Utah election official leaving the state for greener pastures

After helping direct Utah elections into the digital age, Amy Naccarato's decision to take charge of another state's elections office is a relief to her parents, who feared that her passion for election management would lead her somewhere more exotic.

"They were afraid I would do something like help with Iraq's elections," Naccarato said. Her decision to stay in the continental United States "makes them very happy."

Naccarato, who submitted her resignation to Gov.-elect Jon Huntsman Jr. on Wednesday, took over as director of Utah's election office in 1999. During that time, the state's candidate filing, lobbyist reporting, and Web-based election results have improved dramatically and are among her proudest accomplishments.

"I really think we've moved elections forward, especially with the technological advances," she said.

Although she has not officially committed to a new job, she said that there were "several opportunities" and she is very close to accepting a job in another state. It would be a post very similar to her position in Utah.

Since the election problems in 2000 and the 2002 Help America Vote Act, election reform has become a prominent news item, especially in regards to the pending purchase of new, electronic machines which are scheduled to replace the punch card ballots by 2006. Just this week, the state received $16 million in federal funding to help with the purchase of those machines.

Gov. Olene Walker, who oversaw Naccarato while lieutenant governor, said that she is one of the best elections officers in the country and "highly respected around the country" by other election officers.

"She has done more for the state in brining us up to date in election reform and other procedures," Walker said. "She is truly an expert in the field."

Like all appointed officials, Naccarato was asked to resubmit her resume if she wanted to remain in her position, although she chose to accept a different offer. Jason Chaffetz, Huntsman's chief of staff, was not available Thursday to comment on whether a replacement for the elections director has been found.

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E-mail: jloftin@desnews.com