Nick Handy is stepping down as State Elections Director after leading widely praised reform efforts that have boosted voter turnout and helped restore confidence in the elections process.

Secretary of State Sam Reed announced today that Handy, 62, will retire at the end of the month after his seven-year tenure in the high-visibility, high-pressure post.

Reed has promoted Handy’s two top lieutenants, Katie Blinn and Shane Hamlin, as acting co-directors of the Division of Elections.

Reed had high praise for Handy’s “outstanding and exemplary” service, and accepted his resignation with regret. He added:

“Nick Handy helped put Washington on the map as one of the top cutting-edge states for election reforms, including our voter registration database, online voter registration system, our popular voter-approved Top 2 Primary and excellent outreach to the military and overseas voters, younger voters and the minority community.

“With Nick’s invaluable leadership and a great partnership with the Legislature, Governor and our County Auditors, we have successfully moved through the rough waters of the 2004 governor’s election, and adopted literally hundreds of improvements in our elections process. Today, I believe public confidence has been greatly restored and we are seeing robust voter turnouts and a high degree of civic engagement.”

Handy said his tenure at Elections has been the highlight of a 35-year career in public life that included years as deputy Attorney General, executive director of the Port of Olympia, deputy director of the State Office of Marine Safety, and chief policy assistant to the state Commissioner of Public Lands.

Handy said his future plans are yet to be determined, but that he will probably not retire.  He said his departure was designed, in part, to help the agency cope with deep budget cuts that have required layoffs at the Elections Division and throughout the Office of Secretary of State. His position will not be filled until the economy recovers and budget restoration is possible.

Katie Blinn and Shane Hamlin, currently the division’s assistant directors, will share the director’s role.

Blinn, an attorney and former deputy prosecutor, was nonpartisan counsel in the Legislature before joining Reed’s elections staff in January, 2005.  She will focus on legislative relations, policy issues, legal issues and media relations.

Hamlin joined Reed’s office as legislative liaison and executive policy assistant in 2004 after serving as policy analyst for the state Senate, and became assistant director of elections in November of 2007. He will focus on administration, including personnel, budget and technology.  Both he and Blinn will work closely with the elections community, led by the County Auditors and the King County director of elections.