Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Governance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission splits on records requests and oversight steps; several motions fail while agenda item to form oversight PIG advances
Summary
After the PIG presentation and public testimony, commissioners debated and voted on several motions: proposals to require daily hand-count reports and to ask the USPS IG or DAG for opinions failed, while the commission agreed to agendize forming a PIG to consult county clerks and requested an attorney-general opinion on a HAVA complaint and referred a formal complaint to the AG.
Commissioners used the meeting to translate intense public testimony into a set of procedural steps and formal motions. Key items decided or discussed:
- Daily hand-count reports: Commissioner Lindsay moved (and amended) to advise the chief election officer to require county clerks to produce daily reports based on hand counts of valid ballot envelopes. The amendment debated resource and statutory feasibility; the final motion failed on roll call after close debate.
- USPS inspector-general request: Commissioner Ralph Cushni moved that the commission ask the USPS inspector general to confirm how many ballots were delivered to Hawaii County and how many were returned as undeliverable. That motion failed on a roll-call vote.
- DAG written opinion on withheld emails: Commissioner Cushni also moved for a written deputy attorney-general opinion about whether commission emails can be withheld from members and the public; that motion failed on roll call.
- Agendize PIG formation: The commission voted to add an item to the next meeting to consider forming a PIG to meet with county clerks about chain-of-custody and daily reporting. The item passed and will be expressly agendized so the commission can define scope and membership.
- Attorney-general opinion on HAVA complaint: The commission asked the attorney general for a written opinion about the merits of a public HAVA complaint (item 7d) to be used as a basis for further action; the request passed.
- Referral to the attorney general: The commission voted to refer a separate formal complaint (filed by Doug Pasnick, item 7b) to the attorney general for investigation.
- Envelope images request: A motion to request photographic images of signature envelopes from Hawaii County failed.
What commissioners said: Supporters of more aggressive document collection argued the public needs daily, transparent reporting of drop-box and mail returns; opponents cited statutory limits, practicality (especially in O'ahu where daily volumes are large) and resource constraints. Commissioner Lindsay argued daily verification would provide an independent county-level record to corroborate state SVRS outputs. Commissioner Osterkamp and others urged caution and pointed to the PIG conclusion that SVRS reconciliation is the official method.
