Richard Smolka, one of America’s senior election-watchers, says Washington has the country’s best-trained crew of state and county election administrators and workers. That’s thanks in part to training, training, training.

To underscore that point, this week, about 240 election folks went back to school yet again. The annual training conference, held at Great Wolf conference center in Grand Mound this year, featured intensive workshops in minority-language voters, redistricting, recounts, public records requires, ballot design, voting rights, a legislative update and legal issues.

Smolka, editor of the influential Election Administration Reports newsletter, a veteran observer of the election scene and a public affairs professor at American University, was a keynoter. He talked about the worldwide attention on free and fair elections, and complimented Washington state for its advances and for its attention to continuing education for election personnel.  Secretary of State Sam Reed, who has championed rigorous training, presented several dozen newly certified election professionals with their “diplomas.”

Besides lots of laughter, pranks and good conversation, the conference also concluded with some awards:

• Douglas County won the award for outstanding programs for voter outreach. Accepting was Auditor Thad Duvall. 
• King County’s newly elected nonpartisan director of elections, Sherril Huff, was named auditor/elections director of the year for her work in turning around the beleagured county elections department since the 2004 Rossi-Gregoire governor’s race uncovered numerous problems. “They really turned it around. It is the most remarkable transformation I have ever seen,” Reed said in his presentation. Huff drew a standing ovation from her peers.
• Lori Augino, elections manager for Pierce County, was given the first-ever C0unty Election Employee of the Year Award. Reed had high praise for Augino’s skill and professionalism in guiding the populous county through new styles of primaries and the voter-approved Ranked Choice Voting.  Augino’s selection also prompted an ovation from the convention and praise from her boss, newly appointed Auditor Jan Shabro.
• Jeff Even, the longtime counsel for the Office of Secretary of State, including the Elections Division, was honored for his 17 years at the post. He is now deputy solicitor general at the Attorney General’s Office and is in charge of legal opinions. He is succeeded as legal adviser by another veteran top official at the AG’s office, James Pharris.