HAWAII: The Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii  has no “jurisdiction or control over the election process” according to a media release issued in response to the Hawaii County Clerk.

At a special council meeting on Monday, during her presentation of a report detailing voting problems in Hawaii County on primary election day, Hawaii County Clerk Jamae Kawauchi said, “I have written a letter to the Honorable Governor Neil S. Abercrombie, requesting an independent review of the performance of the State of Hawai‘i Office of Elections and also to ask that he please consider the Lt. Governor of the State of Hawai‘i oversee the administration of the State of Hawai‘i Office of Elections for the upcoming general election in November 2012.”

Lt. Governor Brian Schatz had this response:

“Right now is a time to focus on ensuring that the November 6 General Election comes off without a hitch statewide, with a particular focus on Hawai`i county. The Administration will make certain that the Office of Elections and the County Clerk work together to execute a well-run election. The law does not give my office jurisdiction or control over the election process. If Ms. Kawauchi or anyone else believes that the law should change, the appropriate time to address this issue is in the 2013 legislative session. Now is not the time for blame-shifting. Now is the time to focus on solving the problem at hand.”