The state Elections Commission, already 20 days late in sending a report to the Legislature on the 2020 elections, voted Thursday to tell House and Senate leaders that it might need even more time to potentially amend any recommendations.

Commissioners voted to send a draft summary of the 2020 elections, which saw record voter turnout, with the caveat that they will review verbal concerns expressed at their Dec. 15 meeting by Republican Party officials.

Commissioners and commission staff said that the concerns were not provided in writing and were not written down during the meeting. Minutes of the December meeting were expected to be produced later Thursday.

Laura Nakanelua, national committeewoman for the Republican Party, expressed frustration to the Elections Commission on Thursday that concerns raised in December were not included in the Elections Commission’s report to the Legislature.

“Our voices have to be heard publicly,” Nakanelua said.

Commissioners spent more than an hour trying to recall what was said in December and debated over how to proceed.

Commissioners recalled hearing concerns over a wide range of election- related issues, including over election observers; military absentee ballots; chain of custody over ballots; and using computers to match voters’ signatures.

At one point Commissioner Carol Seielstad said, “Much of it was hearsay.”

Since the commission was already tardy in sending its report to the Legislature, Commissioner Lillian Koller suggested waiting until the minutes from the December meeting are produced and sending the Legislature a complete report.

“My preference would still be for us not to send this letter,” she told her fellow commission members. “I don’t think the house is burning down. We’re already 20 days late. And it (the draft letter) really communicates nothing but a thumbs up, and we know … that there were concerns raised regarding the Office of Elections’ duties and function. … It will make us look a little foolish to the Legislature if we come back and start identifying later issues that have substance to them and may need legislative action to correct.”

Koller was the lone vote of dissent to send a letter that might need to be amended once the minutes of the commission’s December meeting are reviewed.

The letter sent to Senate President Ron Kouchi and House Speaker Scott Saiki from Elections Commission Chairman Scotty Anderson on Thursday reads, in part:

“(No) evidence of fraud or errors were found that would suggest our election had been tampered with. … The Elections Commission notes that it was unable to review the meeting minutes from its December 15, 2020 meeting. After review and approval of the minutes, the Elections Commission may submit an addendum to this report if necessary.”

Testimony submitted by the League of Women Voters of Hawaii was generally positive.

“Between the 2018 and 2020 general elections an additional 75,000 people registered to vote, a compelling response to Hawaii’s voting modernization efforts permitting online voter registration and same-day (Election Day) registration,” Hawaii League President Piilani Kao­puiki wrote in a statement. “We look forward to passage of automatic voter registration in the 2021 session, as this is a simple cost- effective step, support by all voting officials statewide, with significant community support.”

Christopher Edwards, president of the Honolulu League, wrote in a statement, “Voters have responded to improved ways to register to vote, but the challenge remains. By one estimate, more than 212,000 persons remain eligible to vote in Hawaii but are not yet registered.”