Report Title:

Elections; Participation

THE SENATE

S.C.R. NO.

117

TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2001

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

REQUESTING THE CHIEF ELECTION OFFICER TO CONVENE AN ELECTIONS PARTICIPATION TASK FORCE TO PROPOSE A PLAN TO INCREASE PARTICIPATION IN ELECTIONS, TARGETING BOTH REGISTERED VOTERS WHO DO NOT VOTE AND ELIGIBLE VOTERS WHO ARE NOT REGISTERED.

 

WHEREAS, voting is the core of democratic participation; and

WHEREAS, the United States has one of the lowest voting participation rates of any Western democracy; and according to the non-partisan Committee for the Study of the American Electorate, Hawaii's voter turnout was the lowest in the nation for the 2000 elections; and

WHEREAS, this low turnout is attributable to significant numbers of persons eligible to vote who are not registered and to numerous registered voters who do not actually vote; and

WHEREAS, there exists election reforms, including instant runoff voting and day of election voter registration that, if implemented, could significantly increase participation in elections; and

WHEREAS, instant runoff voting is an election reform based on consensus because it allows voters, at their option, to rank candidates as their first choice, second choice, third choice, and so on; and therefore, instant runoff voting assures that office holders have the support of a majority of the voters by allowing voters to select the candidates they would also support in addition to their favored candidate without fear of helping to elect their least favorite candidate; and

WHEREAS, the use of instant runoff voting could have prevented the "spoiler" effect caused by Ross Perot in 1992 and by Ralph Nader in 2000 and ensured that the winning candidate was supported by a majority of voters, and could have increased confidence in the electoral process and, therefore, increased participation in elections; and

WHEREAS, instant runoff voting has been used effectively around the world, including Ireland to elect its president, Australia to elect its House of Representatives, and Fiji for parliamentary elections; and instant runoff voting legislation is being considered by legislatures in California, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, Vermont, and Washington and will be considered by the Alaska voters by referendum in 2002; and

WHEREAS, day of election voter registration is another election reform that can increase voter participation in Hawaii elections without substantially interfering with logistical requirements for conducting elections; and

WHEREAS, six states - Idaho, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, and Wyoming - allow voter registration on election day, resulting in voter turnouts fifteen per cent higher than the national average turnout; and by requiring proof of residency for day of election voter registration, these six states have encouraged greater participation in elections without increasing incidents of voter fraud; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2001, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Chief Election Officer is requested to convene an Elections Participation Task Force to propose a plan to increase participation in elections, targeting both registered voters who do not vote and eligible voters who are not registered; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Elections Participation Task Force, in proposing its plan, is requested to conduct a review of instant runoff voting, day of election voter registration, and any other reforms that may increase participation in elections and evaluate their ability to increase participation in elections in Hawaii; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Elections Participation Task Force is requested to include representatives from public interest organizations involved in election issues, such as League of Women Voters, the Center for Voting and Democracy, and Common Cause Hawaii; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislative Reference Bureau is requested to provide research assistance, as needed, to the Chief Election Officer and Elections Participation Task Force to fulfill the responsibilities outlined in this Concurrent Resolution; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Elections Participation Task Force is requested to submit its plan to increase participation in elections and any other findings and recommendations to the Legislature twenty days before the convening of the Regular Session of 2002; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chief Election Officer, Governor of the State of Hawaii, Lieutenant Governor, Acting Director of the Legislative Reference Bureau, League of Women Voters, Common Cause Hawaii, Hawaii Elections Project, Center for Voting and Democracy, Republican Party, Democrat Party, Green Party, Libertarian Party, and Aloha Aina Party.

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

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