In the five weeks leading up to the general election, the state elections office must take action to fix the snags in the system to provide the quick and seamless count of results that voters deserve.

The problems that occurred during the primary — an excruciatingly slow count with final results released at 1:30 the next morning— are absurd, considering the system is automated. Other states that are much larger and with many more precincts are able to provide precinct-level results almost instantaneously.

Even though the state was short about 500 workers, mostly on O'ahu, the Office of Elections said precinct workers delivered results promptly by 11 p.m. on primary night. While the state does need poll workers, that was not the problem last weekend.

The real issue was the merging of two types of polling machine data the state uses. One system counts paper ballots; the other is an electronic system that aids disabled voters. Each is run by a different vendor. Texas-based Hart InterCivic is in charge of merging the two.

Elections office spokesman Rex Quidilla said there wasn't a glitch — Hart just took too long. "A slow car is a slow car," Quidilla said. "We were choked by that merge."

Hart InterCivic has told the state the problem was with the crossover and absentee ballots. But the state, rightly, has put the company on notice, calling a quick merge "non-negotiable."

If Nov. 7 doesn't yield faster returns, the state should invest in a different system that is more efficient and can deliver timely results.