By GottaLaff

Yes, boys and girls, it's time for the "In Bed with Voting Vendors Show"!

The abrupt resignation Thursday of a top elections official at the secretary of state's office happened in the midst of a watchdog group's investigation into her relationship with a local businessman who has contracts with that office.

Holly Lowder, 66, resigned from her post as elections director two months before what is expected to be one of the biggest elections in recent Colorado history. She held that job since 2006. Before that, Lowder served as Alamosa County clerk for about 25 years.

Colorado Ethics Watch had been pursuing documents from the state regarding Lowder's ties to John Paulsen.

Paulsen, 59, operates a software company called LEDS, LLC from his home in Castle Rock, records show. LEDS has installed voter databases in more than 30 counties and recently got two contracts worth almost $184,000 with the secretary of state's office for data work related to the current election season.

Records show that Lowder recently lived at a Cherokee Street home in Denver that is owned by Paulsen.

Chantell Taylor, director of Ethics Watch, called Lowder's resignation "no coincidence." [...]

When asked why she resigned, she said "I retired. I did not resign."

Of course, Holly dear. The absence of a gold watch makes that so obvious.

The county bought Paulsen's voter database and also uses his system for all its electronic property records. [...]

Claudia Kuhns, a local voting activist, said Paulsen was a subcontractor on the original state contract with Accenture to develop a new state voter registration database known as SCORE. The state cancelled that contract in 2005 and then hired Saber Corp. to develop the system, which was rolled out to all the counties earlier this year. Paulsen is listed as "key personnel" with the SCORE team. [...]

As elections director, Lowder was responsible for overseeing all state elections. However, Coolidge said she was mostly involved with SCORE. [...]

Online records show that Lowder and Paulsen share the same phone number at the Cherokee Street address. That phone number is also listed at Lowder's current apartment.

And why is this extra crispy important?

[This is] what promises to be one of the largest and most important --- and potentially closest --- elections in the state's history.

Rocky Mountain high-lights of things to come.