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Hawaii Elections Commission orders hand count of Hawaii County ballot return envelopes after public concern
Summary
After more than three hours of public testimony accusing the Office of Elections of chain-of-custody gaps and missing ballots, the Elections Commission voted to hand-count Hawaii County (Big Island) ballot return envelopes from the 2024 general election and appointed two commissioners to oversee the effort.
The Hawaii Elections Commission voted to hand-count ballot return envelopes held in custody for Hawaii County after extended public testimony alleging gaps in chain-of-custody records and unresolved ballot discrepancies from the 2024 general election. The motion — amended to sort envelopes into two piles (those returned through the mail and those without postal markings, presumed from drop boxes) — passed on a roll-call vote.
Supporters of the motion pointed to reports and permitted-interaction-group findings that raised questions about missing or unaccounted ballots on the Big Island. “Unverifiable election with unresolved custody and accountability failures is by definition a continuing security risk,” testified Doug Pasnick, urging commissioners to treat verifiability as an accountability obligation.
Chief Elections Officer Scott Nago defended the office's procedures in his…
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