Source: https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2016/bills/HB124_SD1_.HTM
Timestamp: 2019-12-11 13:39:12
Document Index: 583051624

Matched Legal Cases: ['§11', '§11', '§11', '§11', '§11', '§11', '§11', '§11']

HB124 SD1.DOC
SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the trend in Hawaii has been toward increased mail-in voting. The 2014 Hawaii primary election was the first election where there were more early votes than ballots cast on primary election day. Fifty-six per cent of Hawaii voters chose to vote early during the 2014 primary, with approximately eighty-three per cent of these early voters doing so by mail-in absentee ballot.
The legislature further finds that in Hawaii, shifting to elections by mail would significantly reduce the logistical issues related to conducting elections. The legislature concludes that an incremental implementation of an election-by-mail voting system is the best approach for the State to transition to elections by mail.
(1) Require the office of elections to implement elections by mail in a county with a population of less than 100,000, beginning with the 2016 primary election;
(2) Require the office of elections to additionally implement elections by mail in each county with a population of less than 500,000, beginning with the 2018 primary election;
(3) Beginning in 2020, require all federal, state, and county primary, special primary, general, special general, and special elections to be conducted by mail;
(4) Provide places of deposit for personal delivery of mail-in ballots and ensure a limited number of voter service centers in each county to remain open on the day of election to allow voters with special needs to vote and receive personal delivery of absentee, permanent absentee, and mail-in ballots; and
(5) Appropriate funds for the implementation and administration of the election by mail program.
§11-A Elections eligible to be conducted by mail. Beginning with the 2016 primary election, the office of elections shall implement elections by mail in a county with a population of less than 100,000. Beginning with the 2018 primary election, the office of elections shall additionally implement elections by mail in each county with a population of less than 500,000. Beginning in 2020, all federal, state, and county primary, special primary, general, special general, and special elections shall be conducted by mail in accordance with this part; provided that any person registered to vote may request an absentee ballot or permanent absentee ballot in accordance with section 15-4 in lieu of receiving an election-by-mail ballot package pursuant to this part; provided further that absentee ballot-only elections may continue to be conducted pursuant to section 15-4(b).
(b) To the extent practicable, the county clerk shall mail a ballot package by nonforwardable mail to each registered voter in the county between fourteen and eighteen days before the date of an election.
(c) The chief election officer shall determine and provide for places of deposit and voter service centers pursuant to section 11-92.1.
§11-C Public notice of mailing. Public notice of the date or dates that ballot packages are mailed shall be given by the chief election officer and all county election offices in the manner prescribed in section 1-28.5 when all ballot packages have been mailed to voters.
§11-D Ballot instructions; ballot return. (a) Upon receipt of the ballot package, to cast a valid vote, a voter shall comply with the instructions included in the ballot package. The instructions shall include directions on marking the ballot, inserting the marked ballot in the secrecy envelope, inserting the secrecy envelope with the marked ballot in the return identification envelope, and signing the return identification envelope before mailing or delivering the return identification envelope containing the secrecy envelope with the marked ballot.
(c) To cast a valid vote, a voter shall return the identification envelope containing the secrecy envelope with the marked ballot:
(1) By mail so that the return identification envelope is received at the office of the clerk no later than the time provided in section 11-131 on the date of the election;
(3) By personal delivery to any voter service center no later than the time provided in section 11-131 on the date of the election.
§11-E Replacement ballots. (a) A voter may obtain a replacement ballot if the ballot is destroyed, spoiled, or lost. Replacement ballots shall be provided to a voter who completes and signs a replacement ballot request form. The replacement ballot request form shall include information that allows the clerk to verify the registration of the voter and ensure that another ballot has not been returned by the voter.
(b) Upon receipt of the replacement ballot request form, the clerk shall:
(2) Note on the list of registered voters that the voter has requested a replacement ballot;
(3) Mark the return identification envelope as a replacement ballot; and
(4) Issue the replacement ballot package by mail or by making the ballot package available for pick-up by the voter.
(c) Voters requesting a replacement ballot shall return the identification envelope containing the secrecy envelope with the marked replacement ballot by mail or by personal delivery to a place of deposit no later than 6:00 p.m. on the day preceding the date of the election or by personal delivery to a voter service center no later than the time provided in section 11-131 on the date of the election.
§11-F Counting of mail-in ballots. (a) Counting may begin no sooner than the seventh day before the election. In the presence of official observers, counting center employees may count the ballots on the day of the election; provided that no results shall be disclosed to the public until the close of the voter service centers. All handling and counting of the mailed-in ballots shall be in accordance with procedures established by the chief election officer.
(b) A mail-in ballot shall be counted only if:
(2) The return identification envelope is signed by the voter to whom the ballot is mailed or delivered;
(3) The signature on the return identification envelope is verified by the clerk with the signature of the voter shown on the registry of voters; and
(4) The return identification envelope is received in a timely manner by any of the methods prescribed under section 11-D.
(c) Upon receipt of a marked replacement ballot, the county clerk shall verify that a completed and signed replacement ballot request form has been received by the county clerk or is included with the marked replacement ballot. If a request form has been completed and signed by the voter and received by the county clerk, the county clerk shall process the ballot. If the replacement ballot request form is not completed or signed by the voter or not received by the county clerk, the county clerk shall not process the ballot."
SECTION 3. Section 11-1, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended as follows:
""Place of deposit" means a site designated by the chief election officer for the purpose of receiving return identification envelopes in an election conducted by mail pursuant to part .
"Voter service center" means a site designated by the chief election officer to serve all of the following purposes:
(1) Receive return envelopes for absentee and permanent absentee ballots pursuant to chapter 15;
(3) Provide voting machine services for persons with disabilities pursuant to the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (Pub.L. 107-252), as amended, and any other federal or state law relating to persons with disabilities;
(4) Assist with voter registration services as provided by law; and
(5) Any other purposes as the chief election officer may deem necessary in the event of a natural disaster or other exigent circumstances occurring prior to an election."
""Ballot"[,] means a ballot, including an absentee ballot, that is a written or printed, or partly written and partly printed paper or papers, containing the names of persons to be voted for, the office to be filled, and the questions or issues to be voted on. "Ballot" includes a ballot used in an election by mail pursuant to part . A ballot may consist of one or more cards or pieces of paper, or one face of a card or piece of paper, or a portion of the face of a card or piece of paper, depending on the number of offices, candidates to be elected thereto, questions or issues to be voted on, and the voting system in use. It shall also include the face of the mechanical voting machine when arranged with cardboard or other material within the ballot frames, containing the names of the candidates and questions to be voted on.
"Voting system"[,] means the use of paper ballots, electronic ballot cards, voting machines, elections by mail pursuant to part , absentee voting pursuant to chapter 15, or any system by which votes are cast and counted."
SECTION 4. Section 11-4, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:
In making, amending, and repealing rules [and regulations] for voters who cannot vote [at the polls] in person or receive or return ballots by mail, and all other voters, the chief election officer shall provide for voting by [such] these persons in [such] a manner as to [insure] ensure secrecy of the ballot and to preclude tampering with the ballots of these voters and other election frauds. [Such] The rules [and regulations], when adopted in conformity with chapter 91 and upon approval by the governor, shall have the force and effect of law."
If a person voted, at least once, in any of the above-mentioned elections, the person's name shall remain on the list of registered voters. For this purpose, "vote" means the depositing of the ballot in the ballot box whether the ballot is blank or later rejected for any reason. In the case of voting machines, "vote" means the voter has activated the proper mechanism and fed the vote into the machine. In the case of an election by mail pursuant to part , "vote" means the voter has returned the ballot to the chief election officer or county clerk by the United States Postal Service or by delivering the ballot to a place of deposit or voter service center."
"§11-92.1 Election proclamation; [establishment of a new precinct.] places of deposit; voter service centers. (a) The chief election officer shall issue a proclamation [whenever a new precinct is established in any representative district. The chief election officer shall provide a suitable polling place for each precinct.] listing all places of deposit and voter service centers. There shall be no minimum number of places of deposit in any county, and the chief election officer shall provide places of deposit only if the locations and apparatus for the purposes pursuant to part can be securely maintained throughout the period of use for each election. The chief election officer shall provide at least one voter service center on each inhabited island, except for an island that conducts absentee ballot-only elections pursuant to section 15-4(b). Schools, recreational halls, park facilities, and other publicly owned or controlled buildings, whenever possible and convenient, shall be used as [polling places.] voter service centers. The chief election officer shall make arrangements for the rental or erection of suitable shelter for this purpose whenever public buildings are not available and shall cause these [polling places] voter service centers to be equipped with the necessary facilities for lighting, ventilation, and equipment needed for elections on any island. This proclamation may be issued jointly with the proclamation required in section 11-91."
"§11-92.3 [Consolidated precincts; natural] Natural disasters; postponement; absentee voting [required]; vote by mail; special elections. (a) In the event of a flood, tsunami, earthquake, volcanic eruption, high wind, or other natural disaster, occurring prior to an election, that makes a [precinct] place of deposit or voter service center inaccessible, the chief election officer or county clerk in the case of county elections may [consolidate precincts within a representative district.] provide alternate places of deposit or voter service centers. If the extent of damage caused by any natural disaster is such that the ability of voters[, in] on any [precinct, district, or county,] inhabited island to exercise their right to vote is substantially impaired, the chief election officer or county clerk in the case of county elections may [require the]:
(1) Require the registered voters of the affected [precinct] island to vote by absentee ballot pursuant to section 15-2.5 [and may postpone] or vote by mail pursuant to part ; and
(2) Postpone the conducting of an election [in] on the affected [precinct] island for no more than twenty-one days; provided that any [such] postponement shall not affect the conduct of the election, tabulation, or distribution of results for [those precincts, districts, or counties] islands not designated for postponement.
The chief election officer or county clerk in the case of county elections shall give notice of the [consolidation,] postponement[,] or requirement to vote by absentee ballot[, in] or by mail, on the affected [county or precinct] island prior to the opening of the [precinct polling place] alternative place of deposit or voter service center by whatever possible news or broadcast media are available. [Precinct officials and workers affected by any consolidation shall not forfeit their pay.]"
"§11-184 Election expenses and responsibilities in combined state and county elections[.] by mail. Election expenses in elections by mail involving both state and county offices shall be shared as [set forth below:] follows:
[(1) The State shall pay and be responsible for:
Any future expenses not presently incurred under any voting system now in use or to be used shall be assigned to paragraphs (1), (2), or (3) above by the chief election officer upon agreement with the clerks or by the legislature.]
(1) The State shall pay and be responsible for all costs initially related to an election-by-mail system, except for costs associated with voter registration, which shall be paid for by and the responsibility of the counties; and
(2) Subsequent costs in an election-by-mail system shall be divided in half between the State and the counties. Each county will pay a proration of expenses as a proportion of the registered voters at the time of the general election."
SECTION 9. Section 15D-3, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:
SECTION 10. Section 19-6, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:
SECTION 11. Section 11-91.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is repealed.
SECTION 12. Act 166, Session Laws of Hawaii 2014, is amended as follows:
1. By repealing section 1.
["SECTION 1. Chapter 11, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:
(g) The clerk of each county shall add persons who properly register under this section to the respective general county register. Within thirty days of registration at the polling place, the county clerk shall mail to the person a notice including the person's name, current street address, district and precinct, and date of registration. A notice mailed pursuant to this subsection shall serve as prima facie evidence that the person is a registered voter as of the date of registration.""]
(1) Section] section 3 of this Act shall take effect on January 1, 2016[; and
(2) Section 1 of this Act shall take effect on January 1, 2018]."
SECTION 13. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2015-2016 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2016-2017 for the purpose of implementing and administering the election by mail program.
SECTION 14. No later than twenty days prior to the convening of each regular session of the legislature, from 2016 until 2021, the office of elections shall submit a report to the legislature that includes:
(2) Any additional resources the office may require to implement this Act;
(3) Any difficulties encountered;
(4) Specific steps taken and recommendations necessary to prevent fraud and ensure the integrity of the election process; and
(5) Any other findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation.
(1) Sections 2 through 12 of this Act shall take effect on January 1, 2016, in counties with a population of less than 100,000;
(2) Except for any county subject to paragraph (1), sections 2 through 12 of this Act shall take effect on January 1, 2018, in counties with a population of less than 500,000;
(3) Sections 2 through 12 of this Act shall take effect on January 1, 2020, in counties with a population of 500,000 or more; and
(4) Section 13 of this Act shall take effect on July 1, 2015.
Requires the office of elections to implement elections by mail in a county with a population of less than 100,000, beginning with the 2016 primary election; and in each county with a population of less than 500,000, beginning with the 2018 primary election. Beginning in 2020, requires all federal, state, and county primary, special primary, general, special general, and special elections to be conducted by mail. Provides places of deposit for personal delivery of mail-in ballots and ensures a limited number of voter service centers in each county to remain open on the day of election to allow voters with special needs to vote and receive personal delivery of absentee, permanent absentee, and mail-in ballots. Makes conforming amendments. Requires annual reports on implementation. Appropriates funds for the implementation and administration of the election by mail program. Takes effect 01/07/2059. (SD1)