HONOLULU (KHON2) — The state elections commission is divided over mail-in versus in-person voting, with allegations of mishandled and miscounted ballots unresolved, and some calling for the voting director to lose his job.
It may be 2025, but primary battles are already shaping up in big 2026 races, like a congressional seat. Two islands will be electing a mayor, and it’s a gubernatorial cycle, too.
But there are more reasons than just the marquis races to start paying attention to what’s going on behind the scenes at the elections commission and the office of elections.
“Time is of the essence. There has never been more of a need for our government to act with due haste for the confidence of the American people in our voting system,” said Cameron Hurt, Common Cause Hawaii.
Disputes over ballot handling and access to in-person voting have gone past the boiling point at the elections commission.
Some members of the board are calling for Chief Elections Officer Scott Nago to be fired. Nago declined to comment on the calls for his job, calling it a “commission matter.”
“It is incumbent on the director to step up in this time and show unwavering leadership and confidence in his decision and his staff’s decision. It is the lackadaisicalness of some of the replies that we’ve heard that leads people to questions we need bold leadership in this time,” Hurt added.
The commission is also looking into allegations of ballot mishandling and mismatched tallies on both Kauai and Hawaii Island. Critics say the differences are in the thousands. The chief election officer says it’s in the dozens, saying in a recent letter to the commission:
Ballot count discrepancies are mischaracterized and that their records show minimal discrepancies across counties, and no evidence of systemic error or fraud.
“Is there something wrong. No, are we being efficient and accountable, not as much as we could be. Absolutely not any one ballot, any one ballot that is not counted, that is a problem and a potential threat to democracy, full stop,” Hurt said.
Resolving the differences is bogged down in audits, cross-claims and a potential return to litigation.
Citing ballot chain of custody issues along with excessively long lines at the few available in-person sites, factions on the commission are also pushing for an end to mail-in voting and a return to in-person voting on paper ballots on Election Day.
“At common cause, we would never support anything like that one. Hawaii has actually one of the more remarkable mail-in systems for any of its flaws,” said Hurt. “It’s still very remarkable. We should be increasing access to voting, not limited. That does not just include mail in voting, but we also need to be increasing our day in polling stations as well.”
Check out more news from around Hawaii
The chief election officer wrote commissioners saying:
“Elections-by-mail are far more accessible than in-person voting for polling place elections, which required voting on one day, for exact hours, in specified locations.”
But that letter did not specify if more in-person voting sites will be available in 2026.
Any change to hawaii’s current primarily mail-in voting system would need legislation.
Meanwhile the monthly meetings of the elections commission and with voter officials continue with considerable acrimony.”
“These individuals must understand that they are in the leadership position in our community. When it comes to elections, we are looking to them. It is to them to figure this out equitably, honorably, and let us know what the findings are,” said Hurt.