"Mistakes happen. I understand that," Commissioner Chairman Jerry Grover said Monday. "But you get on them fast and get . . . them solved."

Utah County's 33,000-ballot oversight - due to a programming glitch - last November did not become public knowledge until nine days after Election Day. The missing votes did not change the outcome of any races in heavily Republican Utah County when they finally were tallied. Still, the commissioners say that kind of delay is unacceptable.

Once approved, the election coordinator probably would oversee a staff of two election workers during the year and a small army of temporary helpers during election season. The coordinator would report to Assistant Clerk-Auditor Cary McConnell.

Kristen Swensen, who handled election chores until leaving this month for a similar job with Salt Lake County, did not have the official "election coordinator" title and reported to Clerk-Auditor Kim Jackson.

Since the new position would carry the coordinator title, the person hired for the job would be able to receive special training, something Swensen never received.

And commissioners want the coordinator to report to McConnell so Jackson can focus on auditing.

Grover says McConnell is thorough and a better fit than Jackson to supervise elections and work with a coordinator to fix future problems, if any, in a more timely fashion.

As now proposed, the coordinator would engage in some supervision, but the job would not be a supervisory position. Commissioner Steve White says that would add a layer of unneeded bureaucracy.

"We like as many workers and few supervisors as possible," White said. "Otherwise, you get layer after layer after layer of people telling people to do something and nothing gets done."

That means McConnell, not a coordinator, would write performance reviews and have the power to hire and fire.

"Obviously, there would be more accountability and more of a designated person responsible for the election," Personnel Director Lana Jensen said.

meddington@sltrib.com