Elections; Recount of Votes

 

Description:

Requires a vote recount for only those races in which the difference between the winner and the next highest vote-getter is less than one per cent of the total number of votes cast for that office.

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

471

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2003

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

relating to elections.

 

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

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the result of the race for the house of representatives district 44 was challenged after the November 3, 1998, general election. The legislature further finds that in January 1999, the state supreme court ordered the state chief election officer's manual audit team to manually tally the votes cast in district 44, precinct 1, and compare the manual vote count against the computer-generated vote count for the November 3, 1998, election. This recount was necessary because of the very close election result in that race.

For reasons that are either unknown or incomprehensible, a recount was conducted, not only of the votes cast in the challenged contest (the race for the house of representatives from district 44, precinct 1), but also of all votes cast in that precinct in all races, including those for U.S. senator, U.S. representative, governor, and state senator, even though the outcomes in those races were not challenged. Additionally, candidates from races other than the challenged contest were not allowed to be present either personally or through representatives, despite the fact that the votes in their races were being recounted in that precinct.

The recount process, which requires judicial intervention, is both time-consuming and expensive. In this case, it left the nominees uncertain as to the winner of the election for at least eight to ten weeks following the general election.

The purpose of this Act is to require a recount for only those races in which the difference between the winner and the next highest vote-getter is less than one per cent of the total number of votes cast for that office.

SECTION 2. Chapter 11, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§11-   Recount of votes cast for close contests. (a) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, if, within three days after an election, it appears to the chief election officer that the difference between the number of votes cast for the candidate with the highest number of votes and the candidate with the second-highest number of votes for any office was less than one per cent of the total number of votes cast for that office, excluding spoiled, over or under counts, and blank ballots, the chief election officer shall order a recount of votes for that contest only, to be conducted within fifteen working days. Before the recount is made, the chief election officer shall give notice in writing to the two leading candidates in that contest of the time and place where the recount is to be made. The two leading candidates in that contest may send two representatives each to be present at the recount. At the completion of the recount, the chief election officer shall announce the officer's findings within twenty-four hours. The chief election officer shall adopt rules under chapter 91 to implement this section in a fair, uniform, and impartial manner. For purposes of this section, "total number of votes cast" means, in the case of multiple openings for the same office, the total number of electors checked as having voted in the State, district, or county, as the case may be.

(b) Nothing in this section shall preclude the right to initiate judicial proceedings under this chapter."

SECTION 3. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

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