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(Lincoln, NE) Gov. Dave Heineman today appointed David Phipps of Omaha to fill the post of the Douglas County Election Commissioner. Phipps replaces former commissioner Carlos Castillo, who resigned last month.
"This is an important time of transition in election offices across the country, and changes to election law require experience and first-hand knowledge of our election process," Gov. Heineman said. "David has both, and I am confident in his ability to lead Douglas County through future election reforms."
A manager in the Douglas County Election Commission office since 2003, Phipps has worked to implement federal Help America Vote Act rules and regulations, as well as coordinated implementation of a new statewide voter registration system.
His responsibilities as an elections coordinator include the recruitment, training and coordination of poll workers, management of more than 300 polling places, as well as the design and implementation of the county election Web site.
Prior to joining the elections office, Phipps worked as political director and deputy campaign manager in 2002 for U.S. Rep. Lee Terry. He also worked in the Nebraska State Treasurer's Office from 1995 to 2001 with the child support collection and disbursement unit and served as information technology director, following a brief stint in publishing.
Phipps said, "I am pleased to be able to continue the important work Carlos started in Douglas County, and I am honored to have been selected. I know the challenges election commissioners face, and I look forward to addressing them head-on."
Phipps, 31, attended Iowa State University and Wayne State College.
Secretary of State John Gale said, "There are immense changes taking place in federal and state election laws and as Nebraska's largest county, it is vital that the Douglas County election commissioner have a solid background to help in meeting those challenges. I look forward to working with David to ensure that we continue to provide a fair, modern, reliable, and accountable election system here in Nebraska."
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