King County, one of the nation’s largest counties and home of nearly a third of the Washington electorate, has certified the results of their first countywide election since switching to all vote-by-mail.

One of the outcomes was the voters picking their first directly elected elections director.  She’s Sherril Huff, who had held the post as an appointee of County Executive Ron Sims. Although both Huff and Sims are Democrats, the post is officially nonpartisan under terms of a 2008 charter amendment adopted by the County Council and the voters.

The final vote tally showed Huff with more than 46 percent of the total vote in a six-person winner-take-all. There was no primary, under terms of the charter amendment. Next strongest showings were from former Councilmember David Irons and state Sen. Pam Roach, both well-known Republicans. Irons polled 19 percent and Roach 16 percent. Others trailed…

A record 1.1 million ballots were sent out and about 250k were returned, for a turnout of 22.4 percent. Huff say the all-mail voting was a huge success. King now joins 37 other counties in conducting balloting by mail. Pierce is the lone county that hasn’t made the switch, which the Legislature made a local option.

Huff, previously the Kitsap County Auditor, says her staff will “strive to ensure secure and accountable elections.”  No rest for the weary: the county already is running the March 10 special election in Auburn, Vashon Island and Snoqualmie Valley precincts. Ballots are in the mail as we speak…