We all know the importance of free and fair elections. But do you know whether our elections in Hawai'i are either of those things?
In Hawaii, we have an Elections Commission that is designed to be fair and balanced, with half of the commission appointed by the party in the majority (Democrats) and the other half appointed by the party in the minority (Republicans), as laid out below:
The Elections Commission is composed of the following:
Two (2) members appointed by the Senate President
Two (2) members appointed by the Senate Minority Leader
Two (2) members appointed by the House Speaker
Two (2) members appointed by the House Minority Leader
One (1) member selected by a two-thirds vote of the Elections Commission to serve as Chairperson
Each group of four (4) Elections Commission members selected by each house will include (1) member from each of the four counties: Hawaii, Maui, Kauai, Oahu.
The duties of the Elections Commission provided under Hawaii Revised Statutes 11-7.5 are to:
Hold Public Hearings;
Investigate and hold hearings for receiving evidence of any violations and complaints;
Adopt rules pursuant to chapter 91;
Employ, without regard to chapter 76, a full-time Chief Election Officer, pursuant to section 11-1.6; and;
Conduct a performance evaluation of the Chief Election Officer within two months after the date a general election is certified;
Hold a public hearing on the performance of the Chief Election Officer and consider the information gathered at the hearing in deliberations on the Chief Election Officer's reappointment; and
Advise the Chief Election Officer on matters relating to elections
Anyone who has attended an Elections Commission meeting in person or virtually to either offer testimony or observe proceedings has seen first-hand that simply getting the commission to execute their basic responsibilities (do their job) is like herding cats. A frustrating and futile effort to compel action and accountability from a commission that is 50% uncooperative by design, with little to no progress in the end. Unless and until you persist, remain doggedly determined and DON'T GIVE UP!
Here in Hawaii, Republicans are lucky to have Elections Commissioners who are paying attention, tracking inconsistencies in our elections process, diving deep into the details and exposing how Chief Elections Officer Scott Nago, the Office of Elections and County Clerks have been failing the voters of Hawaii.
The latest example of this is laid out in a report delivered to the Elections Commission in their August 27th meeting, summarizing the findings of a Permitted Interaction Group investigation into the 2024 General Election. Commissioner Cushnie highlighted those findings, which we are sharing here.
The Hawai‘i State Elections Commission today received the findings of a Permitted Interaction Group (P.I.G.) investigation into the 2024 General Election. The report concludes that Hawai‘i’s elections are “unverifiable” and recommends urgent corrective action. In response, the Commission voted to call for an independent external audit.
Key Findings from the P.I.G. Report
Electronic records cannot be verified. Ballot images, audit logs, and reconciliation reports were withheld; only summaries were released.
Chain-of-custody failures statewide. None of the four counties provided records complying with HAR §3-177-453.
Hawai‘i County counted 19,042 more ballots than envelopes collected.
Kaua‘i County repeatedly altered its totals, adding 3,004 USPS ballots after the fact without signatures or explanation.
Maui and Honolulu counties provided no usable collection records.
Public misled. Official websites claimed daily reconciliation and observation, but these did not occur.
Unlawful certification. The Chief Elections Officer certified results without reconciling discrepancies, in violation of HRS §11-155.
Suppression of oversight. Complaints and evidence were blocked, with legal privilege invoked to withhold communications.
Commission Action The Commission voted to seek an independent manual audit of ballot envelopes, USPS receipts, and mail-in ballots. This would be the first statewide independent audit since mail-in voting began. Additional Recommendations
Return to in-person voting with paper ballots on Election Day.
Terminate Chief Elections Officer Scott Nago for willful neglect of statutory duties and defense of missing or inconsistent records.
Statement from the Report The P.I.G. concluded:
“Hawai‘i’s election oversight structure is fundamentally incapable of self-policing. Officials treat records as their exclusive property, and the public is expected to take their word for it.”
If you would like to view video of previous meetings, receive notifications of upcoming elections commission meetings, or read through testimony, you can do so by visiting the OOE website at Office of Elections | Elections Commission
The next Election Commission meeting is scheduled for October 1st at 10:00am. All voices are wanted and welcome! We encourage courtesy and respectful discourse always. Please join us!
RNC Election Integrity Updates
RNC files DOJ complaint over Maine Secretary of State's Inaccurate Voter Roles
On Monday, the RNC filed a complaint with the Department of Justice (DOJ), against Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows for refusing to provide information on Maine’s voter rolls
The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) requires each state to make available for inspection “all records concerning the implementation of programs and activities conducted for the purpose of ensuring the accuracy and currency of official lists of eligible voters,” and allows the Attorney General to bring NVRA enforcement actions.
The RNC formally requested that Bellows provide records on Maine’s voter list maintenance system and that the Justice Department investigate Maine’s compliance with the NVRA.
Georgia court upholds key provisions of Georgia's Election Integrity Act
This week, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia in VoteAmerica v. Raffenspergerupheld two provisions of Georgia’s Election Integrity Act (SB 202), rejecting activist attempts to weaken election safeguards.
The Prefilling Provision protects against voter fraud by outlawing outside groups from sending absentee ballot applications that are prefilled with a voter’s required information.
The Anti-Duplication Provision protects voters by banning groups from sending absentee ballot applications to voters who have already requested, received, or cast an absentee ballot in that election cycle.
The court found these measures reduce voter confusion, support voter confidence, and make elections more secure.
The RNC has been fighting to defend this law for over four years.
The RNC originally intervened in this case to protect SB 202 in April 2021, just days after the law was originally passed.
SB 202 was weaponized by Stacey Abrams and the Democrats through dishonest smears, which resulted in the 2021 MLB All-Star Game being moved from Atlanta, Georgia.
The RNC also successfully intervened in a lawsuit brought by the Biden Justice Department against the state of Georgia over SB 202, fighting that case until it was dropped earlier this year.
Friends, I leave you simply with this:
"The right of voting for representatives is the primary right by which other rights are protected. To take away this right is to reduce a man to slavery, for slavery consists in being subject to the will of another, and he that has not a vote in the election of representatives is in this case." — Thomas Paine
In God We Trust,
Laura
Laura Nakanelua
National Committeewoman, Hawai'i
Republican National Committee [email protected]
