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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES 298 Draft 01 2010-2012 �-.-NYYIOS Nom;• iQ1 COUNTY OF HAWAII • �`' STATE OF HAWAII ,rt Oi• �. RESOLUTION NO. 298 12 A RESOLUTION REQUESTING THAT THE HAWAII STATE ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES' INCLUDE IN ITS 2013 LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE A PROPOSAL URGING THE STATE OF HAWAII CHIEF ELECTION OFFICER AND ELECTIONS COMMISSION TO ESTABLISH A MECHANISM TO MONITOR THE COUNTIES' READINESS TO CONDUCT AN ELECTION AND TO INTERVENE IF NECESSARY. WHEREAS, in the 2012 Primary Election in Hawai`i County, issues occurred which resulted in several polling places opening late, inhibiting the public's ability to exercise the right to vote; and WHEREAS, these late openings compelled Governor Neil Abercrombie to issue an unprecedented emergency proclamation extending polling place hours on Hawai`i Island to provide sufficient opportunity for citizens to vote; and WHEREAS, this event has damaged the public's confidence in the electoral process; and WHEREAS, Section 11-2 of the Hawai`i Revised Statutes provides, in part, that the Chief Election Officer shall supervise all state elections, and that election responsibilities within a county may be delegated to a county clerk or other specified persons; and WHEREAS, Section 11-4 of the Hawai`i Revised Statutes authorizes the chief election officer to make, amend and repeal rules and regulations governing elections; and WHEREAS, Section 11-7.5(5) of the Hawai`i Revised Statutes provides for the Elections Commission to advise the chief election officer on matters relating to elections; and WHEREAS, it is of utmost importance to pursue a remedy to restore and assure confidence in the electoral process; and WHEREAS, a strong partnership between the State and the County, formed through effective communication, is critical to ensure a well-run election; and WHEREAS, a proactive policy of monitoring each county's readiness to conduct an election will reduce the potential for future election-day issues that would further undermine the public trust; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF HAWAII that the Hawai`i State Association of Counties include in its 2013 Legislative Package the proposed Concurrent House Resolution, attached as Exhibit"A," urging the State of Hawai`i Chief Election Officer and Elections Commission to establish a mechanism to monitor the counties' readiness to conduct an election and to intervene if necessary. BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the County Clerk shall forward copies of this resolution to the Honorable Mayor William P. Kenoi, and to the Hawai`i State Association of Counties' Executive Committee. Dated at Hilo , Hawai`i, this 6th day of September , 2012. INTRODUCED BY: CO IL MEN BER, COUNTY OF AWAI`I COUNTY COUNCIL County of Hawai`i Hilo, Hawai`i I hereby certify that the foregoing RESOLUTION was by the vote indicated to the right hereof adopted by the COUNCIL of the County of Hawaii on September 6, 01 ATTEST: ( COUNTY CLERK CHAIRPERSON & PRESiIIDG OFFICER 2 ROLL CALL VOTE Reference: C- 823 /Waived GRC RESOLUTION NO. 298 12 AYES NOES ABS EX BLAS X FORD X HOFFMANN X IKEDA X ONISHI X PILAGO X SMART X YAGONG X YOSHIMOTO X 9 0 0 0 Reference: C- 823 /Waived GRC RESOLUTION NO. 298 12 H . C . R. NO . HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION A RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE STATE OF HAWAII CHIEF ELECTION OFFICER AND ELECTIONS COMMISSION TO ESTABLISH A MECHANISM TO MONITOR THE COUNTIES' READINESS TO CONDUCT AN ELECTION AND TO INTERVENE IF NECESSARY 1 WHEREAS, in the 2012 Primary Election in Hawai ' i County, 2 issues occurred which resulted in several polling places opening 3 late, inhibiting the public' s ability to exercise the right to 4 vote; and 5 6 WHEREAS, these late openings compelled Governor Neil 7 Abercrombie to issue an unprecedented emergency proclamation 8 extending polling place hours on Hawai ' i Island to provide 9 sufficient opportunity for citizens to vote; and 10 11 WHEREAS, this event has damaged the public' s confidence in 12 the electoral process; and 13 14 WHEREAS, Section 11-2 of the Hawai ' i Revised Statutes 15 provides, in part, that the Chief Election Officer shall 16 supervise all state elections, and that election responsibilities 17 within a county may be delegated to a county clerk or other 18 specified persons; and 19 20 WHEREAS, Section 11-4 of the Hawai ' i Revised Statutes 21 authorizes the chief election officer to make, amend and repeal 22 rules and regulations governing elections; and 23 24 WHEREAS, Section 11-7 . 5 (5) of the Hawai ' i Revised Statutes 25 provides for the Elections Commission to advise the chief 26 election officer on matters relating to elections; and 27 28 WHEREAS, it is of utmost importance to pursue a remedy to 29 restore and assure confidence in the electoral process; and 30 EXHIBIT A 1 WHEREAS, a strong partnership between the State and the 2 County, formed through effective communication, is critical to 3 ensure a well-run election; and 4 5 WHEREAS, a proactive policy of monitoring each county' s 6 readiness to conduct an election will reduce the potential for 7 future election-day issues that would further undermine the 8 public trust; now, therefore, 9 10 BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the 11 Twenty-seventh Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular 12 Session of 2013 , the Senate concurring, that the State 13 Legislature requests the chief election officer and the 14 elections commission to establish a mechanism to monitor 15 counties' readiness to conduct an election and to intervene if 16 necessary; and 17 18 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this 19 Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Lieutenant Governor, 20 the Attorney General, the Chief Election Officer, the Elections 21 Commission and the Clerks of the four Counties . 22 23 OFFERED BY: