The state Elections Commission today named Scott Nago as interim chief elections officer.

Nago, a respected staffer who leads the ballot counting section for the state Office of Elections, was endorsed by the four county clerks.
Nago will oversee the Office of Elections while the commission searches for a permanent replacement for Kevin Cronin, who has resigned effective tomorrow.
The commission named a three-member panel to conduct the search for a permanent replacement, which will help decide, among other things, whether the commission will try to find a new chief elections officer before the September primary and November general election.
Some commissioners suggested that naming a new chief elections officer prior to the elections could disrupt the flow of election preparations.
Nago takes over at a critical time for the Office of Elections, which must obtain new voting machines and plan for the elections with reduced funding because of the state's budget deficit.
Legal challenges have left the state with no voting machines until new administrative rules are adopted.
The Office of Elections may also have to stage a special election to fill out the remaining months of U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie's term in Congress. Abercrombie has said he is resigning his urban Honolulu seat to concentrate on his campaign in the Democratic primary for governor.
State elections officials are scheduled to brief state lawmakers about the cost and other challenges of a special election at a briefing on Monday.