HR94

WHEREAS, public confidence in the conduct of elections is essential to the operation of self-governance; and

WHEREAS, the public needs access to information on candidates for elected office and ballot questions in a clear, standardized format; and

WHEREAS, there is increasing demand for access to information in a digital format; and

WHEREAS, voters with special-needs require adaptive technology to access digital information; and

WHEREAS, voters may require ballot information to be made available in their native language; and

WHEREAS, the House of Representatives established the Commission to Improve Standards of Conduct pursuant to House Resolution No. 9, Regular Session of 2022, with the essential goal of providing recommendations that would help restore public trust in state government and increase the level of transparency in its operations and accountability of individuals; and

WHEREAS, the Commission to Improve Standards of Conduct convened regularly throughout 2022 to diligently review, discuss, and consider the issues presented; submit an interim report to the House of Representatives outlining areas of immediate and long-term focus; receive input from the public and invited individuals and agencies; and issue a final report with various recommendations and accompanying proposed legislation; and

WHEREAS, one of the recommendations made by the Commission to Improve Standards of Conduct was to require the Office of Elections to prepare a voter information guide that includes candidate statements and statements on ballot questions; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2023, that the Office of Elections is requested to prepare a proposal detailing the cost and personnel required to prepare and distribute a voter information guide in a printed format, digital format, and screen reader‑accessible format for voters with special needs who are unable to read standard print due to disability; and a translation of the digital voter information guide in Olelo Hawaii, Chinese, Ilocano, and Tagalog, and any other language as required by federal or state law on the Office of Elections' website. The voter information guide would include:

(1) A photograph and short statement of less than one hundred fifty words for each candidate running for public office, to be prepared by the candidate; provided that the Office of Elections may uniformly limit the number of words for the candidate statement by applicable public office;

(2) A clear and concise explanation drafted by the Department of the Attorney General of each state constitutional amendment that will be proposed to voters in the next general election; and

(3) A clear and concise explanation drafted by the appropriate county corporation counsel for each proposed county charter amendment, proposed initiative, and proposed referendum issue; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Office of Elections is requested to include in its cost estimate the cost to print and mail a physical copy of the voter information guide to any voter upon request, and to prepare and mail with each ballot for a primary election a notice to voters that a digital voter information guide is available on the Office of Elections' website and send the notice by electronic mail to all voters with special needs who have registered to receive alternate format ballots; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the information made available over the Internet as part of the voter information guide would need to meet or exceed the most current, ratified standards under section 508 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794d), as amended, and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 adopted by the World Wide Web Consortium for accessibility; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Office of Elections is requested to submit the proposal to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2024; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor and Chief Election Officer.

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

Voter Information Guide; Office of Elections

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	94
THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2023
STATE OF HAWAII