elections.hawaii.gov Provisional Voting

Organisation : Office of Elections Hawaii
Facility : Provisional Voting
Country : United States
State : State of Hawaii

Provisional Voting : http://elections.hawaii.gov/voters/provisional-voting/
Home Page : http://elections.hawaii.gov/

Provisional Voting :
What is Provisional Voting? :
Provisional Voting is a procedure that allows a vote to be recorded when the eligibility of a voter is in question. An individual who casts a provisional ballot will vote for the same contests as those at the polling place, however, their vote will not be included in the official election count until their eligibility has been verified.

Who can cast a Provisional Ballot? :
The individual must meet the following requirements :
** Individual attests that he or she has registered to vote, and is eligible to vote in the correct district and precinct in that election, but there is no evidence of registration.
** An election official asserts that the individuals is not eligible to vote.

How does Provisional Voting work? :
The following outlines the Provisional Voting procedure :
** An election official at the polling place notifies the voter that he or she may cast a provisional ballot in that election.
** A voter is permitted to cast a provisional ballot at the polling place upon execution of a written affirmation (“Affirmation for Provisional Voting” on the Registration Affidavit Form).
** An election official transmits the provisional ballot cast to the county clerk for prompt verification.
** If the county clerk determines the voter is eligible under state law to vote, the voter’s provisional ballot is to be counted in accordance with state law.
** The voter is given a copy of the Registration Affidavit Form (RAF).

How can I check if my ballot was counted? :
To determine if a provisional ballot was counted or not, and if not, the reason that the vote was not counted, please contact the Office of Elections or use the Check Provisional Ballot tool.

Voting Rights :
** The right to vote is a basic right and responsibility of a democratic society.
** A person must register in order to vote.
** The process of voter registration is voluntary and must be respected as an individual right exercised by that citizen.

An individual may lose the right to vote when he or she :
** Is deemed by the courts as mentally incompetent; or
** Is convicted for a felony and currently incarcerated.

Rights to voting assistance :
Any voter who requires assistance to vote by reason of physical, visual, hearing impairment or inability to read or write may be given assistance by a person of the voter’s choice, other than the voter’s employer, an agent of the voter’s employer, or officer or agent of the voter’s union.

Election Integrity :
Challenging a Voter :
Any registered voter may challenge the right of a person to be or to remain registered as a voter in any precinct on the basis that :
** The voter is not the person he/she claims to be.
** The voter is not a resident and therefore not entitled to vote in that precinct.

The right to challenge a voter safeguards the integrity of the election process by ensuring that only qualified individuals are allowed to vote.
Voters who are challenged have the fundamental right to file an appeal.

Integrity of Polling Places :
In order to maintain the safe and orderly conduct of elections, the chief election officer may regulate activities within polling places and their respective two hundred foot perimeters.

Furthermore, admission within the polling place shall be limited to the following :
** Election officials
** Poll Watchers
** Candidates
** Any voters engaged in voting, going to vote, or returning from voting
** Any person, designated by a voter who is physically disabled, while the person is assisting the voter
** Any person or nonvoter group authorized by the chief election officer or the clerk in county elections to observe the election at designated precincts for educational purposes provided that they conduct themselves so that they do not interfere with the election process.
** A child for the purpose of observing the voting process when accompanied by an adult who is voting provided that this activity does not disrupt or interfere with normal voting procedures.