Chief Elections Officer Dwayne Yoshina said time is running out for a yet-to-convene state task force to review how state election ballots are counted and when an automatic recount is needed. State elections officer says
time is short for ballot reviewBy Pat Omandam
pomandam@starbulletin.comBut Senate President Robert Bunda responded there is enough time to do the work before the 2002 state Legislature begins. If not, legislative leaders may be willing to extend the life of the task force beyond the end of the 2002 session so it can get done.
"I believe the Legislature would be more than receptive to granting an extension of the reporting requirement if the task force, once convened, deems it necessary," Bunda said.
The state Legislature, in its regular session this year, created a temporary task force to review laws regarding vote tabulation, the procedures for automatic recount and challenges to election results.
The review was needed to ensure the integrity of the election process after problems with seven electronic voting machines from Elections Systems & Software during the 1998 general election. Those problems prompted an elections oversight committee to recount the entire election twice, while a number of specific races were manually recounted.
Given $100,000 to do its work, the task force was to look at how other states count their ballots and what triggers an automatic election recount.
As chairman, Yoshina envisioned four meetings in each county before making a report to the Legislature. Instead, delays in appointing members to the task force thwarted efforts to schedule meetings. And with six weeks left before the start of the 2002 session, Yoshina is worried there is not time to do the work.
"We ask for your guidance as to what the Office of Elections shall do in conducting this review of Hawaii's election laws, given the short time frame that we are now faced with," Yoshina told Bunda in a Nov. 19 letter.
Five of the eight appointees selected by the governor and state House leaders were made this summer. State Senate leaders, however, recently announced their choices.
Bunda said the unanticipated three special sessions this year delayed Senate selections to the task force. But now that they have been named, he believes the job can be done before the end of the 2002 session in May. He also believes the task force can get by with only half of the number of meetings suggested by Yoshina.
Along with Yoshina, members of the task force are Ken Hashimoto, Daryl Yamamoto, Dennis Kam, Thomas Yamashiro, Kitty Lagareta, Jean Aoki, Annelle Amaral and Jim Hall.
State Web Site
Legislature Directory
Hawaii Revised Statutes
Legislature Bills
