RES 499 Draft 01 2012-2014 - Laserfiche WebLink

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WHEREAS, Vote By Mail promotes voter confidence by providing a paper trail where the accuracy and fairness of election results are provable, and the ballots can be recounted, by hand if necessary, to prove to voters that each and every vote was properly counted; and WHEREAS, Vote By Mail elections can cost one-third less than elections that utilize polling places, since fewer personnel are required to coordinate, manage, and carry out the election; and WHEREAS, Vote By Mail increases voter participation because even small local elections see increased turnouts when voters are provided with an easy and convenient way to vote. With several weeks in which to conduct get -out -the -vote activities, there is greater opportunity to remind voters to mail their ballot in plenty of time; and WHEREAS, Vote By Mail allows for a more informed voter, as the voter can think about choices while sitting at home using a Voters' Pamphlet and other information that the voter may want to use to make reasoned decisions; and WHEREAS, change often frightens people and the fear of extending the potential of voting to a larger voting population increases fear. While it is the business of government to empower more people to vote, Professor James D. Moore, a professor of political science at the University of Portland said, "Controlling who votes is fundamental in politics... every change made to election rules alters to some degree, the voting population... That's why, throughout our country's history, `blood has been shed' over extending the vote ---to women, to blacks, to 18- year-olds and to the poor." The poorest people in Hawaii County may not have transportation to the precincts, may be working at so distant a location from their precinct that the normal two- hour allowance by employers may not be sufficient time to return to their precinct, or public transportation may not be running in a timely manner for every voter; and WHEREAS, in some parts of the United States of America, partisan elections offices have intimidated voters by insisting on government -issued identification with a photograph before allowing the voter to vote, or used other illegal tactics to prevent voter turnout; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF HAWAII that the Legislature of the State of Hawaii is requested to establish a Vote By Mail system for all federal, state, and county primary, general, and special elections as the exclusive method for casting ballots in the State of Hawaii beginning with the 2016 Primary election and all other elections thereafter.