STAND. COM. REP. NO.  175-16

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

 

RE:   H.B. No. 1652

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 1652 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO VOTER REGISTRATION,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to increase voter registration by:

 

     (1)  Requiring an application for voter registration to be included with the applications for a civil identification card and driver's license;

 

     (2)  Requiring the applicant to accept or decline the voter registration before the identification card or driver's license application is processed; and

 

     (3)  Giving election officials and the statewide registration system electronic access to the registrant's information to allow for the timely processing of voter registration applications.  

 

     The Office of Elections, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Kauai Office of the County Clerk, The League of Women Voters of Hawaii, and two concerned individuals testified in support of this measure.  The Department of Transportation provided comments.

 

     This measure will reduce barriers to voting and increase citizen participation in elections by making voter registration more convenient.  This measure will also modernize the registration process and data maintenance by requiring the Examiner of Drivers and the Department of Transportation to electronically transfer voter information files to the Office of Elections and election officials, rather than transferring the information with paper documents.

 

     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. 1652 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair