Who Controls Hawaiʻi’s Elections Commission? Supreme Court Asked to Decide Whether Office of Elections Can Block Its Oversight Commission From Meeting

Who Controls Hawaiʻi’s Elections Commission? Supreme Court Asked to Decide Whether Office of Elections Can Block Its Oversight Commission From Meeting

HONOLULU, Hawaiʻi — A case now before the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court raises a fundamental question about who ultimately controls the ability of the Hawaiʻi Elections Commission to meet and carry out its responsibilities: the Commission itself, or the Office of Elections that the Commission was created to oversee.

The dispute arose after the term of Elections Commission Chair Michael Curtis expired on June 30, 2026, leaving the Commission without a chair. Commissioners Ralph Cushnie and Tamara McKay sought administrative support from the Office of...