STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 19

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 19 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CAST BALLOTS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to guarantee the vote of eligible voters who cast their ballot and then subsequently die or otherwise become ineligible before election day.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the League of Women Voters of Hawaii.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from two individuals.

 

     Your Committee finds that a person voting by mail expects their ballot to be tabulated when they place it in the mail or deposit it at a place of deposit.  However, the State's vote by mail process does not have procedures for validating mail-in ballots cast by eligible voters who thereafter became ineligible, including those who became ineligible by death.  This measure ensures that voters eligible to vote who cast their ballot and subsequently become ineligible to vote due to death or other reasons have their vote counted.

 

     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 S.B. No. 19 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

 

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

 

 

 

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KARL RHOADS, Chair