Report Title:

Voter Registration; Driver's License Application

Description:

Requires examiner of drivers to forward information regarding qualified applicants for a driver's license to county clerk to register the applicant to vote.

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

488

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2003

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

relating to voter registration.

 

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

SECTION 1. Chapter 11, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§11-   Access to registration records; examiner of drivers. The clerk of each county shall provide the examiner of drivers with computer access to voter registration records for the purpose of determining whether an applicant for a driver's license is registered to vote pursuant to section 286-  ."

SECTION 2. Chapter 286, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§286-   Voter Registration. (a) Qualified applicants for a motor vehicle driver's license pursuant to section 286-107 or 286-108 or an instruction permit pursuant to section 286-110 shall be registered to vote pursuant to section 11-14.

(b) Every qualified applicant identified in subsection (a) shall authorize the examiner of drivers to:

(1) Collect the necessary personal information required for registering the qualified applicant to vote pursuant to chapter 11; and

(2) Transmit the information to the clerk of the county in which the qualified applicant resides.

(c) The examiner of drivers shall notify all qualified applicants identified in subsection (a) that by submitting an application, the qualified applicant is:

(1) Consenting to registration to vote in the county in which the applicant resides; or

(2) Confirming that the qualified applicant is already registered to vote in the county in which the applicant resides.

(d) The examiner of drivers shall collect from a qualified applicant the necessary personal information required for registering the qualified applicant to vote. Upon determining that a qualified applicant is not registered to vote in the county in which the applicant resides, the examiner of drivers shall transmit the necessary personal information of the qualified applicant to the clerk of the county in which the applicant resides. The county clerk shall register the qualified applicant to vote pursuant to section 11-14; provided that the applicant's eligibility to vote in the next election following registration shall be governed by sections 11-16 and 11-24.

(e) For purposes of this section, "qualified applicant" means a United States citizen who is a resident of the State and who is at least eighteen years of age or will be eighteen years of age by the date of the next election."

SECTION 3. Section 11-16, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:

"(a) Any qualified person unable for any cause to present oneself in person before the clerk for registration may register to vote by mail, not later than thirty days prior to a primary or general election, through the affidavit on application for voter registration or other form prescribed by the chief election officer. The form shall include a self-subscribing oath for the applicant to swear to the truth of the allegations in the application. An applicant unable to write for reason of illiteracy, blindness, or other physical disability shall have the applicant's mark witnessed by a person who shall sign the affidavit in the space provided. Application forms shall be made available to any qualified person through community groups, political parties, and other groups prescribed by the chief election officer. [Application forms shall be made available to any qualified person at the time of that person's driver's license application or renewal through the examiner of drivers.]"

SECTION 4. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

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