The election process in Hawaii is a mess leading to a special audit of the 2024 election results in the state.
The AP reported on the results of meetings this past week in Hawaii.
Hawaii should return to in-person balloting and fire its chief elections officer, a three-member subcommittee of the state Elections Commission is recommending.
But it’s far from certain whether those actions will ever be approved by the full commission, which conducted an acrimonious meeting Wednesday.
The recommendations come after another three-member subcommittee found discrepancies in the 2024 Kauai County general election results, in which the state counted more ballots than the county said it delivered.
On Wednesday, the full commission voted 5-2 to conduct an independent audit of the Kauaʻi County results.
The commission has scheduled a Sept. 24 meeting to address the findings of the second investigation, this one focused on possible election malfeasance and recommending the firing of Hawaii Chief Elections Officer Scott Nago and a return to in-person voting on paper ballots.
But there is more. A press release after last week’s report shared the following:
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
August 27, 2025
Hawai‘i’s Elections Are Unverifiable; Commission Votes to Seek Independent Audit
Honolulu, HI – 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.”
The same issues are occurring in every state nationwide.
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