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Commission forms PIG on chain‑of‑custody after hours of pro‑ and anti‑mail‑in testimony
Summary
After hours of public comment sharply split over universal mail‑in voting, the Elections Commission formed a permitted interaction group to work with county clerks on ballot chain‑of‑custody and daily reporting practices and invited outside participants to assist the PIG.
Public testimony at the Dec. 3 meeting centered on whether Hawaii should continue universal mail‑in voting or return to in‑person, single‑day precinct voting. Hundreds of individual speakers, election observers and community organizations gave three‑minute statements on both sides.
Supporters of mail‑in voting — including Judith Mills Wong of the League of Women Voters and witnesses from Maui and Hawai‘i County — warned that a return to in‑person precinct voting would disenfranchise older, disabled and remote voters. " I strongly object to returning to in‑person voting," said Judith Mills Wong during testimony on the PIG chain‑of‑custody recommendations, citing mobility challenges and the convenience of studying printed materials at home.
Other testifiers argued the mail‑in system had produced unexplained discrepancies and urged more verification. Jamie Detwiler and others called for removal of Chief Elections Officer Scott Nago if the office cannot produce the records required by state administrative rules.
The commission voted to form a PIG to work with the county clerks regarding chain‑of‑custody and daily reports. Commissioners Apana, Sebas and Andrion were named as the PIG’s commission members and were authorized to invite outside participants; members discussed inviting election observers and one public testifier who offered expertise.
Why it matters: the PIG is intended to examine how ballots and ballot envelopes are handled from drop‑box or postal receipt through transfer to counting centers, including whether counties maintain contemporaneous logs and receipts that can be independently reviewed.
Next steps: the PIG will schedule outreach to county clerks, ask for existing documentation and recommend consistent forms and daily reporting practices. The commission separately authorized several information requests (BallotTrax/Hart InterCivic logs and a letter to the USPS Inspector General) to help reconciliation work.
