"It's time to move on from the partisan and divisive dynamic that seems to pervade anything related to elections in King County," Logan said. "Hopefully, that will be a good move for me as well as the organization."

Logan had survived intense public criticism over the flawed 2004 gubernatorial election, only to resign one week after some Metropolitan King County Council members objected to his absence from a meeting at which the council was expected to vote on Logan and Sims' plan to move to all-mail voting. The vote was delayed because of unanswered questions.

Sims called Logan a "dedicated public servant" in a statement this morning.

"While it is an incredible disappointment for King County to lose him, I am happy for Dean and his family," Sims said. "I have known for some time that, despite his calm and collected outward demeanor, Dean has been personally hurt by the constant barrage of harsh personal attacks on his character and professionalism leveled by some partisan extremists and elected officials."

A spokesman for Sims said Logan was meeting with Los Angeles election officials in that city at the time of a June 5 council meeting. Election officials last week said Logan had missed the meeting because he was at a conference of state election officials in Spokane. He later acknowledged he had been on vacation until the Tuesday meeting in Spokane, but he declined to discuss the nature of his vacation.

In his resignation letter to Sims, Logan said trying to lead the Records, Elections and Licensing Services Department "in what remains a highly politicized and divided structure has led me to question my ability to play a positive leadership role in King County government. My personal and professional disappointment in the recent incivility and disrespectful nature of proceedings with the County Council related to the vote-by-mail proposal has further exaggerated that dynamic."

Sims spokesman Sandeep Kaushik, said the "blowup" over Logan's absence from last week's council meeting was "the final straw" that led Logan to accept the job offer from Los Angeles County registrar Conny McCormack.

Kaushik said Sims felt the criticism of Logan's absence from the June 5 council meeting was "indicative of the fact that there is a toxic environment around King County Elections in which he thinks Dean has been the subject of a constant barrage of attacks and criticism, and that has been unfair."

McCormack, a vocal supporter of Logan during the 2004 election controversy, offered Logan the Los Angeles County job several weeks ago, Kaushik said. He said Logan visited Los Angeles only after the Metropolitan King County Council had twice delayed a vote on the vote-by-mail proposal and had made himself available to answer questions from council members before the June 5 meeting.

Logan informed Sims on Friday that he was considering the Los Angeles County job and told him Monday that he had decided to accept it, Kaushik said.

Logan's resignation leaves the Sims administration uncertain whether to proceed with all-mail voting next year.

One of the key backers of all-mail voting, County Councilman Bob Ferguson, said last week that he wasn't sure whether the county could get ready for mail voting by next year. He cited continuing unfilled vacancies in the elections section, including the superintendent position.

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