During this week’s 2015 state Elections Conference in SeaTac, Secretary Wyman and many in our Elections Division are joining Washington’s county auditors and their elections employees to learn or share new ideas and practices that will allow them to run elections even better both at the county and state levels.

For Wyman and state Elections Division Director Lori Augino, it also was an opportunity to present the state elections awards during Wednesday’s luncheon. Award winners include:

Secretary Wyman (right) with Whatcom County Auditor Debbie Adelstein. (Photos courtesy of Stuart Holmes)

• Whatcom County Auditor Debbie Adelstein received the Auditor of the Year award for her work on the Elections Division’s Voter Intent Committee and willingness to help neighboring counties by sharing procedures, templates and documents. Wyman said Adelstein is “always ready to share her insights. We rely on her county perspective to help us make informed decisions.” Wyman praised Adelstein for the innovative ideas she implemented that reduced wait times at county voting centers and ballot deposit sites.

From left: State Elections Director Lori Augino, Mike Rooney of Pierce County, Mila Jury of Okanogan County and Secretary Wyman.

• Instead of giving just one County Election Employee of the Year, Wyman presented two. They went to Mila Jury of Okanogan County and Mike Rooney of Pierce County, who have a combined 67 years of elections experience. Wyman praised Jury for displaying nerves of steel and great leaderships during last year’s raging wildfires that burned in parts of her county last summer. The Secretary singled out Rooney for his extensive work on several elections committees run by our Elections Division.

Secretary Wyman with King County Elections’ Kortney Kinzer.

• Kortney Kinzer of King County Elections received the Champion for Voters with Disabilities Award. Said Wyman: “Through her work with the county disability committee, a road map for the future was drafted to increase services for voters with disabilities. Using this road map, (Kinzer) expanded voter service by adding more accessible voting centers throughout the county, and by expanding the centers’ evening and weekend hours.”

Secretary Wyman with Chelan County’s Nissa Burger.

• The Voter Outreach Award went to Chelan County’s Nissa Burger. Wyman singled out Burger for taking time to attend citizenship ceremonies and registering new citizens and for her commitment to the “principles of Design for Democracy as shown in her county’s balloting materials, voter registration notices, and custom ballot deposit site signage. This was one of the first counties in our state to serve and educate voters through the concept of branding.”

The annual conference is hosted by the Washington State Association of County Auditors.