Bill Text: HI SR16 | 2019 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requesting The Legislative Reference Bureau To Establish A Task Force To Review Hawaii's Current Voter Education System And Propose Improvements.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-0)
Status: (Passed) 2019-04-12 - Report and Resolution Adopted. [SR16 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2019-SR16-Introduced.html
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THE SENATE |
S.R. NO. |
16 |
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THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2019 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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SENATE RESOLUTION
requesting the legislative reference bureau to establish a task force to review hawaii's current voter education system and propose improvements.
WHEREAS, a successful democracy engages most of its eligible citizens in voting; and
WHEREAS, voter turnout in Hawaii's 2018 general election was only 39.3 percent; and
WHEREAS, of those persons in Hawaii registered to vote in the November 2018 election, only 52.7 percent voted; and
WHEREAS, insufficient voter education is a significant factor that contributes to poor citizen engagement in Hawaii; and
WHEREAS, it is important that voter education be balanced, politically nonpartisan, and available to all citizens; and
WHEREAS, an appropriate voter education program should provide accurate information in everyday language explaining all ballot measures; and
WHEREAS, an appropriate voter education program should also accommodate bilingual voters, disabled voters, and voters who are voting for the first time; and
WHEREAS, the State is best situated to provide appropriate voter education to voters at the time they vote; and
WHEREAS, the voter education initiatives and experiences of other states and jurisdictions may be applicable and relevant to Hawaii; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirtieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2019, that the Legislative Reference Bureau is requested to establish a task force to review Hawaii's current voter education system and propose improvements, including recommendations on costs, best practices, and the design of future voter education systems; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the composition of the task force is requested to be as follows:
(1) The Chief Election Officer, or the Chief Election Officer's designee;
(2) The clerk of each county, or each clerk's respective designee;
(3) One appointee of the President of the Senate;
(4) One appointee of the Speaker of the House of Representatives;
(5) One appointee of the Minority Leader of the Senate;
(6) One appointee of the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives;
(7) One political scientist appointed by the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii; and
(8) Three advocates of voter education, to be appointed by the Executive Director of Common Cause Hawaii, President of League of Women Voters of Hawaii, and President of Associated Students of the University of Hawaii, respectively; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the chair of the task force shall be elected by a two-third vote of the task force members; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force is requested to submit a preliminary report to the Legislature no later than twenty days before the convening of the Regular Session of 2020, and a final report, including any recommended legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2021; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Minority Leader of the Senate, Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Chief Election Officer, Clerk of each county, Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii, Executive Director of Common Cause Hawaii, President of League of Women Voters of Hawaii, and President of Associated Students of the University of Hawaii.
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OFFERED BY: |
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Election Participation; Voter Education; Task Force
