EDITORIAL
Voting changes will increase participation

New federal voter access laws will make it easier for Hawai'i citizens to vote next year and may push the state toward even greater reforms that will open up the election process for all.

As described by staff writer Jan TenBruggencate, the changes under the Help America to Vote Act of 2002 are focused primarily on easing access to the disabled. That means offering electronic voting options to the paper ballot, including measures to help the visually impaired.

But the federal law also calls for something called "provisional voting," which allows citizens to cast a ballot even if they cannot prove they are properly registered. The ballots of such provisional voters are then set aside until their registration is confirmed.

That brings us one step closer to where we should be: same-day registration. There is no reason why Hawai'i cannot have a system that allows its citizens to register to vote on election day itself.

The State Elections Office attempted to get a same-day registration provision through the Legislature earlier this year, but was unsuccessful.

The bill will be reintroduced next session. It should be enacted. There is no reason why voting should not be made as easy and accessible as possible.