Election Integrity Updates | March 2026

The Hawaii Elections Commission continues to face serious questions about transparency, accountability, and competence in managing our elections. Recent critiques, include detailed concerns over ballot discrepancies, chain-of-custody failures, voter registration verification issues, ERIC system errors, and repeated violations of the Sunshine Law.

We’ve seen a troubling pattern of dismissing public testimony, blocking motions, and resisting oversight. These problems have drawn criticism from across the political spectrum, including demands for removal of key officials and greater compliance with federal laws like HAVA and the NVRA. You can read more about past meetings on our blog.

More Election Integrity Issues

On March 11, 2026, Dylan Andrion presented the Permitted Interaction Group Report for

Hawaii County.

Findings included an array of election integrity issues:

1. County election officials did not provide documentation demonstrating compliance with

HAR §3-177-453, which requires a complete and current accounting of ballots issued,

spoiled, and received.

2. Counties did not provide verifiable daily ballot counts for ballot envelopes collected

from drop boxes or received through the United States Postal Service.

3. Chain-of-custody documentation across counties appears inconsistent and incomplete,

and no standardized statewide reconciliation reporting format was produced for the 2024

General Election.

4. Ballot accountability procedures appear to rely primarily on entries within the Statewide

Voter Registration System rather than independently verifiable reconciliation

records.

5. USPS mail processing systems used for ballot return envelopes produce an exact

automated count of returned mailpieces, which can be used to reconcile ballot

envelope totals within the election chain of custody. 

Chain of custody should begin when ballots are ordered, but instead they are tracked from the first scan. USPS is required to track ballot mail through special bar code systems to allow for individual counting, unlike Commissioner Dalton (former USPS worker tasked with asking her former colleagues) claimed. Reconciliation has not been satisfied for 2024. Independent verification was not possible. Adrion ended with a list of remedies including protocols and independent verification processes: the Elections commission should document the verified problems with the 2024 general elections. Public testimony was heard on the PIG Report, but Chair Curtis stifled discussion on the report, stating discussion will be added to the April 01,2026 agenda instead.

Upcoming Hawaii Elections Commission Meeting 

Among other issues mentioned above, the agenda also includes a response from Claire McAdams as a representative of the Office of the County Auditor. McAdams resigned from the Election Commission board in November, and is now acting in a new copacity to ironically convey that an audit would be a conflict of interest for the Office of the County Auditor.

The next commission meeting will be held on April 1, 2026, at the Office of Elections, 802 Lehua Avenue, Pearl City, HI 96782. You can also join remotely via Zoom for oral testimony. Livestreams are also provided on each agenda.

Agendas and meeting materials are posted in advance on the official site. You can also Sign up for the email list to receive notices for upcoming Elections Commission meetings. Testimony is typically 2-3 minutes on each agenda item.

Vacancy: Chair of HI Elections Commission

Shortly after the meeting, Chair Curtis published his Notice of Anticipated Vacancy due to his term ending soon. We encourage all liberty-centric individuals to apply. This position must be filled by a leader with an eye toward transparency and accountability and who respects the law and Roberts Rules of Order. 

Individuals interested in volunteering should submit a resume with a cover letter via email to elections.commission@hawaii.gov or via mail. 

Commissioners cannot take an active part in political management or campaigns while serving.