County elections office gets beefed up

King County Executive Ron Sims has temporarily reassigned two veteran managers to help run this fall's elections and will seek $500,000 to pay for a "turnaround team" that would make longer-term changes in the dysfunctional election operation.

Jim Buck — who has held a number of county administrative jobs and twice ran elections on a temporary basis — began last week as interim elections superintendent.

Buck replaces former Superintendent Bill Huennekens, who was demoted in connection with mistakes in the 2004 election. A national search is under way for a permanent replacement.

Sims' chief of staff, Kurt Triplett, yesterday said seven candidates so far have applied for the job, and two appear well-qualified.

Bob Burns, deputy director of natural resources and parks for the county, will move to the Elections Section next week as a "utility infielder," Triplett said.

In all, more than a dozen employees from other departments are moving to the Elections Section to help with the Sept. 20 primary and Nov. 8 general election.

The temporary workers — and 14 soon-to-be-hired permanent employees — will work under Dean Logan, director of records, elections and licensing services.

"What we learned in the 2004 election is that the current staff size isn't adequate to run an election like that," Triplett said.

Logan's future remains unclear.

"If the next two elections go as we expect — that is, they go well — then I think Dean has a long and bright future at King County. ... If they don't go well, I think we're all going to have some issues."

The closest governor's race in state history was marred by revelations that hundreds of unverified provisional ballots were improperly counted in King County, scores of valid absentee ballots weren't counted and a staff report to the canvassing board incorrectly showed all ballots accounted for.

Triplett said Sims will ask the Metropolitan King County Council this week or early next week for a $500,000 appropriation to hire a team that would reorganize the elections office.

The Independent Task Force on Elections created by Sims urged him two weeks ago to hire a management "SWAT team" because Logan "cannot alone make the kinds of changes that are critical to restoring public trust and confidence in our elections system."

County Councilman David Irons, R-Sammamish, who is running against Democrat Sims for county executive, called Sims' flurry of elections activity "all smoke and mirrors. ...

"We don't need to go out and do another study," Irons said of the proposed turnaround team. "That is what Mr. Sims is talking about — another study and another delaying tactic."

A soon-to-be-completed investigation into problems in the handling of absentee ballots could result in disciplinary actions including dismissals, Triplett said. "The discipline will fit the transgression. We're trying to make sure everything is fair and everything is appropriate."

Keith Ervin: 206-464-2105 or kervin@seattletimes.com