Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Election Audit topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Elections Commission asks state auditor to audit 2024 election, to start with Big Island
Summary
The Hawaii Elections Commission voted Dec. 3 to ask the state auditor to audit the 2024 general election, with an amendment to begin the review on Hawai‘i Island before any statewide expansion. The request follows PIG findings and months of public testimony about chain‑of‑custody and ballot accounting.
The Hawaii Elections Commission voted Dec. 3 to ask State Auditor Brandon Condo to conduct an audit of the 2024 general election, with the commission amending the request to begin on Hawai‘i Island (the Big Island) before any broader state review.
Commissioner Lindsay moved the motion, saying the PIG reports and prior audit motions warranted a state audit. "I move that the Elections Commission transmit the findings of the 2025 permitted interaction groups and the Commission's 10/01/2025 audit motion to the state auditor and to ask that he conduct an audit of the 2024 general election as soon as possible," the mover said during the meeting. After debate about scope and timeliness, commissioners agreed to ask the auditor to start with the Big Island and use that pilot to shape any subsequent county‑by‑county work.
Why it matters: public testimony during the meeting had repeatedly raised concerns about missing chain‑of‑custody logs, unexplained differences between envelope counts and ballots, and whether county records fully support the statewide tallies. Commissioners and public speakers urged a neutral third party to verify the data and procedures. Commissioner Ralph Cushni and others argued the Big Island presented the largest discrepancy and recommended starting there.
What the vote did: the commission approved the amended motion by roll call, instructing the chair to transmit the PIG findings and a formal request to the state auditor. The board also asked the auditor to meet with the commission at an upcoming meeting to explain feasibility and timing.
Next steps: the chair will send the formal request and invite Auditor Condo to the commission's next meeting; whether Condo accepts the request and how he schedules or stages the audit is at his discretion.
Action details: Motion to ask the state auditor for an audit of the 2024 election, amended to start with Hawai‘i Island; motion carried in roll‑call vote. The commission emphasized that the audit should be timely and that an initial county pilot would shape statewide work.
