STAND. COM. REP. 536

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: H.B. No. 525

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 525 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ABSENTEE VOTING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to improve absentee voting procedures by:

(1) Requiring absentee ballots to be returned no later than one day prior to the day of the election; and

(2) Requiring the use of a signature envelope, separate from the return envelope, to enhance privacy and security of absentee ballots.

The Office of Elections, Office of the City Clerk of the City and County of Honolulu, and League of Women Voters of Hawaii submitted comments on this bill.

Your Committee finds that further consideration is appropriate to refine the absentee voting process in a manner that will encourage voter participation and assure efficient counting of votes.

Your Committee has made technical, nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity and style.

 

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. 525, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 525, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

 

____________________________

ERIC G. HAMAKAWA, Chair