WA elections official honored as tech `doer, dreamer, driver'

Image

Shane Hamlin, Washington's assistant director of elections, has been honored as one of America's Top 25 "Doers, Dreamers & Drivers" for digital government. The award, announced by e.Republic's Government Technology magazine and the Center for Digital Government, honors digital pathfinders who demonstrated fresh ways to use technology to help the public with everything from voter registration to fighting asthma. The list includes Newark Mayor Cory Cooker, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, New York City Police Commander Chuck Dowd, state CIOs, and other movers and shakers. Honorees helped state and local government make "huge strides" in applying technology to "make our communities safer, more successful and better places to live," said Steve Towns, executive director of Government Technology. Hamlin, who is board chairman of a national voter registration data project, was honored for his work in implementing a new way for Washington voters to register or make changes to their voter registration via Facebook and an online service called MyVote. Secretary of State Kim Wyman said she was delighted with Hamlin's national recognition:

"Shane and the Elections Division team, including our amazing IT folks, really deserve the kudos. This is another affirmation that we are on the cutting edge of using technology to serve our voters. We were just honored for having one of the country's best elections websites and our election administration in Washington was recently rated as among the best anywhere. We will continue looking for ways to use tech savvy to advance the cause of fair, accurate, accessible and secure elections."

Hamlin said Washington and the 39 counties are proud of being forerunners of using government technology to enhance and improve election administration in ways that serve the needs of a population that is eager to embrace new technology. Hamlin himself has helped implement a statewide computerized Voter Registration Database, MyVote customized voter vault, online registration and the Pew project to update and clean the registration database. Hamlin, who has a degree in government from Eastern Washington University and an MPA from the University of Washington, was a legislative committee and leadership staffer before coming to the Office of Secretary of State in 2004. He has worked in voter outreach, spent three years as legislative liaison, and served as co-director and assistant director of elections.