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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0061.004 2008-2010 PI WU CEL Comm. & i To: Council Chairman Jay Yoshimoto and Council Members From: Leilani Bronson-Crelly, PMB #169, Puainako, Hilo, HI 96720 982-8417 leilanibcghotmail.com '09 JAN -5 19 Hawai'i County League of Women Voters Co-president Susan Dursin, P.O. Box 746, Capt. Cook, HI 96704 328-8514 sgd8ghawaiiantel.net Hawai'i County League of Women Voters Co-president Date: January 4, 2009 Re: Resolution 29-09 Dear Mr. Chairman and Hawai'i County Council Members: The League of Women Voters in Hawai'i has a ten-year history with Vote By Mail. In 1999, one of our Big Island members chaired a state study, which was updated in 2007. We know that Resolution 29-09 is meticulously researched and that the bill is well-written. Because of its timeliness and the strong merits of Resolution 29-09, the Hawai' i County League of Women Voters asks you to vote for its passage. The state of Oregon and many other county and municipal jurisdictions around the country have proved Vote By Mail to be secure. Voters are happy with the system. With votes counted at a central location, uniformity and efficiency are ensured. Special elections can be administered more quickly and cheaply than under the precinct system. Reliance on voting machines (the security of which disturbs many voters) is minimal. Finally, one of the most important considerations is that voter participation increases dramatically with Vote By Mail. The other major consideration, perhaps most compelling of all, is that voters are better educated. They have time to investigate, to debate, and to weigh their choices. We are a group that has believed, since our beginnings in 1920, that a strong America depends on a widely participatory, knowledgeable citizenry. This pilot project fosters such a voter base in Hawai'i County. Please say yes to Vote By Mail. Yours truly, Leilani Bronson-Crelly Susan Dursin Comm. No. 6 Ref. To.. P14aea1emCom& Ref. Date JAN 9