Lawmakers champion mail-in voting amid dissent among Elections Commission

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.”


https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/local-news/2025-11-14/lawmakers-champion-mail-in-voting-amid-dissent-among-elections-commission