Barely four months before the 2022 primary, an investigation into the integrity of voter rolls and related matters from the 2020 election has ended.

The Hawaii State Elections Commission voted twice to reject motions to further examine the complaint filed by Adriel Lam, who alleges serious voting irregularities.

Lam had submitted reams of documents to support his case, including some as recently as Tuesday.

Commissioners Scotty Anderson, Clifford Motta, Jeffrey Kuwada, Carol Seielstad, Cynthia Takenaka and Stafford Kiguchi voted to reject the motions.

Commissioners Lillian Koller, Michael Curtis and William Dean voted to continue exploring the matter, with Koller indicating that the people of Hawaii have a right to know if their voting system is safe and secure.

Hawaii State Elections Commission meeting April 1, 2022.
The Hawaii State Elections Commission conducted Friday’s hearing via Zoom. Screenshot/2022

Anderson, the commission chair, believes that it is secure and feels the process to assess Lam鈥檚 claims was proper and thorough.

鈥淚 am satisfied with the outcome in that all items of discussion were discussed,鈥 he said after the vote. 鈥淓veryone on the board, all the witnesses, we all want what鈥檚 best for Hawaii. And we think the more eyes that are on the activities of both the Office of Elections and various county clerks is important and we should keep looking at it.鈥

Anderson continued: 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 gotten to the point where we have an election coming up in August, and we need to move on.鈥

But Koller said during the public meeting on Zoom that the purpose was not so much a matter of questioning the outcome of the 2020 election 鈥 something that still continues nationally primarily by supporters of former President Trump. Rather, it was to make any necessary improvements to Hawaii鈥檚 voting system in time for future elections.

Koller also did not find a response earlier this week from Chief Elections Office Scott Nago to Lam’s latest concern satisfactory, suggesting at one point that it read like an apology for not being able to provide better answers.

The meeting Friday sometimes featured testy exchanges between commissioners.

There were complaints about fairly minor issues 鈥 for example, the loud buzzer that signaled a testifier鈥檚 three minutes were up 鈥 to more serious ones such as the desire from Koller that commission deliberations be conducted in public rather than in executive session.

Most of the meeting was public under the state Sunshine Law, but commissioners did go into executive session to discuss some matters.

It also appeared that, after deliberating over the Lam complaint for months now, patience was running out.

At one point Koller took umbrage with Anderson for implying that she was 鈥渁 conspiracy nut.鈥

Anderson apologized, saying that was not his intent and that his main point was to express confidence in the answers that Nago and the four county clerks provided in response to Lam鈥檚 inquiries.

Koller said more time was needed to examine Lam鈥檚 concerns, which she said appeared substantive.

Lam wanted more time, too.

鈥淣ice hearing. Way to bury the evidence,鈥 he said in a text after the meeting concluded.

Going forward, Anderson said he hoped that the commission would learn more about the cyber security systems provided by the voting contractor, Hart InnerCivic of Texas. But Anderson also made clear that he found them competent and professional.

鈥淲e will always keep a close eye on anything that looks suspicious, as we should,鈥 he said.

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