As if Hawaii needs another injection of unnecessary voting confusion and doubt, the state’s Election Commission has proposed the Legislature end mail-in balloting. It’s a bad idea, and must be denied.

Further, the bent logic and unjustified suspicion behind this move raise questions about the commission’s objectivity and suitability for fulfilling its role, which is supporting and encouraging citizens’ exercise of democracy, expressed by voting. It appears partisan interests have warped commissioners’ powers of analysis, and the standards for serving on this commission must be reviewed.

Voting by mail has been embraced by Hawaii’s citizens for years; in fact, it’s “wildly popular,” as the Star-Advertiser reported last week. In the 2024 elections, 94% of voters cast ballots by mail. But t

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