Libertarian National Committee Debates Election Integrity

In a series of emails, Hawaii Chairman Austin Martin, a representative from Region 1 of the Libertarian National Committee (LNC), detailed allegations of election irregularities, judicial misconduct, and vulnerabilities in voting systems. Martin's communications, part of a broader discussion among LNC members on election fraud, highlight concerns that extend to national implications. 

Ballot Disparities and Potential Outcome Changes

Martin cited a specific case in Hawaii County, where a Permitted Interaction Group revealed a discrepancy of 19,000 ballots, a number that could have influenced multiple races. "In my own county, Hawaii County, the known 19,000 ballot disparity could have changed the outcome of most of the races on the ballot," he wrote. He argued that such issues are widespread, affecting local elections more severely than presidential ones, and challenged claims that outcome-altering fraud has not been proven. Martin described this as a "non-factual political claim" often used first by those benefiting from irregularities.

Click the image to read the source

Vulnerabilities in Electronic Voting Systems

Emphasizing objective facts over political bias, Martin highlighted the nefarious history of voting machines and software vulnerabilities. He noted that without physically auditable paper trails, results cannot be authenticated. As an example, he referenced vendors like Smartmatic, who are facing litigation for misconduct, including bribery and corruption in other countries. "Vendors like Smartmatic (purportedly controlled by socialist Venezuela) are facing litigation and charges over election related misconduct in other countries—including bribery, and corruption," Martin stated. He added that these systems or their products are likely to be used in upcoming U.S. elections.

Martin also referenced broader issues with election technology vendors such as Dominion Voting Systems, Election Systems & Software (ES&S), and Hart InterCivic. "The 2021–2024 Halderman/Curling expert reports in Georgia documented that Dominion BMD and ICC systems can be fully compromised in minutes with only brief physical access and no trace left in logs," he explained. He pointed to forensic examinations in counties across the country, which revealed unauthorized software, deleted logs, and concealed issues.

Case of Tina Peters and Whistleblower Retaliation

A significant portion of the LNC’s discussions focused on Tina Peters, the former Mesa County Clerk in Colorado, whom Martin rightly portrayed as a victim of retaliation for exposing vulnerabilities. He urged caution in accepting official narratives that label whistleblowers as criminals. "Blaming whistleblowers and prosecuting victims are common tactics in government corruption scandals," Martin wrote. He noted that Peters remains in solitary confinement despite a pardon from President Donald Trump and an admission from Colorado Governor Jared Polis that her sentence was too "harsh."

Peters is a whistleblower who preserved election data from Dominion systems in 2021 to prevent erasure during a software update. Experts confirmed signs of manipulation in the data, but Peters faced charges and a biased trial where evidence was suppressed. She was convicted on seven counts and sentenced to nine years. Trump's December 11, 2025, pardon, called her a "brave and innocent Patriot," though she remains imprisoned as of January 11, 2026. Her case is one of political persecution, especially compared to unpunished actions by officials like Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold.

Judicial and Procedural Irregularities

Martin alleged widespread judicial fraud, drawing from his own lawsuits against Hawaii's Chief Elections Officer Scott Nago (Martin v. Nago and Martin v. Watson). He said cases are dismissed on doctrines like qualified and judicial immunity rather than merits. "My cases, like many others, were resolved on the doctrines of Qualified and Judicial Immunity, not a procedural or factual defect on my own part," he said.

In Hawaii's 2022 election cycle, Hawaii State officials illegally swore in the governor before certification, amid pending challenges. Original certification documents and oaths were "lost or destroyed". The courts have overlooked these violations by granting immunity and targeting whistleblowers like Martin.

As an official election observer in 2022, Martin attempted to file an incident report on vulnerabilities but was removed without explanation.

He stated he was later characterized as a "disruptive criminal." He compared this with similar retaliation patterns in the Peters’ case. You can watch Chairman Martin confront Scott Nago on his decision in his follow-up:

Voter Rolls and Verification Issues

Martin raised concerns about unverifiable voter rolls, particularly in Hawaii, where state records are withheld, leading to disparities with county data. He referenced a complaint he escalated to the U.S. Department of Justice in February, which resulted in a lawsuit against Nago and Hawaii over the issue. "We have no way of even verifying most states' voter rolls," he wrote, emphasizing the need for state records in fraud detection and claims under the Help America Vote Act (HAVA).

Broader Implications: Libertarian National Committee Debates Election Integrity

Martin criticized dismissing cases on procedural grounds as potential cover-ups and expressed hesitation toward narratives intertwined with conspiracy theories, but insisted facts from eyewitnesses like himself demand action. Chairman Martin sees these issues as existential for the Libertarian Party (LP), arguing that ignoring election fraud and judicial racketeering would undermine the party's credibility. "Is there any other issue the LP should care about more than election fraud & judicial racketeering?" he asked.  “By taking a principled stand here, we are going to affect the overall political dynamic around this issue profoundly. We can accomplish something meaningful just by raising awareness and making our position known on this matter — it's low-hanging fruit. Low effort, high impact.”

The discussion elicited responses from other LNC members, including Keith Thompson (Region 3 Rep), who agreed on electronic vulnerabilities but disagreed on evidence of outcome-changing fraud. He sees Peters' case as an unlawful breach rather than proof of fraud. “I'm hesitant to go full-on into "voting machine fraud" territory because it's far too often intermixed with baseless conspiracy theories.”

This internal debate showcases ongoing tensions within the LP over election integrity, with Martin's detailed accounts drawing from personal experiences and national examples. The party has not yet issued an official statement on the matter.