As we move inexorably closer to the 2010 elections, the Office of Elections and its operations remain mired in controversy.

Dire warnings about a lack of adequate funding and complaints that the director of the office, Kevin Cronin, is mishandling the preparations have rightly raised fears that the upcoming elections are going to be a mess.

That can't be allowed to happen. The 2010 election is a critical one for Hawai'i. Key seats are up for grabs: the governor's seat, a congressional spot, lieutenant governor, and, more than likely, the mayor's seat. The entire state House of Representatives and half the state Senate will also be elected.

All this at a time when the state's economic fortunes remain fragile.

We need to ensure that this election runs smoothly and that as many eligible voters as possible make it to the polls next year. And so far, the Office of Elections appears to be hardly up to the task.

Cronin has warned that without more money, he may have to close some precincts and cut back on support for candidate filings. He also worries that without a commitment of funds, he won't be able to recruit and properly train enough precinct workers in a timely fashion.

A Maui judge has also complicated matters, ruling last week that new administrative rules are needed before obtaining new electronic voting machines and arranging for the transmittal of election results over telephone lines and the Internet.

Meanwhile, at an informational hearing last week, two key members of the state Senate Ways and Means Committee, Donna Mercado Kim and Gary Hooser, complained that Cronin appeared to lack a solid grasp of budgetary and logistical issues facing the elections office.

It's Cronin's responsibility to make crystal-clear the needs of his office. He has sounded the alarm; now he must present policymakers with a solid, detailed game plan that they can get behind, while there's still enough time.

The state Elections Commission, which has expressed its support for Cronin in the past, needs to take a more active and public role to ensure that the elections office is on the right track for 2010.

Unfortunately, attacking the elections office has a long tradition in Hawai'i.

Cronin's predecessor, Dwayne Yoshina, faced criticism from Gov. Lingle and other Republicans over perceived voting irregularities in the 2004 elections. And in the 2008 races, local Republicans demanded Cronin's resignation over how his office handled candidate-filing challenges and ballot preparations.

These current problems facing the elections office need to be resolved. Confidence in the office must be restored.

The state needs to invest what's necessary to ensure smoothly run, trustworthy elections — budget shortfalls or not.

The fundamental value of our democracy, manifested in voters going to the polls, depends on it.