• 1) accepted a Democrat candidate who was not qualified to file under the law;

• 2) accepted a candidate's illegal filing for both a State and City Council Office

• 3) allowed the Democrat party filing more time than the law allows to replace a candidate;

• 4) accepted an email filing sent from Democrat Party HQ to replace Caldwell, but would not accept a phone call from the City Clerk to withdraw Caldwell, who on July 22nd was filed illegally for both State House and City Council

• 5) has a Chief Elections Officer who was not registered to vote in Hawaii which is a legal requirement of his employment;

• 6) has approved printing a Primary Election ballot while candidates are being challenged

• 7) did not allow the political parties to review the ballot for possible errors, typos, whatever; even though the law provides for this review, and then states "Hopefully, all the ballots will be correct when they go out."

-- Now the Election Commission has fully supported this folly.

This is a script right out of the Third World.

If this is how we start the election season, how can we have any confidence in the outcome?

Willies Lee is chairman of the Hawaii Republican Party.

ELECTIONS 2008...