An e-mail sent out to state workers last week details a realignment of the Elections Office and State Notary into one office space. The titles of Herbert's advisers and most of the elections office staff would change: Elections Director Michael Cragun would be "Deputy for Operations" and elections workers would be called "office specialists." The "State Elections Office" title would disappear.

The memo set off alarms among elections workers around the state, raising questions about whether the change would jeopardize $26.6 million in federal election reform funds the state will use to buy voting machines for the 2008 election.

Now, Lieutenant Governor's Office Director Joe Demma says the letter was sent out prematurely. Combining the office is really a team-building exercise meant to energize all the workers, he says. The elections workers will still enforce state campaign finance laws and provide information to the public. No jobs will be cut. And the federal funding is not at risk.

"We're trying to streamline to better serve the public," Demma said. "Everyone's on the same bus. We're just looking at arranging the seats. And nothing's set in stone."

Demma said Herbert got the idea after looking at secretary of state offices around the country. In Utah, the lieutenant governor performs many of the same duties. In 1994, Gov. Mike Leavitt and Lt. Gov. Olene Walker hired the first elections director. By 2004, that office had grown to six employees.

Under Herbert's plan, a few state notaries will join those elections workers in one office. Demma, who himself is moving into the elections office, says job titles could change.

"It's very preliminary," he said. "We're still looking at where the desks go."

Amy Naccaratto, former elections director, says as long as Herbert maintains the same services, the changes are probably just cosmetic.

"Is the public going to be able to come in and look at campaign reports?" asked Naccaratto, who now works in the Colorado Secretary of State's Office. "Keeping a level of openness and service for the public is very important."