Some members of Hawaiʻi’s Elections Commission are trying to ban mail-in voting, claiming that there were miscounted ballots in last year’s elections. But several organizations and state lawmakers say mail-in voting is here to stay.
Hawaiʻi adopted its full vote-by-mail system in 2020. On Oʻahu, just over 90% of votes in last year’s general election were sent in by mail.
State Reps. Adrian Tam and Tina Nakada Grandinetti, in a press conference held Thursday, said mail-in voting is not only the popular and convenient choice, but that there is “no credible evidence of fraud or widespread error.”
“It works because it's simple. It makes it easier for local working people to submit their ballots, and in doing so, it makes democracy more accessible,” Grandinetti said, “more accessible to people who work two or three jobs at odd hours, more accessible to college students who are away from home but want to stay engaged in local politics, and it's more accessible to kūpuna who might struggle to get around without assistance.”
In late August, a three-member subcommittee of the Elections Commission presented its claim that Kauaʻi County had misrepresented the number of ballots in last year's election. The meeting ended with the recommendation to conduct an independent audit of the ballots, in addition to the suggestion that the state return to same-day, in-person voting.
The two political parties represented in the state Legislature essentially get to appoint four commissioners each. The eight commissioners then pick a ninth member to be their chairperson. Before this system was in place, the governor appointed the commissioners.
Both Tam and Grandinetti questioned why some Elections Commission members would try to end one method of voting rather than expand the current options — and some members want to ban early voting as well.
In past elections, there have been complaints about not having enough ballot drop-boxes or poll workers to staff the handful of in-person locations on election days. Lawmakers suggested solutions to these issues — instead of further limiting residents’ voting access.
One proposed solution was to increase transparency of the voting process: allow voters to see the entire chain of custody of their ballot from the time they drop it off or mail it in, and every step thereafter until it is counted. One tool currently available for tracking Hawaiʻi ballots is BallotTrax.
Camron Hurt, the program manager at Common Cause Hawaiʻi, echoed that sentiment, adding that he believes the request about mail-in voting is a move toward voter suppression.
“What we see is members of the commission bringing continental politics to this state that do not belong. We have agents of chaos who are more interested in sowing disruption than sowing unity and solutions,” Hurt said. “Inconsistencies do not mean fraud… If people are truly interested in attacking this issue, then why have they put forth no conversation, no resolution, no bill to expand same-day access to in-person voting?”
Tam acknowledged that the state Legislature is responsible for appointing the majority of the Elections Commission’s members, but stood firm in his belief that the commission has allowed “conspiracy theorists” on its panel.
“I am disappointed in the Elections Commission, and I feel that they have lost sight of their mission to provide secure, accessible and convenient election services to all citizens statewide,” Tam said.
“Returning to single-day, in-person voting will disenfranchise thousands of Hawaiʻi voters, reverse years of progress, and make elections less accessible and less secure. Hawaiʻi's mail-in voting system is safe and trusted and working well, and there's no reason to turn back right now.”
