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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0452.009 2004-2006 Angel P+lugo 'Q, Phonn No.: (808) 327-364. CSuncvl.btrnber Pax No.' ($0$) 329A786 D c. r~ r v - :w~ d, r.,,w ? ~ ' E-Mail: kaprlago(afco.hewaii.h,.us HAWAII COUNTY COUNCIL C n~nry n~ Hawai'i R"a#ua Trade Cen[cr 75-5706 Hanama Place, Suitr 109 Kulhea--Kona, Hawaii 9670 Fax Transmittal dare: Ivover',ter 9, 2D05 V fr. { a~,ra N1Eira5hige r-ror~: Karen F_o1" For Ar ~,el ~ilago Re: 7e~tirr~rry f'or Cumrn.452.2 i;~RC ._eg~ dative package sunshine Law ,E L'.a -cllowing 's Te~tim~~ny frorr ~avc Holzman on Cornet. X2.2- 1"` tl.em on counci{ agenda ~;o day 'lyre 15 a!5n an aGhmerT fo!owmg the testimony. `har~Kyou :<ren ~1 r.age~ to±t,w Comm. No. S Ref. To:~~e+wuwM F.a~f.:~ar~ Hawal`i i:, arsty !s ,An Eyaal Opparlanig~ PrvviJer Asd t'mplaye? r~ 3E~hd 001 L6959cE 6b :8B S00LI60Cti CIVIL RIGHTS UNIT NEEDED TO GILD [IA~~'AI[ COU_vTY CITIZENS I'QUAL PROTECTION i??~I)ER TIDE ]dam ADMENDMENT Off' THE CJS CO'~ISTI"I'UTION David Hodzaran> pbd• November 7, 2005 tEl 39-'d :]J.i Lb9S9oE 6b :88 50B~160t'i Sunshine Law One of the pr<~~;~lenis with the Sunshine Law is its enforcei~nent. ~~.lthough the Sunshine Act 137 calls for the attarrie~ :;~enerul aad the prosecuting attorney to conduct the enforcernenr, t;~e t-1_awaii County Prosecuting Attorney has, to iny, kr:~~rvledg;e, not assigned the responsibility to its investigative una. ('itizens uann~~~ seek enforcement from the Corporation Caut~sel . It is t?-se Corporation Counsel job to inform elected and appointed i.D~cia.ls ot'the law and when they might be violating it. It i~> not their job to investigate complaints of alleg: d ~~:~oltati~: Ir. adcli:i:~tr in ; :cent years there have been other complaints from Ha;~~aiz C~~unty citizens of alleged. violations of their civil rights n tt~e areas ai`voting, registration, campaign fnarzcinti;, read>;~c~r?iontnent, and term limits. For citi~: t~s to ~~E.ilarnit their complaints to the County Clerk or Corporation. ~~ounsel i,s counterproductive since the County C:'lerk c,?Zducts tl;~e elections and lacks the resources and inciiflation to investigate their awn behavior. ~9.t the sane tirr~~; the Corporation Counsel responsibility is to defend the C-aunty against citizen complaints and lawsuits ~tcFt investigate their clients behavior. ~'hereforti, it is ~-ecoxnmend that a Ci~~il Rights Unit be established in tl C>ffice of the Prosecuting 1lttorney to investigate the merits of citizen complaints and start the process o E enfot cernettt or refer their findings to responsible agencies;. EEi 39!'d OD1 L6959ZE 6b~89 900L/60/TT sunattj'j1~4,~iW ~C7;1~7.JULY3.1998• 92-22 £nfOCC^merrc. ',a; . he aaorney general and :bc N~csc-cuting attorney snarl enforce thi: part. (b1 The circuit courts of the State shall have Jurisdiction [o enforce the provisions of this part by rnjunctlon or other appropriate remedy. fcj Any peat. may cornrnenc? a suit in TIIP f11Y111T fDUK Of the circuit in which a prohibited act occurs for the ourpcse ,,r reywring compliance with or preventing violations of this part or to Oe[Crm~ne the appLi6O~bry of this part to tllscu551ons or dcacions of the public body- The Court mny e-dor paymerr of reasonak!e 3ttornev fees and Costs to the prevailing party in a suit brought under LhiS settiOn (d} The proecedinge fo- ^BvIQw shall not stay the enforcPmant of any apenCy deClSlpnS; buC Che revievobig court may ordr a stay if the Fo lowing criteriz have been met: (i) 1 here i4 ~'.+:e!Ihood t`at [he party hrir:yfh~y Lila action wd! prevoil on the mCrtt~; '?'o Trrepa rah~re damage rill result ~F a star s not vrtlered; (3;: No !rrepar-bie damage to the publlt vrill result from the stay order, and (4j F'ub~~c inte'est will br saivi?c by the si.ay order. [L :975, c 266, pt Of § 1; am L 1985, c 278, §5] Case tJ?ts Entitle: "anp r erson° Lu cpmmenCO a suit in the clrcurc court of th? rirndt in which a prohibited act oaurs". regar9less of the person's participation In any proceeding. Ja H. 365, 846 P.2d 882. AwarU yr atW~.iey>' fees under subSeCtlon (C) Intended to apply whCro citlxen prevail6 agatn6t governmem; nrevafhnc defendant pnvate~ party thus not ant itietl [o attorneys' fees under this subsect7on. B+i H.:3Z, 94B P.Zd 122. §92-19 Penaeties, pr.y person who wilfialy violates any prc.vfslons of this part shall be gwlty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction, may be summarily removed from the board unless oth¢rwise provided by la.v. [L Lg75, c 166, pt Ot § 7.f tC~ 3~hd 0'Cy L69S9ZE 6b :60 S00L/60 r?T RECURRI~lG c.LL-CT,UN PROBLEMS 19)6 SON['. 'v;~"Ai.K-Iii. POLLS OPEN ] U-1 l HOURS MORE PER WEEKS THAN WALK-IN POLLS Iiv' OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE COUNTY; THEREBY VIOI.A~'TNG STATE HRS 11.131_ NO POLL J.`+> ; CFt~'R i AT WALK_IN PULLS V[ULAiTNCr STATE HRS l 1-77e AND 11A1,~ AId AI~hffN RG`LIs 2-5~>-~ NO RECORI~• -~F NP tifES OF THOSE PROVIDING V OTER ASSISTANCE. VIOLA`INC S"iAT$ HRS I I-139_ HF:~~AII CUL`f~ i ~ Eti JNO?vtlC OPPORTJNII"1' COU?d'CTL, A NONPROFIT URG_~IGAT!ON REC"E[V<NG 5400.000 IN COUN"11"FUNDS FOR HUMAN S[.RVICL,S A_ .SO COP:'1 RACTLD TO COLLECT BAf~LOTS. THIS V[OLA~ ED ST=? TE HRS 1 i-Sb Ai~Z1 IRS REGi;'LATION 501. IMPACT. A?'OMAt.1FS T>~ WALK-IN VOTES GAVE MAYOR YAMASHTRO MARGls7 UI iICT('ail:Y. IGee Append'+x 1) 1998 HltiO W.~I,K-L~1 YOLLS OPEN 10-11 HOURS MORE PER WEEK MORE THAN OTHER PO`.CS [N CCiI ~~~fT': 7I-lIS VIOLATED CI-TARTER SBC. 3-2; IRS I177e. NG POLL'J'~p. TCFIER~ AT WALK-liv ROLLS. THIS V[OLA'CED CHARTER SEC. 3- 2: !~ZS Y1-i HAG~'E~'' P.:J,vIIN RULE Z-~3-J. NO RBCORIr- ~JF NAP.IIrS OI THOSE PROVIDING VOTER ASSISTANCE. VIOLATED S ~A':'E Hit 5 1(- ~ 39. ASST_ CUUN" Y CLER ~ IN CHARGE OF hLECT1UNS CONTRIBUTES'IO ARAKAKI, ~T ITFIEAD-?ODD AND AL SMITH COUNTY COUNCIL CAMPAIGNS WI{ICH'dIOL tTEt7 Cf'~AIt"IER SEC 3-2 AND FIRS 11-1.5_ 1rIPAC'1; IRI~,ADL4 Llf?ni k~ITL4TI"VE lllr:i'1:A 1'~.I) BY Ai`iO.MALIES 1N WALK-IN Vf~TES. ~Se~ A,ppendix l) znu~tiza7„z THE CONTT.ti; JA'ITON _)F T'HE ABOVE VIOLATIONS; AND ADDSTIONALLY, A SERIOCS DIFf ICUL"'Y TN REGISTERING TO VOTE FORCED MANY C1T["LENS TO S%EK REI. iEF F'ROI~4 THE COUNTY AND STATE OFFICE OF ELECTIONS. e :.r~, c ~69sya~ Ee ae seezi6e; ACT 139, SIG'~~ L*~ LAW ON MAY 21, 2001, ESTABLISHED'THE STATE ELEC'Tinu RFVrFw raSK FORCE. THE TA5K FORCE WAS TO. AMONG OTHER TT-IINGS, INti'ESTIGATE ANOMALIES IN WALK-IN ANI] ABSEN I'EL^" BALLOTS AND REGISTRATIOr~ PROBLEMS BUT FAILED TC~ MEET AND CONDUCT PLBI.IC MEETINGS ;YJ GATHER INPUT ON THESE PROBLEMS AS REQUIRED (See :appendix 3) TI"iF Ci~iJN'C`: HAS F 4ILEU FOR YEARS TO PRUVIDE A HAWAII COUIV'l'Y BOARD OF REG1S'TP ION TO HEAR AND RESOLVE CITIZEN COMPLAINTS REG.:RDIP.C: kEGISTRnTION INCLUDING PROBLEMS WITH RESIb>?NT'S ATII7RFSSFS TI-TTS'.""~~i_ATF.CHRS II-ai A1tiDI-IA)32-51-26. F'?~IP:1CT: TTtiE WALK-L'~ .~NOMALSES IL1VE NO DLSCERNIBLE 1MPAC'P ON ELECT101T5 Ili 2000; IiOWEVER, IN 2002 THEY MAKE A yIAJOR CONflt113fl!"I'lON `f0 T'Hf 1':LECTION F'OR T'IiL 5"TATE )EIOUSE fN UIS"LAIC"I 2004 WSTH ADVENT ~_~I+ 'T."tIE FEDERAL HELP AMERICA VOTE ACT OF 2001 (HAVA ~ (Sea 4ppendix 4) A HOST OF NEW DIFFICULTIES EMERGE THAI" CC~LT.C COMPROMISE THE- INTEGRITY OF OiJR ELECTIONS, SUCH AS THE ]NTRODUCT:ON OF ELECTRONIC VOTING MACI-IINES. THESE PROBL)MS HP.VE BEEN ~OCUI`~L~VTED BY MILD G. CLARK, DEPUTY VOTER REGISTRAR, FIP W.4I: CO[ h"I'Y. (S~~e Appendix 5) ANGTFIER LSSUE IDEtiT]F'FD BY MR. CLARK IS TIIFi FAILURE TO SOLVE KEGISTK411~JN Ull'"1C~1rL11bS. 11 lS 1=S~17MA'I~hD iHA'T UVER 100,000 PEOPLE Iir_~. E BEE'~i DELETED BY THE STATE REGISTRATION L1ST WITHOUT AL'EQtiAT2 +.OVER°i~~IF.N'.'AL SUPERVTSION_ (See Appendix 5) ~K 3003 •~O 't1r'IS xR~ uT~F < LeCnRSn~.i KAISEC ,'&SE PROBLEM REGARDING DI2~FICULT:E~ RURAi CITIZENS HAVE IN PROVIIJING ADDRESSES FOR REGIS"TRA' i TO -tE STATE OFFICE Ol° ELECT-IONS. {See Appendix 6) REGISTP.A:" ~)N I5SL;';S ARE=-. ALSO IDENTIFIED B~_ THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS A"~`I THE L1~:4DERSHIP CONFERENCE ON CIVIL RIGHTS AS THE TOP KISK ~ ( rL:~_ 1ti~.r _ _ c.K ~ IN 2004 i bee Appendix il` ADD CIOf~ . T111: Ci+Clv°I' Y HA3 FAILED TO PROVIDE FOK A MEDIA REPREFENT< TIVE iN AHE COUNTING ROOM ON ELECTION EVE WHICH Vine A~~F,S P.1~S 16-4~('? S•Ei 39rd OU.~ L69S9LE 6b~69 509Z/60/TT REAPPOR"T1~ON'~fENT IN 1991 AN '3001_ -a COUNTY IZEAPPORTIONh-1ENT COMIvIISS10N S~BMERG?=L PUMA iN'I'O SOUTH I-IlLO; PART OF HAIvIAKUA INTO NORTH 1~IILU, ANll NOK 1 H !`.UI1Aa,A SN'fU 5[3UTH''R:OFI<4LA., CrROCTP C'F CI': SZEA'S F71 ED A COMPLAINT ~'I T 1 Y TII1= TSIII2D DISTRICT CCSURT ?!V t-II._O TIL1-. JLTJ+.~E FOUI~ID POR TFIE CQCJNTY ON TFIE CROLlI~TDS TH~-Th'r~; aiNTlr~-S FA~7,FI7TOST~3MITVOTPat,.TRENDSBYDISTRiCTS AND FOi.1T1L'AL PAR-[~IES. THIS IN :~I(iHT OF T}-'F FACTS THAT; 1) THE ELECTIONS IN 2002 WERi N('~NYAZTiS,=liN, 2) THE INCUMBENT IN DISTRICT THREE HAD NO OPPONENT ~N I998. ZUC~G ANll 20~JL; 3 } 1l-1J=, ONLY 1I(LND DISCERNffiL,E WAS IN DISTRICT 9 a ~v?9 ~ ~ 1P°! ~RTED 'I'I IE F3.AINTIF'FS; AND 4; THE JiJDGE ASKED THE COLN_TY T°? SJBI~Il7 THE VOTING TRENDS 1'ET BASED HIS DECISION ON TFjE CL Aih^" -~I3AT TF'F PLAINTIFFS FAILED TO SLTHMIT THE TRENDS. THIS VIOLATED S':ATE CL)NST ART. IV. SEC. 6.8. (See Appendix 8) "TERltil LLlII'k'S .1LTHC°L'GL1 A TERM LI1o4IT5 BILL WAS PASSEll WITH TI[REE READINGS {9-0; 7-2 ABSI:i~T; A~~ID 8-1) A]VD APPROVED BY TBE VOTERS 1N 1996 "1'11 F. CL'~U'`TY CLERK AND CORPORATION COl.?NSEL MAINTAINED TART 7~I}E' BILL V1'AS °'DRAFTED TN AN L\COMPLETE MANNER" BEC OUSE O}"THE AASENCE OF AN EFFECTIVE DATE AND THUS "CREATES G UE PROCESS ANA OTHER CONSTITUTIONAL ISSL'E;S RET,ATL'~1G 7O PERSONS ELECTED TO THE COUNCIL IN 1996." T1iEY C'ONC'LIIUElr 111A1 "PERSONS ELEC'TkID LV 1496 AND STILL SER`4'ING ARE ELIGIBI.:E TO BECOME CANDIDATES FOR 2004." THE THIIZD CIRCUIT CO?_`RT 1N ll1L0 }iYNEI.D THEIR LNTERPRETATION. IN SPITE OF THE FACT TaIA'1' THE CORPORATION COUNSEL HAD APPROVED'fHE L.A \ CU ~LG E ':v Tlik: BILL.. cEi 39'"d ~'~'i L6959~E Eb ~89 SOa~!60:-' APPk;NDICE~ A :996'rVr~~.S:: IIti BP.i..-,CST °S:OMAL:.ES 2 1943 WAIR-W AN~7i414L1E9 ~ ST,~TE OFFICE OF ~l.EC (IONS REVIEW TASK FORCE a. HELP AMERICA V('~? E a.CT OF 2001 5- 5L'MIuIA.t7 k.F'POK ! ~~F i>EPL'TY vCJTER REGIS"I'RAR 6. GOfJ23CIL L4E?vf13Eh: ~ACOBSON MEMO TO DWAY'VE YQSHIUA LLA~+U6 '~'OM~ `di'1"F.Rti Ri5`_~S TO E.iG o'.E VOTERS 8 R:EAT'PORTIONMfi~f: C t~iNDINU OF FACTS EH -3r'rd 0:~-I L69S9ZE 6b ~89 S9B~/60iTi ~ALK_~ VOTE A1v`OMALIES 1996 i?IS"I _2 DIST 3 YAMAS~ ~LEKU PRFC~I~C V+~)TE St4 55 W.hl,k:-L~~ (~I 66 Vca~`E RIFF 11 As%C; I:~IF'~ t 0 ~l Tlfit F~ VfITES -3.~ -4J A plus 1 ? °ro d ifPerarce xcr Ya~~asluro coultl not happen by chance alone when the diY3erence e+c tcn other candidates and amendments ~+as ltetween minus 3.5 and minus 4.7 Efi 3E~~'d L69S9ZE Eb;BB S9Nd /66'-T. a. `VALK IN VOTE ANOMALIES 198 _DIST 2 DIST 3 AVCi °/o AVG IItRAiDIt1'I'I®N Pit_F,t"~`INC"A S3 53 ~T®i P. W.~I_ tC-IN 63 67 i~'OTE ~DIF~ l0 14 ~VG OIFF 12 QT`HER ~ plus 10 and ~ could n+rt happen by chance alone r~hen the difference on 12 other votes was arise+s 0.2 sad .05. ET 3E'^d ~ L6959dE E4~60 SOad/69i a S' ate of Hawai_, OtTe.e of Elections Page 1 oF3 f • cars Revrew Tusk Forc _ onwn.nar r:., ;a~.a- EXECt.lTIVE SUMMARY VBl91o~ o/ AC,obat ~RaBdc.fa viSw P(JF , n,as. r. d,+.~ 9iACKGROUND f!ownload fF'eprs.-t: .4ct 139, Regular Session of 2001, was signed into law by the 8 €t~4riQi1•heElec:tiQ~ Governor on May 24, 2001. The purpose of the Alit was to ~stabhsh the Elections Review Task Force to comprehensively FS:v~~IaSk e~ar~ -ev<ew, evaluate. and recommend changes to Hawaii's election Alrpoint~ng AW.thc+ 'ties 's.ws regarding vote tabulation, with particular consideration of & a~afomatic recounts and contest procedures, to ensure the inter 1 zsk Farce fAerrt.~~r5 ~"'d certainty of the Stater s electoral process. n ~:x Force Chaar ~`te Chairperson originally planned to conduct public meetings )wayne D. Yos~fna statewide to gather input, comments, concerns, and suggestion e=garding Hawaii's voting system and election laws- Due to the Al,pointing Auth,ari:y circumstances related is ±he appointment of members to theta G.,v~rnor 9enJami~ .f force, much of the early focus of the task force was directed csyarso° towards developing proposed recount legislation before the deadline to subm+t legistat~on for the 2002 Regular Session. Task Forice Members rsn Hashimoto Dary' vam2mot The Task Force met from 7ecember 10, 2001 to Apnl 29, 2002 hc~idinp 1F Regular Meetrngs. The fpllowing summanzes the 1~l.pointing Authc~rifi{ ac~ions and items discussed by the Task Force ~r r.;ide•~t ~f the S!>nG[6 rzece~tw~uRdG yl RECOUNT LEGiSLAT1ON rsk Force Members After review and di~CUasivn, the Task Foroe be4ieveS that ArneOe Amaral Jean:4ou; ~ecounts could help tc bu+~d voter confdence in the system, It c^rc~uded that the establishment of an automatic recount t.Fpu,rang Autr rarity o~wv-,stun may provide the public with further assurance and p a5ker of r>>e =ro,~se o~ confidence that the outcomes of contests with small vote 'o''';°r•tEr°~ ' differences are validated. It may foster the development of a carv'n y sense of ownership amongst the general public. Furthermore, ask rarce Nte, rbe Task Force members noted that bipartisan participation tnrouC Deans roan a.' Official Observer's Program ensures the conduct of an elec Thomas; Yar^acn~-,: is implemented in an impartial and secure manner. J1p;>'binting Authority ?he proposed automatic recount legislation includes the follow crre Minority Landes' prpvi510nS' Sam S/cry - e•.ak =oroe rJe: * rer.> A Conduct autvt'aattc. -ecounts by machine rather than by .!a-,~,_ ,.3i1 manua~ recount s,phainting A.utho>ilp ~ Amending HR5 ±0 4rovide for automatic recounts. Her sr~ r.+Represeriakve trtp!'w..-whati~a:i.ger~ r!ect,ons,-~cf.i;:~,r.! 10/2/2004 3c,r~ ~~p~ L6959L£ 6b :89 9092.169,°T? 3r ate of Hawaii: Office of Efecttone Pagc 2 of ~ ~ ~ N ~na~ry Leader- ~u. Conduct automatic recounts when the results betwean wren F ~r two leading candidates are less that one-eighth of one t cent of the ballots cast for statewide contests and one- --ask F~m~, nnF .,na - fourth of one per cent of the ballots cast for all other Katy Lagareca COnteSfS. Changing the date of the primary election to the seconc Saturday in August. L. Amending contest provision in HRS to differentiate automatic reccun±s from elections contest. I~ ~ ADDITIONAL. RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE TASK FORCE A. The Task Force ~lrscussed and supported recommendations for Legislative consideration of the fo0uwirtg: 1. Rogwre State Senate and State House candida be qualified voters of the districts they wish to represent phor to filing nomination papers. 2. Allow the Chief Election Officer, or Coursty Cleri the case of County Elections, the option to wndl all-mail electrons, for electrons not held in conjunction with a regularly scheduled pllmary o general elec±ion. E The Task Fence msde the following administrative recommendatron ~r implementation by the Office of ~lectians: • Extend the "challengetl ballot" procedures to vo whose voter registration is in question. iu A:DDPT'IONAL DISCUSSION ISSUES Realizing that the Task Force could not fully deliberate and find recommendations on anumber of other issues important to the rnembcr a, the Task Farce submits these Issues for future consideration by the Legislature. While no formal action was rakPn on the following issues, the Task Forco submits the caving items for Legislative consideration. A. TQ conduct a stud', on voters and voting in Hawaii. I3 F'nnt~ng and pesti>,g the election resuks of the individua polling grace a4tsre' c lose of the polls to validate results provide information to the general public. 9t Yp Pv~nvwrawa~:: ~o.~, °lect<crnstirtS'.htazl ]0!2/2004 ae~.~ ~b9s9~~ Eo:ee sea~i6a~-r Sfa'e o'P Haw;tii, C~fgrc~ of Elea.+ix~S Page 3 oF3 1e Allow for voter registration on 1=lection pay. Codify the validaticn procedures currently in Administrative Rules into the Hawaa Hevlsed Statues E Codify roles forthc Official Observers in Statute. 1- Define what constitutes a valid vote. ~ Extend protections afforded to voters voting at the polli place to voters who vote by absentee ballot, in particula the prohibition of voting assistance provided by a voter': omployer, union, or thou ogonts. H Establish provision in HRS for the State of Hawaii to conduct a Pres+dential Preference Primary Election to nominate the candidates who will appear on the Genes Election Ballot. S Establish a provision in the statutes for the Chief ~ Elections officer !c request an investigation of potential C/ snail absentee voter fraud should certain statistics{ anomalies appear ~n the final vote taily. V ISSUES RAISED BY PUBLIC TESTIMONY A To repea+ SeC!IOn ; 1-72 (~t), HRS, WhICh states, "The chairperson of the precinct officials shall be of the same pally as the governor and shall be the first named preci official on the fist prepared by the chief electign officer." B To develop a Voter Guide that can focus on candidate profiles and how to cast a proper ballot. trnum to HomE Paae Click h®re ~ for the complete report. h~tp !~ww~~~.hawar gate °lecttnn~~~w-tE:hunl 10/212004 F~ ~7nt+~ L63S9LE 6b ~80 S©9o; 6N/~ HELP AMERICA VOTE ACT OF 2001 Aurkurize~ StIOG .Alilltun ro $uyuut Punch Card VvtinQ MaCkines 1 This ]egislatiou aerdrorizes one-time payments to Starts or counties to replace punch card ve ~ s~,stems in roue for We November 2002 general election. Funding of 56,000 par pr. cina would be made available to states for buy out purposes. Tl~ ~ hit ~Ico sotlr<xi acs one-time paytnr>tits to States or counties that eahance the pe formance of exisvng votuig equipmenk such as lover machines. L'reatrs an Eteczaun Ae]ttitunce Cumnatsxiun 1 Tb.s bipurdsarr Ccminisaion will arn~c as a national c'catingtrousc for i:itvzrz,ation and rep iew of procedures for Federal elections. 'Ihe Comuussion also consists of a Standards Bi azd of state and tacal election ofTicials and a Board of Advisors of election experts and ir.t ;r+jseu A parties. Among other duties, the Standards Board and Board of Advisors shall da clop voluntary vnginccring and pcrformaoct atandarda for voting systems and va untar•: election martagementpractices .~lilrrcates 12.35 Billion in clecdon Fund Pavmen&v ur SYatec 2 Th s le~sladon authorizes 52.65 billion in Election F and Payments to the States over t}u oe >'oLrs (9;1 biil9an in FY02; £770 million in PYO~; and 5500 million irr I'1'OA) to tidy Stt :es establish az, J rnair.tain accurate lists of ehgtbie ~ otors; encourage voters to vote; ir:r xave aqurpme?,lt; improve veriScation aad idanlity of voters; recruit and train poll we rk,r< improve access for voters with disabilities; and educate voters about their rights ~r~ responsibilities 3 .4I ~ Stales would be eligible for Elachou Fund Paymcuta, and would be required to pre ,ide . 25 perceenz mat~;h Stags mus*. certify that they are in compliance with voluntary vo.:ng system standards l,eiWer their owr. or those adopted by the Commission). ~ Ih s bili also auihurices S20 million in grants by the Commission for research and deg eiopetent effons':o uriprove voting systems. The bill also authorizes 510 million for a mil >t prolirau~t for resting of equipment turd t®chnology Establisk~ :Minimum Standards fur State Elu4ian Sbcterttc 1 rh tegislarion prescribe Wet States adopt Nhrnrnutr: Standards for State election sys ems. including that States: 1) have a voter regish'alion system linked to local }u- u'ticri,ns m the `;-ate: ?)permitrn-precinct provisional voting; 3) have a system for rna ntainmg the ac :u-acy of voter reystration records, 4) adopt uniform standards der Harp ;'hat contitutes a vote on the differcmt types of voting equipment; S) ensure that al;; tut w: ~furmui ;,nd ove:tseas voters [lave their votes counted; and 6) require new voting sys ems t^ provtide a practical and effective means for voters with disabilities to cast a sac e". ba'Y~i ' Thr t;otr mission <inc. Deparmcnt of iushce wilt r.~on,tor compliance with. and enforez ;tic e l~?:r'?tnum St..nivard~;. Createsrhe F(ell~America„ t.rt~ Foundation and CoUer;~ePruirrarn 1 Tlit : Icy::tatian creates the Help America Vote College Progxarn, which would encourage cot! :_re s~~.adents to assist State and local govenunenrs irr the administration of elections by ~cr it~p a~ r..onoacy ran po'.l workers. 71re bill else world establish the Help America b'ote Fok ndzc.-n, ,vluch va;:41d mobilize secondary school titudauty lu assist and partrcipate in elc- nom rtucesses •tt nonpamisan poll workers. Reduces, Pc ~e Rates rrr ilj/icier Election Afait t- je,h~ ~~rl L69S9~E 5b ~80 5022/6ai iT R 2 'fhs lo~islation we~u~t3 re:Sace the posta~a ratos for official olection mail. S" 39Cd ~7C~~1 L6959?£ 6b:8© SBL~~/6@!~? Page ] of 2 'St bi: 5ummarv of 9-28-04 DaG> 9/30Irm4 3 4a 59 PM '-awacian Stanaard Time Fr nn Milo° c Tc J1W »-Ar, !~iol rite at£h •ea_or i .___.._.._._-~-_,I~i'=ill, 141:-'S2., .....~.'>3._...___..__-.__-____-_.__--_._.._~..._~__.__...__... Tc ~rmom it maF~ concern: (c ;summarize tour rMOnths v?vrk with the county and state election systems in Hawaii, I :n hhasixe and expsrnd conclusions from my detailed August 19th letter to Dwayne Yoshina, St rx:3 Election t>fficer~. '7 n.re are serious r~tterns ,f ad^Tinistrative behavior and bureaucratic Drocess which. taken as a whole, ma r compromiso the integrity..." of the election systems. What I have learned .ir ce August to ads r~s to Say now, "There ~ serious patterns which compromise the integrity ~f ;fate election sys'arns.° 1 In operations of ti7e Hawaii County Election Office, there are deep problem6 which a npromise rec;istration. These problems do extend to the state level. Their links may be fond within the deletion of ever 10Q000 people from the state registration lists. 2. Qvera!i, then s is is leadersr, a attitude of "Can't Do" rather than "Can Do." 3. Introduction and ~,perations of the Hart eSlate Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) voting sy:.tcam were bosh hasty, pccrl,:r p+anned and marginally exewted. Given problems associated wit a introducing the'"SRS s~~stems ir. 1998, little was Teamed or extended to introduction of the H2 systems ira 24C<`- bYhife a!I ESf:S 30 ma nes to be used in Hawaii Gaunty precincts for the 2004 Primary e Ilion were tested oy Otfc al Observers, few Hart eSlate;Jl3C precinct systems were tested altl sough required by Hawaii Administrative Rules. 5. Differences riakrT•g di`f2rences and patterns of bureauc;rafic intransigence are evident rn teal of des gn fog the '-aectro, c systems and 5c~ftware (ES~S) system, in design of absentee tal of envelopes rr c=esigr ~~aiGngs such as that related to constitutional amendments. For tie :?004 Primal ~r, 9 X59 invalic ballots are partial testimony. `i. n the i~lawa Go~,.~n*,y Cou~:t ac Hoorn during and after the September 1 Bth 2004 Primary eae ;hon, hrvo key aucit opera°icrs. Poll Brx~k and Manual Ballot Audits, remain compromised. sports on result: remain delayed due to problems integrating data from ES8~S and Hart rpe rations. Spc++ous Green Many entries from the Hart machines on Hawaii, Maui and Oahu iud cafe system ailurtas. r:i..although regrired by law ;HRS 16-45(2)], no media representative was assigned as an Crff :ial OhServe i-~ ^ k'!awr-ir ;e, my Cauntin0 Raorn `cam thca September 18th 2004 Primary e'er lion t~ lntil enactor: nt cf Aci 5r hr-pu~h override of Governor Lingle's veto on May 6th 2004, e de ^sight of the : fate Electier Offic° was in the hands of an appointed five-member board. T ~a t ooar~i was ar,ra;:;za with a mine-member cornmissicn that has not met! At the moment the :~~~r Ck a:~~et : 7. ?004 AmencaOn}i*xe: 'rtolzmanDholzartan c- _3~nr 7J?i L69S9Z6 6b ~80 S00Z /60/TT Page2of2~n probability of a+`ect+~~e avers [,`tr it time for the General Election remains unclear and distant I ~T is =vident to must observers that the commission can and should meet to receive complaints and advise the Chief Elections Officer in accord with the new law. 1L.r,ompeien° anti effic~er+', c:~erations of the state Office of Elections can be difficult to realize gi• ion a s--mall s' aff, 'rrnitgC~ 9rJ{s ~~sd tight budgsts. 11. n many wa ds. I appreci~i~ta opportunities extended by both Dwayne Yoshina, Chief ~t~~tion Officer and Al Konishi, Hawaii County Clerk and Deputy Election Qfricer. Staff people n ;he Hawaii G aunty Eiectioa~~ f3ffice work under difficult conditions. 4: :.n August ~ ath.: con~lurl~ that these evident patterns require serious investigation. N lather the na5ceni Elections Commission ran or will undertake this work is unknown now. Yt t, now is the ;ime fht.rsday, Sept'mber 29, 2G04 iuti a G-Clark, r!l.b.a D ~puty Water egistrr HaElcli County O finial C)bserv~r, Hawaii Cc~un`y C ~~Chair Voter 7as : ponce E!istnc.t Four, Hawaii County iemocratic Party Pi eaident, Uist ict f our. Preanct ;3ix, Hawaii County Democratic Party G r~~Cemed Citi aerr U. Sox 454 +~a Boa HE E367%t ~a6a H03 965-'1~C2 rni ;.gic@s22S61 Sunday Oca>her ~ 7, 2004 America Online: HolxmanDholzman 35ad ~~y L69S9~E 6D~89 58©~/6~/TL 13.E JACOBSO, Ph~na: {808)9ti1-8^63 ~ FaY: 1508) 96'1-S913 C~. e.rs ~.nr„h~ j~ L-Mn~l: jncobs(ii;hgea oro ~ ; ri ni'i~i' Nf~WAI.1 COUNTY CiJUNCIL C'ounlj- of h/uwui r Nui.~ai i C'a~nrry 3udaur,~ du~~.yni Sr HJn, Hme~a Y 9l'[/- 1 n~ t 0, ~Ilf)'- 11 `r.l` IO (}:::~,ECTIO~~IS =`JFFIC~R Dv~'AYNE YOSI-il~u:~, ]~E~ ~dAR~H ~0, =003 R~~i~C'EST ON ADDKBtiSF 1ZFQUlKEMh;N'l~S FOR '~IOI~R E~EC~'S~~Rr~.I'iC~ti :n ~e it has ber._1 a i,iorth. i m ~~vondering if there ~i~i11 be some results soon? 2~ a~.~lu, f ~ :~f ~ : fiCOhS011 E'' ~9bd 7G-~ L6959dE 6ro~8a S©~~~SP~?' • 1'boTre: 808 91ifl-<3253 13 "D'Jt J <v,~S3fltSt1 ~ Fab: (808) 951-$~li" c~ an d>nrn~be' _ E-Mail: jacobs~a2hgea.org . a hT~'OL~N~/ ~L'~1~~'V ~J.`Jl ~,'lF iJ 17~A' ~ ~A ~,1Vt~1L C~ouniL of P~<n~a~ H<r-r~r'i Couna U~+rl<frfrg «J ,qupmd S~bref, .1er~fe 9 14rrc' 1i1, 2P03 a Eleeton O,9.cer ;_Iwavne t' ~s:7i,s3 tear .~1r. Yosltitta. ! ~vati Vl like ro get z clarification regarding the addresses required for voter registration in the state of T-fawaii. r .rc ad ceunnos us;.t ~ adi+resscs a•~a~labl+. ajlcr assignment by the building departments in each county? Tn t~+ai Its wilt: Fades al Election Olfie.ials on a recent trip to Washington D.C. they told me registration rules •e~ a letenni+xd }n- the gates not the counties. Ts there a set of strere directives nr nlles that clearly delinineate a ~LSi:+G:nt standard equired by yore office? If so, I would appreciate a copy ofthem. cv zemlaer that Ha T air C ouniy o$irigjs ~++ere trying to require addresses (such as 16-1672 Opeapea Road. - a vo ten Acres_ my Durst assigned urdy to homes with building permits in the last election cycle. Many - :c ~a i Cuw!+y ~e~i.~.ui> -cpurlcd ilTi.uiltic~ itr registcrua6 to vu lc because ofproblems associated with t a uz ot~; These nun Hers :ue to a Sac%, of a building permit, or the Fact that the home they live in is so old that 1 +c. ~u ilchng rermit a scoriared with that hnilding haw hrHn lost hY the county, or that the ofGee was closed, or l at x,e emp{c~yee i;t charge of asslgr!ing the number was assigaL;d to another task or was out of the office. [ he se problems we- ~ rep+ rted evwa by people who were cturently registered and ware required to come up with I e; e ntmber~, yes; ~ :e F~>s:t that they quad not moved and ha+{ vored in all recent elections. n c;ui~ma ire r_. i.~ti. lc.tcr is ,~.u, ,fcoplc whu experience tr~ot;bl~e ]n ttytng to register to vote often gi-+:e up .."le cnc: or nvo un; rceessfui tees , "l'he+ ate even more likely to q sit tryirrg a&er five or six unsuccessftrl to n1 rs I o register Or.N shot+lr3 nQ1(nee' m gn to cnr cotmty buiL3ing during a weekday and run azound t tech-ng £or iheix c vn a dress. i1'~they can provide state photo identification and know their tax neap key tr to ber ;,~r a physics:. des-;-iption o : ; rhexe They live, a:ey should bye _able to register to vote. Current federal L>?3rJa tun mandate- ~:ert+ol.c alertic;c ?;recess standards be met f1 the next presidential election. 1 know you and . a ~ e ~:.c~~ ar~ corn: 3te,l tc f<~ir ogee ballot access for all te~,iaants of otir state and I hope this concern o£ t: is -can b: resotve-: T r,>pe that ~r2~p°caive voters v~~,ll ent;ocnte: a climate that allows for the proper and t: Irbh free rraietrat or. mail, ink c+.rs«~_ or by registrars. to tk + for }'u or att~ ttln~' r7y re ,,i,e'at .mc eooeerns. ^.ccr~ jlt, ~ ~'~~~.~~FF',l? F~ rb Ja ~ubsor.! f. o - :'--pJpve~ %u, o, K<. ,r ...eTtl. K_ne~u E' 35~ad 7.=~~+ L69S9cE Et+~B~ S©0c/6VitT - TOP F IVEE RISKS TO ELIGIBLE VOTERS IN 2004 ~ 1. VOTER R.E3lSTRATION PROBLEMS 2. ERRONEOJS PURGING 3. PROBLEMS WITH THE NEW ID REQUIREMENT 4. DiFFICULTIE9 WITH VOTING SYSTEMS 5. Et81LURE TO COUNT PROVISIONAL BALLOTS - '1. VOTER I:'EGtfiTRATION PROBLEMS Thcsc vrobiat s tn..l .rdr_ cai;_e: ~.is who apply w xcgistcx to rule tlnuugh the Department of Motor Vehmles (DMV) or ottx;r age:zcies undrr the National Voter Registration Act tNVRA) but whose applications have not here properl; Forva~ded ^o u,' acted by registrars: incomplete ~:otcr lists a[ polling places; and voters going to the "wTOnf;' golA.-:g place ~ ue to irradequatt cumrnunica6on of polling place locations or because they gave nrovrd +vahm r.• ±tva'isdlcrt a;r-. !iOL UTI O NS ~ Er:itre tha vet+: mgzitra°. ; r appications ai DbIV and other agettcies are transmitted and acted on m a i ~ lzaal~ rnarrax 6,; voterregoswtiunauthoritics. ~ « Apphcati i _ itantrs that ha.'e eligibility Infntmation included (.name, age, residence and citizenship) should be ac.;cptc i « Wl.emain . imna•, ricatiotu ot~ E,]ection Day between each po'-Leg place and the registrar's central office. i 2. ERRONE JUS F'URGIN~. In additior, to r auh +.s in geeing un the registration rolls, tnan~ voters will find they havt bean erroneously rernc;vrd Crotr 'he hv:. In the '0')0 election, hundreds of eligible Florida citizens were mistakenly identified as t'elont and ~ aye= rcirrgvac} fr.n, registration lists because of flawed data and a fau]ty data umlcltiuk process, SOLUT'10NS ~ Previdc ti.~ th. i~.- ~tiuc b ~ ~i~,o ula ac Cutr anv per~un is purled ;o that cOrrcCTkYnS can bC madt. ~ Do not pw ;e .~c~rec roits ad 3>e to election Day, r En ~JIr. the r any ltst of pct; really ineligible vottrs is screened .trd checked for accuracy bafore it is used- PROBLEt15 WITH THE NEIfV ID REQUIREMENT The Help .Ame ic~a ute Act !tI a VA; requires that t-,r¢t-time appti:anm who register by mail presser ID prior to voting on El~'ct:„- llay unie;= the <tate has atready verifies their identity. While HA V,9 says that the ap- plication ofthe new .quiretme~; ;-zus'. be "uniform and non•discrirninatory," many states love yet to establish machse~.ieme- fa en:-~aeuzg~ unif: , n. ar.r.~ nor,-discriminatory- app~lica:;+in. Ntw pruccduros can lefld t0 COnftlsion tad, ulrimatel, wtot„ful disertiazter.stmtrit on Election Day The new requirement opens the door to un- e•lirai zed rsscr minfv.ory t-ean'~.e~:,t ;iOLUTION5 kducate vo trt crz tine D U ry sbo ild bring to the polling place x Tirex? pull ~ orkers an the praper rules for non-discriminatory application of ID requirements. Recrw: an: train iriingual sal? workers io assist limited HngLsh proficient voters. « ;Znsue tinat wtrr; who du bring 1D can cast a provsional ballot that will be cuwricd if they arc eligi- j hie .o vote { - - _ II 1 ~~-~aF_-~;r ;:1~ wt_;^;.~~;M t~TE~ ~~~,eadersti~ip Cnnferenc~ O F' H r W !~i ^ r 3 TR T E 3 `Ai.~rilA $L C~,V~ iYQ~~y~~$ 5~" fZ :fir:"d JJ c695 SSE Fh:59 SBt~~;6e i-T ~t~ r DiFFICLtLTIES YuII'H VOTING SYSTffMS Unfatlul rarity .vith a voting satem on the part of voters, ciecdon adtninistrawt~ or poll workers car, load w cnnfusinn ec t.lccnon Jay. Most~urlsd[ctions u-x11 not be switching Cu new voting tnachires it 21100. so ntz~; voters wit] vote on the same systems that they used previously. 1'ttis tneans'.i,at wee can expe:.t the same q~pes of problems ets we saw in 2000' confusing haunt da• sign, ma chines that don't work and vou;s that are never counted. SOL UT I ~'1 NS n 6du-.ate r' nets x hov; w vpe[ate the voting systems they will face on Election Day. irai . gcrP workers h.nw to properly operate their voting systems and how to cortneously as- 3i9t trter~ iY. using the nrachnres. • :nS'~::ate t ~ aragemer~t safe fuards and testing of all machures. 5. FA'I.URE TO COUNT PROVISIONAL BALLOTS f ro+-isia ial hellncc are 'sae:nder' ac ~ Safeguard fur voters whose eligibility i9 in qumation an Electia~ Day. incltr9in@, enose whose voter registration is ut douM, who may have been errone- eus(v p i -ged, -or wto hove iB problems (See items 1, 2 and 31. fIAV q requires that provisional halkrzs -r.ust D-~ cote'ttec the s ote: is eligible to vote. However, some electipn OLiicial5 have cat:sen : app startaat.~ .'or counting provisional ballots that are unrelated to voter eligibility. In a rtrce ;n Illinois prtrttary. one j utisdiction rejected 93 perceztt of the provisional ballots cast 'v'[o« wa-e re K,cted beceuse a0''i workers failed w notify voters that they had to cast these votes i. thin zssigc,^d prccin-rt. according to the county's interpnaation of state law. SOLUT7r,rNS' Pro : ode x hedc-a_ ,'-oY~:S'v7a! ballot so that no vo'.4"r is .itsertfranchised from voting in the F~~:-~ier:n.a, Senate. e~ Hnt~,e of Representative races becartSe that voter went w the wTC ?g' galling place. Ens1ti Gh:+': ~,~oter e1~ ;3!%lif: -sthm thine administtuzive ce nvcnience is the test 4'or couutung ~ each Prov :iona_ b31°;,t • ste> ^ ~ iC' ern.' ^r.. nest-discriminate-y proce~4 4or swung and cotm[ing provisiottai tat s F'ro lc ~-'tpat r ~ : r n~ tse that the public kno+x ~ ho+; many prwisinna} ballots were i~:ru ^ 9 in e:ch jurts4. _:ion c~? Election Day and to ensure twat the process for counting pro- visio taf ballots rs open to public scrutiny. LF.'tGF F ~t~ =:'c1M1:N vnT'ER.Sm ~ Lswdsrsahip Coafereaae O T' + E Li !ti' i E Cr STATES OII Givil Rights .i°~"d ~~-1 L6959dE 6b~69 SOBZ/68/?i El DiNG.S OF FACT THE JUL~sE FOUND TA A'J' TAE PLAINTIFFS FAILED TO DEMONSTRATE BEYOND A RF.ASON:.BI.F DOUBT l?F~ EV iLN A PRI%PONDEBANCE OF THE EVIDENCE THAT THERE [S A SALIENT ~~'LASS OF dDENTIFIABLE VOTERS IN COL?rTY COUNCCL DISTRICT 3 AND Dli'F'R[C' 9 V1 HOSE RIt,IITS HAVE BEEN' VIOLATED BY THE ACTIONS OF THE REAPPOF:TIOYMENT CO'NMISSION, ACC'ORU-,NC: 'CO THE i~ A~VAR~aOTO DECJSION iD)r-NTIFLCATION OF A CLASS OF VOTERS COULD sE DET"ERyTINED BY EITHER POLITICAL PARTk' AFFILIATION, ETHNICITY. F49CE, pF; ECONOMIC ~TATU S. A PR£YONUI:RA,YC2: OF L°VIDL''NCE OF LDENTIFi^ATFJN WORIC.D BE A VOTING 'CREND OVER AT MINIMUM OF THREE ELECT[OYS W HEREBY AN IDENTIFIABLE CLASS OF VOTERS CAST THEIR VOTES IN A SIMILAR VLA:~'r'ER. HOWEVER, it4 TBE GA'sE OF HAWAII COUNTY COUNCIL ELECTCON RECORDS VOTERS HA V E N]^ JER, ?JEE:C IDENTIFIED BY RACE OR ETHNICITY AND VOTERS HAVE NOT BEEN IDI NTD'[ABLE JAY FOLEISC'AL PAK'TY SiNC'E THE COUNCIL ELECTIONS BECAME NON.PAkT TISA "ti IN 2007, RECOGNIZING THESE BASIC FACTS THE PLAINTIFFS BASED THEIR C?.SF. CAN THE ECONOMIC STATUS OF THE VOTERS IN THE [DE.NT[N"~4RI.F COi*'IM11U°~ CfI,:P°~ F)F Lq~[ hRES~' IN L1'PER YUNA AND NORTH KOHEILA. F[Ri.i'f[El~. A7?~: ,'37L4:NC:1' '(K~ IDENTJFYLNG A "SALIENT CLASS OF V01'ERS" IS THE FACT TFk3: Tkl C(~C"NCIL "*LEM._BPR ELECTED L! DISTRICT :j RAN UNCHALLENGED IN 1948, 2000„ AN;? 20D:. CONSEE ~UENTLY THE VOTERS IN UPPER PUNA HAp NO CHOICE IN CAS?LD.a IEl3 eP1' WHl~~dl THEY COCiLD BY IDENTIFIED B\' A DISCERNABLE VOTING TRE'~ J. LN _`JORTL; KOVLAL+1 A 1~I5CEkL'YABLE V01'LYG TREND LN VO"PER'S CHOICE OF CA'vBIDA TES ~i 1448, 2(tUt), 30[>2 DOES 1DEN"11FY A CLASS OF VOTERS IN THE TW O PRECINC'PS OI NORTH KC~kL93.A. TLlE VOTLrRS OF NORTH KOHALA AR6'F'URTAER IDENTD*.L ISLE BY TkIEJR ECONOMIC STATUS AS PRESENTED BY PLAINTIFFS IN TABLE 8 JJF T§dE HAWAII STATE PRIMARY NEEDS ASSk:SSMENT DATA BOOK 199& ACt~ORD['tiG L J TES'flti9(J^d'e' COUNCIL MEMBER ELARLONOFP' ONCE 1N OFFICE FREOL'E.!'fl.l' ~~OTED .~GAEti ST TFIE INTEREST OH THE NORTH ICQIiAI.A COMMUNITTE^ CN FAL'OF.1F THE CITIZENS OF SOU'l'H KOHALA. THE FOLLOWING TAALE DT .RRO"~ STRATE3 a. DISCERNABLE VOTUYG TREND OF A GROUP OF VOTERS DE-'YIED i+;kLl l CCAL RLs PRESE~tiTAT10N. DIS7`Itd4; 19 (North Kohala Drecinc`ts 1 and 21 154F X000 2~ HJnrioaof[ ~A`Yo 30 ib az%. H~nohauo a3 ~ ~ Ca2imtro :x 25 u Alcaba ~ 41 51 Bb~k { 2 4 8 :rind ~Ud L6959~E 6b~89 S©9d/66!T.T