STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2343

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2005

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Transportation, to which was referred S.B. No. 2005 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO VOTING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to institute automatic voter registration, such that any person who is eligible to vote but is not already registered, is automatically registered to vote when that person applies for a new or renewal motor vehicle driver's license, provisional license, or instruction permit, or a new, renewal, or duplicate identification card.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation; Office of Elections; County of Hawaii Elections, Office of the County Clerk, County of Maui; Office of the County Clerk of Kauai; Hawaii Government Employees Association; League of Women Voters of Hawaii; LGBT Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii; Community Alliance on Prisons; Life of the Land; Common Cause Hawaii; Automatic Voter Registration Hawaii; Americans for Democratic Action; Young Progressives Demanding Action; Hawaii Children's Action Network; Indivisible Hawai‘i; Pride@Work – Hawaii; AAUW of Hawaii; Breastfeeding Hawaii; Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest and Hawaii; Indivisible Windward; Hawai‘i Alliance of Nonprofit Organizations; Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice; Pono Hawai‘i Initiative; American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii; Hawai‘i Health & Harm Reduction Center; Hawaii Women's Coalition; Midwives Alliance of Hawaii; We Are One, Inc.; and thirty-six individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual.

Your Committee finds that voter turnout in Hawaii has steadily declined over the last fifty years. Your Committee further finds that many eligible voters do not register to vote because they are simply busy with work and life. This measure will maximize registration of eligible voters, provide a convenient way to register, and provide an opportunity to decline to vote.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2005 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committees on Judiciary and Ways and Means.

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

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LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair