The director of elections at the secretary of state's office resigned suddenly Thursday.

The departure of Holly Lowder, former Alamosa County clerk, comes two months before what is expected to be one of the biggest elections in recent Colorado history. Lowder's work centered on the implementation of the new statewide voter registration system, said Richard Coolidge, spokesman for the agency.

Lowder could not be reached for comment.

The secretary of state's office oversees statewide elections and lost two other employees in the elections division this summer. In June, two employees who handled testing and certification of voting equipment left to work for the El Paso County clerk's office. In addition, Secretary of State Mike Coffman has been running for the 6th Congressional District seat. He won the primary last month and faces a Democratic opponent in November.

Coolidge would not give details on why Lowder stepped down. He said Thursday was her last day. She was hired by former Secretary of State Gigi Dennis and had worked in that position since 2006.

Deputy elections director Wayne Munster will take up Lowder's duties through the November election, Coolidge said.

El Paso County Clerk Robert Balink said Munster will do an "exceptional job" as elections director.

"He's a go-to guy on so many things," Balink said.

Larimer County Clerk Scott Doyle said Lowder was more involved with the voter database early on but had become less involved in recent months.