The state Elections Commission will issue a letter to chief elections officer Kevin Cronin expressing "displeasure" in his performance after county clerks said Cronin has not collaborated on election planning and two leading state lawmakers said they had no confidence in his leadership.

All four county clerks, in a public display of solidarity, told the commission yesterday that Cronin has not adequately consulted with them or sought their expertise in planning for the 2010 elections. Cronin oversees statewide elections, but the county clerks handle the vote in each county, and the clerks warned there has been little progress on preparations.

The criticism from the county clerks follows an informational briefing last month in which two top Senate Democrats said they had no confidence in Cronin after he had difficulty answering budget and legal questions regarding the state Office of Elections.

"We are going to send a letter to Mr. Cronin expressing our displeasure in some of the things that have gone on," said William Marston, the commission's chairman, after the commission met in a lengthy executive session to evaluate Cronin's performance.

Cronin could not be reached for comment after the executive session.

The state Office of Elections, like most state agencies, has had its budget restricted by the Lingle administration to help with the state's budget deficit. The office is also facing a legal challenge over its lack of administrative rules for new voting machines, forcing the office to suspend bids for new voting machines for 2010 until administrative rules are approved, which could take another two to three months.

Cronin told the commission earlier yesterday that he would delay hiring seasonal elections staff until the next fiscal year in July, not open a candidate filing center at the State Office Tower downtown, and stop providing paper copies of candidate manuals and district maps. The office is still considering whether to close 66 of the 212 voting precincts on O'ahu to save money.

Cronin also said he would ask state lawmakers next session to lift a restriction on about $113,000 intended to convert staff to the civil service system for use in election preparations.

"I think we have a window of time," Cronin said of election planning. "But it's a window of time that is closing."

Cronin appeared surprised at the criticism from county clerks. He said he had included the clerks in all of his major decisions.

But the clerks had a different impression.

"The chief elections officer's decision-making exhibits a lack of understanding and appreciation of the roles and responsibilities of the counties and other agencies. This places the elections at risk due to an inability to secure trust and cooperation," said Peter Nakamura, the county clerk on Kaua'i, who was also speaking for Jeffrey Kuwada, the county clerk on Maui; Kenneth Goodenow, the county clerk on the Big Island; and Bernice Mau, the city clerk in Honolulu.

Several of the commissioners were struck that the clerks were willing to speak out publicly.

"I don't see leadership here," commissioner Daniel Young said of Cronin.

Other commissioners said they basically only have the power to hire and fire Cronin and are unable to help solve some of the budget and legal issues that could influence election planning.

Jean Aoki, of the League of Women Voters, urged commissioners to become more active. "You can be the voice. You can be the face," she said. "You can put pressure on the elected officials more than we can."