Expanding methods of voter registration has been a hot topic
here in Hawaii. Currently, the Office of Elections lists three ways one can
register to vote: by mail, in person at the Office of the City or County Clerk
for the county in which you reside, or at all Departments of Motor Vehicles.
However, Hawaii residents will soon be able to register to vote online, thanks
to the passage of HB1755, signed by Governor Abercrombie earlier this month.
In 1993, Hawaii enacted the Motor Voter program, aiming to
extend the scope of registration availability by offering a registration form
to persons at DMV branches. This did help increase the percentage of Hawaii
residents registered to vote, but also created a “deadwood” phenomenon by
making it time-consuming and difficult to remove inactive voters from the
rolls. According to Ian Lind’s recent article
in Honolulu Civil Beat, this could make our voter turnout statistics look
bleaker than they truly are. Online voter registration furthers the same goals
as the Motor Voter program, while seeming to avoid rules that would skew voter
turnout statistics.
It is high time for a law that makes online registration
possible. It is often inconvenient to appear in person at a County Clerk’s
office or a DMV branch, and mailing in an application requires that the voter
own or have easy access to a printer. With the advent of online voter
registration, many residents will find it easier to register, hopefully
increasing the percentage of eligible adults who turn out at the polls on
Election Day.
Disclaimer: I speak as an individual, NOT on behalf of Common Cause Hawaii. All opinions are my own.
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