The newest tool for Hawaii voters went live last week, with the implementation of an online voter registration system.
The newest tool for Hawaii voters went live last week, with the implementation of an online voter registration system.
It’s part of an overall process to streamline the voting process and increase accessibility and participation.
“It is (about) convenience,” said Pat Nakamoto of the county elections division.
A bill passed during the 2012 legislative session required the online system to be in place by 2016. In order to register to vote, residents must have a Hawaii driver’s license or state ID.
Voters who are already registered also can use the system to update their own information, such as name and address changes.
University of Hawaii at Hilo political science professor Todd Belt said the effort is part of a long-term trend.
“It reflects a move in our state to make things easier to vote,” he said.
Donna Oba, co-president of the League of Women Voters of Hawaii, said that having an online system also could encourage more younger voters to register.
But getting people to register doesn’t necessarily translate into more people at the polls. During the 2014 midterm election, just 36.5 percent of registered voters in the state turned out to vote.
”Registering voters is just one step in the whole process,” Nakamoto said. “Voters actually need to go out and vote on Election Day.”
In spite of the low turnout numbers, Hawaii already has several measures in place that in theory should make it easier to cast a ballot. The state allows early voting and no-excuse absentee balloting. People can opt to be a permanent absentee voter and always have a ballot mailed to them. By 2018, an Election Day registration program is set to be put in place.
Over the past 10 years, absentee voting has become more common. Belt estimated that between one-third and one-half of voters now vote by mail.
“The walk-ins are pretty small numbers compared to people that just mail them (the ballots) in,” he said.
Three states — Colorado, Oregon and Washington — have changed their voting procedures to eliminate precinct polling altogether. All ballots are mailed to voters.
Similar measures were introduced during this year’s legislative session, when a House bill and a Senate bill were put forth for all-mail voting, but both died in conference committee.
“We hope that one day we will have vote by mail,” Oba said.
Belt said the new push towards all-mail voting was “almost exclusively” the result of the fallout from last year’s primary election, when storm damage from Tropical Storm Iselle resulted in two closed polling stations in Puna, a makeup election for the precincts, and several lawsuits.
“Usually election issues aren’t really high-profile issues,” Belt said. “They don’t garner a lot of public interest until something bad happens.”
He said the fact that the bills had made it to conferencing was a positive sign for ultimately moving Hawaii toward all-mail.
“It looks like it might just be dealing with some details in the process,” Belt said.
Email Ivy Ashe at iashe@hawaiitribune-herald.com.