In Focus This Week
I. In Focus This Week
Voting day in D.C. Jail
DCBOE program allows those awaiting trial to cast a ballot
By M. Mindy Moretti
electionline.org writer/editor
Despite the chaos around them — loud voices, clanging metal doors, carts being rolled here and there across cement floors, a line of seven voters stood patiently waiting their turn to cast their ballot in Washington, D.C.’s primary.
“John” was first in line to vote and after receiving his ballot he studied it carefully and began to fill it out. Before he had even completed the process, he wanted to know about getting his “I Voted” sticker. Could he have two?
After he completed his ballot and put it in the secrecy envelope, “John” carefully peeled the sticker off the paper backing and proudly slapped it on his chest.
The red, white and blue “I Voted” “Yo vote” sticker was in stark contrast to the orange prison jumpsuit “John” and his fellow voters were wearing.
This week, two teams from the D.C. Board of Elections (DCBOE) headed to the D.C. Jail and to the Correctional Treatment Facility to allow eligible inmates to cast an absentee ballot for D.C.’s June 14 primary.
While not unique to the District of Columbia, D.C. is one of only a small handful of jurisdictions that allows inmates awaiting trial to vote by absentee.
Marc Mauer, executive director of The Sentencing Project has been working for reform of disenfranchisement policies at the national level for more than 15 years and noted that while we’ve seen a good deal of progress in states scaling back restrictive policies on voting by people with felony convictions, access to voting in jails remains a largely unaddressed issue.
“The vast majority of the 700,000 people in local jails are eligible to vote since they are either awaiting trial or serving time on a misdemeanor conviction, but not a felony,” Mauer said. “But there are only a handful of jails in the country where there’s any ongoing effort to make the voting process accessible to this group of people, so the District of Columbia is a leader in this regard.”
D.C.’s program began in 2004.
“We began this program due largely to the efforts and encouragement of Charles Sullivan of Citizens United for Rehabilitation of Errants (CURE),” explained Arlin Budoo, facility management and support services coordinator for DBOE. “Mr. Sullivan would attend the Board’s regular monthly meetings and advocate strongly for the establishment of an onsite absentee voting program for eligible inmates.”
Rokey Suleman who oversaw the DCBOE from 2009-2011 supported the program not only in D.C., but also in other jurisdictions where he worked.
“I coordinated jail visits or voting support in every jurisdiction that I’ve worked. I support these programs because I believe that imprisonment exists to rehabilitate as well as punish. Many of the people we encounter in these situations often feel alienated from politics,” Suleman said from Mongolia where he is currently working as an elections observer. “By encouraging those that are incarcerated but eligible to vote we take a step towards getting them to think beyond themselves and becoming a member of a larger community. There is no better way to participate in your community than through voting.”
Just this week Denver announced that they will be stepping up their efforts to give inmates the opportunity to cast a ballot. The Denver Elections Division will work with the Denver Sheriff’s Department and the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition, but unlike DC’s program where elections staff visits the jail, the ballots in Denver will be mailed to the inmates.
Back in D.C., Budoo has been participating in these voting days for years and now serves as the BOE’s lead on the project. He works with representatives at the Department of Corrections to schedule dates for the drop-off and pick-up of the voter registration and absentee ballot applications and the actual voting. The board also delivers Voter’s Guides to be distributed to the inmates so that they can know who the candidates on the ballot are prior to the board’s arrival.
On voting day at the D.C. Jail, BOE staff and observers from the Mayor’s Office on Returning Citizen Affairs and The Sentencing Project (including Mauer) arrive around 9:30 a.m.
Once the group clears security they meet with representatives from DOC and review the prepared ballots with a current census of the jail to determine that the inmates who requested absentee ballots are still there and confirm where they are all currently housed. DOC staff are responsible for confirming whether or not inmates are eligible to vote.
Some inmates that requested absentee ballots may be in court on voting day and so a DOC staff member holds their ballot for them until they return and are able to vote.
For the inmates that requested absentee ballots and have been released, their ballots are “cleared” in the system which then makes it possible for the inmate to vote on election day or during early voting.
The BOE staff, observers and DOC staff split up into three teams each taking one floor of the facility. Each of the teams is accompanied by a security guard.
Depending on the situation, sometimes groups of inmates will come to a central location on the floor and in other cases the team will visit the inmates in their assigned wing of the jail with some inmates needing to vote from their cells where they are being held.
On this day, about 70 of the approximately 1,100 inmates housed in D.C. Jail requested absentee ballots and just under 50 ended up casting the ballot.
“I was impressed by the care and concern about the process demonstrated by both elections and corrections officials,” said Mauer, who was observing the process for the first time.
Mauer did express some concerns about the voting hours overlapping with recreation hours, which for about 10 inmates was the case. Budoo said that those ballots were left with the DOC staff coordinator who will work to get the ballots returned.
And of course some inmates change their mind about voting from the time they request their absentee ballot to voting day. That happened with at least one inmate who when approached in his cell to vote told the DOC and BOE staff that “oh hell no” he didn’t want to vote.
Just like any election day, the BOE staff had to be ready for anything and everything and the glare of the media spotlight watching a closely contested race is nothing like the glare of an inmate locked inside his cell watching your every move.
The interaction between BOE staff and voting inmates varied. Some of the inmates said not a word and simply, dutifully cast their ballots. Others had questions about candidates, which of course staff couldn’t answer. Some had questions about the process. Others seemed like they were just eager to speak with someone new.
While most of the voters seemed to carefully review their ballots, one voter entered an office where voting was taking place, declared, for all those who cared to listen, “I’m voting for [name withheld]” and he sat down, filled out the presidential portion of the ballot and didn’t even review the remainder of the ballot.
And some tried to find some humor in the situation like the one inmate who chose to lick his ballot envelope instead of using the glue stick in order to “get some additional nutrition.”
All the inmates who voted were very respectful of the BOE staff and observers.
That being said, being locked inside D.C. Jail and in close proximity to that many inmates could be disconcerting for some.
“Staff members who indicate that they would not be comfortable at the correctional facilities are not forced to participate in the program,” Budoo said. “Fortunately, we have no shortage of Board staff members who are willing to serve as volunteers; we have more individuals here who want to serve than we can actually take.”
The whole process took about three hours, which Budoo said was much better than in the early days when the process would take all day because instead of splitting up into three teams, all the inmates would come to one central location to vote. A process that for a variety of reasons just took a lot longer.
“I think the program is important because it lets the individuals know they are relevant in society and their voices are as important as anyone else’s,” Budoo said. “Even though the resources are limited at the jail, we are always thanked by the inmate population as well as DOC staff for conducting the program at the institution and giving individuals some sort of normalcy to let them know they still have rights.”
Oh and rest assured, “John” did indeed get two “I Voted” stickers.
Editor’s Note: I just wanted to publicly thank the D.C. Board of Elections for allowing me to tag along on this very special voting day. It was an incredible experience to watch men, who may be facing hopeless situations, to seem so hopeful about casting a ballot. This is what democracy looks like.
Primary Updates
II. Primary Updates
California
While California saw a record number of voters register in advance of Tuesday’s primary, those numbers didn’t seem to manifest into a record turnout. With many of the state’s counties voting largely by mail and ballots are still being counted at press time, there were relatively few problems on Tuesday given the size of the state.
A computer coding problem in San Mateo County affected about 140 electronic voting machines and forced the use of paper ballots. The problem was discovered around 7 a.m. and resolved by about 8:30 a.m. The issue was with passcodes that connected individual machines to the central processing unit at election headquarters in San Mateo, Jim Irizarry, assistant chief elections officer told The Daily Journal.
Law enforcement is investigating allegations of voter fraud and voter suppression in Siskiyou County. According to Jefferson Public Radio, last week the county sheriff’s office and District Attorney’s Office announced they had assisted investigators from the state over allegations of voter fraud. Now activists claim deputies armed with military-style weapons used the investigation intimidate residents from the Hmong ethnic community.
In Oakland, two nonprofit organizations teamed up to offer child care at two polling places in low-income neighborhoods where the cost of child care could have hindered people from voting. The children were entertained with games and toys as well as mock voting booths. “Our goal is ensure that everyone gets a chance to vote regardless of whether they have access to childcare. All too often, we see polling locations in districts across the country plagued by long lines, which women with children may not have time to wait in,” UltraViolet employee Nita Chaudhary told KRON.
There were a handful of problems in Los Angeles County were some voters were forced to vote provisionally because their names did not appear on the voter rolls. According to the Los Angeles Daily News, trouble-shooters were dispatched to address issues ranging from a shortage of polling volunteers to missing ink, a lack of supplies and malfunctioning voting equipment.
And it wouldn’t be a major voting day in America if a car didn’t run into a polling place somewhere. This time it was in Shasta County and it was actually the night before when a 16-year-old hit a polling place with her car. Voting was moved to a different location in the building.
Iowa
Although it may seem like the Iowa presidential caucuses were a lifetime ago, the state held its primary elections this week and according to preliminary numbers, turnout was the lowest it’s been in more than decade. Early numbers indicate turnout was about 9.7 percent.
Linn County got to test out new voting equipment on Tuesday and reports are that things went well. “It’s simple, easy,” Cedar Rapids voter Jim Bradley told KCRG. All 98 precincts received new ballot scanners and ballot-marking devices for disabled voters.
Voters in Cedar Rapids in one polling place were forced to cast their ballots al fresco when a smoky smell forced everyone outside for about 30 minutes.
Montana
Overall turnout was near record-breaking in Montana on Tuesday, although given that more and more voters are choosing to vote-by-mail, in-person voting on Tuesday was relatively light with few problems.
“Well, the voter turnout was actually pretty good. It was 44.65 percent, which was just a little bit lower than the 2008 primary,” Secretary of state Linda McCulloch told KGVO. “In 2008, it was 45.2 percent. So it was like less than a percentage point.”
McCulloch said the election-day registration numbers were 3,308 with a total of 6,219 people registering in the last 30 days before the election, which is only slightly less than the 2012 record-breaking year.
In Missoula County, while voting went smoothly, there was some confusion about where to show up on election day with some voters coming to the county courthouse to register to vote instead of the county fairgrounds.
“You can register, vote, if you have an undeliverable absentee ballot that’s where it will be waiting for you. If you need a replacement ballot they can get you taken care of there. It is really your one stop shop on Election Day,” Missoula County Election Supervisor Bradley Seaman told NBC Montana.
While turnout may not have been record-breaking statewide, absentee voting in Yellowstone County was. More than 40,000 people requested absentee ballots which tops the last record by more than 3,000.
In Ravalli County, about 70 percent of voters cast their vote via absentee ballot.
New Jersey
Voters headed to the polls in Garden State on Tuesday in high, but not record numbers and by-and-large things went smoothly. New Jersey’s primaries allow unaffiliated voters to vote in primaries so some of the problems that cropped up in closed primary states didn’t materialize here, but another problem did. Apparently many voters who think they are unaffiliated forget that they declared for a party four years ago and therefore can only vote in that party this year.
In Sussex County, turnout was steady throughout the day, but not record-breaking. County Elections Administrator Marge McCabe did note that one thousand absentee ballots had been requested and 900 were returned. “That’s a high percentage,” McCabe told the New Jersey Herald.
Some voters in Hamilton Township were not happy about their new polling place on Tuesday. For 24-years, voting was held at the Woodlands Condominium Complex, but last month the condo board voted not to host a polling place and so the new polling place was located about two miles away at a school. Most of the people voting at the Woodlands polling site actually lived in the condo complex.
New Mexico
New Mexico saw a record-high primary turnout — slightly more than 326,000 — and few problems on Tuesday. Overall turnout was about 34 percent.
Two races for state representative will need to be recounted because the margin of victory was less than 1 percent.
In Dona Ana County, there were some slow machines first thing in the morning, but the largest issue came from independents and decline-to-state voters wishing to vote in the state’s closed primaries.
“We really haven’t seen any problems. Things are going well,” said Deputy County Clerk Scott Krahling, told the Las Cruces Sun-News. “The biggest challenge has been talking to independents and (decline-to-state) voters who were not aware they couldn’t vote in the primaries. Despite a pretty aggressive marketing campaign, today has made it clear that you can’t reach everyone.”
At a polling place in Santa Fe County, poll wokers decided to cheer for first-time voters and so the cheer was especially joyful for 17-year-old Jason Santos who was able to vote in the primary because of a new state law. “It’s exciting to know that I am voting for the next president of the United States of America for the first time,” Santos told the Santa Fe New Mexican. Santos will turn 18 in July.
Puerto Rico
Voters in Puerto Rico faced long lines on Sunday for the Democratic primary. The lines stemmed from the elimination of hundreds of polling places in order to cuts costs.
Results of the primary were not immediately available because the state election commission was given Monday off after working all day on Sunday.
“The entire state commission is not operating as everyone worked on Sunday,” Roberto Prats, Democratic Party chairman told The Associated Press. “We will resume tomorrow morning and try to close the local and presidential primaries at 100 percent.”
South Dakota
The 2016 primary election went fairly smoothly in South Dakota with few reported problems. Secretary of State Shantel Krebbs’ office reports that turnout was about 22 percent.
In Pennington County, Auditor Julie Pearson reported that she saw more blank ballots than in year’s past, but has no idea why. “We always have a handful of ballots that are completely blank which means somebody took the effort to go to the polling place, check–in, wait in line get a ballot, go to the voting booth and then make no marks on their ballot,” Pearson told KOTA. Not all the ballots were blank. On some people had written “none of the above” or “they’re all bad.” Pearson noted they said other things too, but “we just can’t repeat on TV.”
Also in, Pennington County they did see an increase in absentee ballots. That’s up by almost 3,000 from the June 2014 primary.
Election News This Week
III. Election News This Week
- An audit of the New York City Board of Elections has found that the agency has lost track of more than 1,450 pieces of equipment, including voting machines. Comptroller Scott Stringer’s office examined inventory and other board records over a three- year period. The audit found four voting machines, 45 computers, 127 monitors, 85 printers and a dozen television sets all missing from BOE facilities. “Maintaining an accurate inventory is critical to transparency, integrity and accountability at any government agency, and on this count BOE is clearly absentee,” Stringer said in a statement announcing the results of the audit.
- Members of the Baltimore City Council have called for a formal investigative hearing into the problems surrounding the city’s April primary. The election was decertified and investigated by the Maryland State Board of Elections which found about 1,700 ballots that were handled improperly. “We could all recite what went wrong,” Councilmember Mary Pat Clarke told The Baltimore Sun. “That’s not what I want to hear. I want to hear what they’re going to do to fix it.”
- Oregon will roll out the second and final phase of its new automatic voter registration program this week when about 145,000 Oregonians who had “qualifying interactions” with the Oregon DMV in 2014 and 2015 will get the opportunity to become automatically registered. According to a press released from the secretary of state’s office the Phase II population was initially estimated to be more than 250,000, but many people registered in time for the May primary leaving the number at 145,000.
- Despite numerous lawsuits and a Department of Justice review of the 2016 presidential preference primary, Secretary of State Michelle Reagan has said that her office will not revamp the state’s election procedures manual for the upcoming primaries and general election. A spokesman for Reagan’s office said they will wait until after the 2016 election cycle is complete to revamp the procedures. Some local elections officals are not happy. “Would we like to have it? Absolutely,” Yavapai County Recorder Leslie Hoffman told The Arizona Republic. “But it will still be business as usual.”
- Palm Beach County, Florida has joined several others in an attempt to clear up confusion four years from now. The county is issuing new voter registration cards that will spell out party affiliation more prominently. According to the Sun-Sentinel, the idea is to make easier for voters to see their party affiliation or to realize sooner that they aren’t registered for a party. “It’s a better, clear message to send,” Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher told the paper. “It will spell out the entire name of the party … so [voters] are more cognizant and aware that, ‘This is my party.'” The cost produce the new cards is about $700,000.
- Vandals struck polling places in Alabama and the District of Columbia last week. In D.C., an elementary school in Southeast, Washington that was being used as an early voting site was vandalized after hours. None of the elections equipment was damaged or stolen. “There’s absolutely no cause for concern,” DCBOE spokesperson Margarita Mikhaylova told The Washington Post. “Nothing was taken, no ballot boxes were disturbed and elections are continuing as before.” In Pike County, Alabama, vandals broke windows, dented the building and rummaged the interior of a polling place in Ebenezer. “…It’s hard to understand why anybody would to anything like this. It’s country property so it belongs to them. Why destroy something that belongs to you? Just out of meanness?” Pike County Administrator Harry Sanders told the Troy Messenger.
- Personnel News: Land Commissioner John Thurston and Deputy Secretary of State Joseph Wood are both seeking to replace term-limited Arkansas Secretary of State Mark Martin. Beverly Gill, an election inspector for the town of Burlington in Racine County and former city of Burlington clerk and Julie Glancey, a retired Sheboygan County clerk and former president of the Wisconsin County Clerks Association have been appointed to the newly created Wisconsin elections commission. Longtime Clayton County, Iowa Auditor Dennis Freitag unexpectedly resigned last week, just six days before the Iowa primary. Debra Lee has been chosen to complete the term of Laramie County, Wyoming Clerk Debbye Lathrop who died recently. Lee will serve until 2019.
Legislative Updates
IV. Legislative Updates
Michigan: Following the elimination of straight-ticket voting, Democrats have introduced legislation that would flip the ballot, putting proposals at the top, then nonpartisan candidates, then partisan candidates and finally presidential candidates. According to the Detroit Free Press, the reasoning is that it would require voters to review the entire ballot before getting to the biggest race.
New Mexico: By a 7 to 1 vote, the Clovis City commission approved a voter ID requirement for all future municipal elections. The ordinance was approved by voters in March and originally introduced to the commission in early May. Acceptable forms of ID include government issued ID, state-issued ID card, insurance card, union card, professional association card ora voter ID card issued by the city clerk as long as they contain a photo.
Legal Updates
V. Legal Updates
Arizona: The Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law has filed a federal suit in Arizona blaming the problems of the state’s March primary on Maricopa County Recorder Helen Purcell and Secretary of State Michelle Reagan.
Also in Arizona, the state’s Attorney General has hired a former federal prosecutor to investigate how the secretary of state’s office failed to mail hundreds of thousands of voter pamphlets in the May special election.
Maryland: Members of Voters Organized for the Integrity of City Elections (VOICE) joined other plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit seeking to order a new primary in Baltimore. The suit alleges that irregularities and a vote-buying scheme marred the election results.
Ohio: U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley has struck down provisions in Ohio law that voided absentee and provisional ballot for technical flaws. Marbley ruled that the law violated provisions of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Secretary of State Jon Husted said that the state will appeal the ruling.
Virginia: The U.S. Supreme Court will review a challenge the Virginia House of Delegates districts to determine if lawmakers improperly packed African-American voters into a dozen districts.
Wisconsin: The ACLU, which is challenging the state’s voter ID law in court said this week that it would soon be filing a motion in federal court to make sure “voters who face a reasonable impediment to getting an ID” can still cast a vote with an affidavit. On Wednesday a judge ruled that the law would not be put on hold.
Opinions This Week
VI. Opinions This Week
National Opinions: Online voting, II | Voting rights | Post Bush v. Gore | Voting system
Arizona: DOJ review
California: Poll workers, II | Top-two primary | Contra Costa County
Connecticut: Automatic voter registration
Florida: Ex-felon voting rights
Georgia: Turnout
Idaho: Primary system
Iowa: Voter turnout
Kentucky: Voting age
Maine: Ranked choice voting, II, III
Massachusetts: Scituate clerk | Primary process
Mississippi: Early voting | Voting equipment
Montana: Primary
New Hampshire: Residency laws
North Carolina: Voting rights, II
Ohio: Early voting, II
Virginia: Ex-felon voting rights, II
Wisconsin: Voter ID
Upcoming Events
VII. Upcoming Events
Election Law Continuing Legal Education — The International Association of Clerks, Recorders, Election Officials and Treasurers (IACREOT), the National Association of County Recorders, Election Officials and Clerks (NACRC), and the Bipartisan Policy Center will host subject matter experts from federal, state and local government, elections activists, and private practice attorneys. Tentative session topics include: Hot Topics in Access and Integrity; UOCAVA Voters: Legal Trends; Preparing for Voting Equipment Issues and General Election; PCEA, Election Day and the Law; Legal Issues in Considering Automated Voter Registration; and Recounts and Contests: How to Prepare/What to Expect. When: June 25. Where: Memphis, Tennessee. For more information and to register, click here.
NACRC/IACREOT Annual Conference — the 2016 annual conference—the last to be held under the NACRC/IACREOT banner will feature plenary sessions, a trade show, committee and board meeting, awards breakfast, annual banquet and a ballgame. When: June 25-30. Where: Memphis, Tennessee. For more information and to register, click here.
National Association of Secretaries of State Summer Conference — NASS will hold its annual summer meeting in Nashville this year. Agenda programming will include: policy discussions on important issues facing secretaries of state, idea-sharing panels highlighting best practices in state programming, sessions designed for professional development and networking, induction of national officers for the 2016-2017 cycle and excursions to explore Tennessee and learn more about the culture and state government. When: July 14-17. Where: Nashville, Tennessee. For more information and to register, click here.
National Association of State Election Directors Summer Conference — the 2016 NASED summer conference will be held in Nashville, Tennessee. Details about the event are still being hammered out, so be sure to check the website often. When: July 14-17. Where: Nashville, Tennessee. For more information, click here.
National Association of Counties Annual Conference — NACo’s Annual Conference and Exposition provides an opportunity for all county leaders and staff to learn, network and guide the direction of the association. The 2016 Annual Conference is hosted by Los Angeles County. The conference will be held at the Long Beach Convention Center. Attending the Annual Conference provides member county officials with the opportunity to vote on NACo’s policies related to federal legislation and regulation; elect officers; network with colleagues; learn about innovative county programs; learn more about issues impacting counties across the country; and view products and services from participating companies and exhibitors. When: July 22-25. Where: Long Beach, California. For more information and to register, click here.
National Conference of State Legislators Summer Meeting — the 2016 Legislative Summit will be held in Chicago. The elections portion will include: Politics 2016: State Election Preview, Evaluating Elections, What to Do If You’ve Got a Disputed Election, Technology: Improving Elections One Bit or Byte at a Time? And Helping our Military Vote. When: Aug. 8-11. Where: Chicago. For more information and to register, click here.
Election Center Annual Conference— Conference attendees will be inspired and energized as we head into the nal stretch of the Presidential Election year. We will share substantive elections issues including crucial information from federal agencies to local election of cials sharing practical information for day to day election administration operations. This is the also the time to honor and celebrate the winners of the Election Center’s acclaimed Professional Practices Papers’ Program. You will not only hear the winning presentations but you will take home all of the innovative programs and ideas that were submitted by your colleagues in other jurisdictions around the country. When: Aug. 16-20. Where: Philadelphia. For more information and to register, click here.
Job Postings This Week
VIII. Job Postings This Week
electionlineWeekly publishes election administration job postings each week as a free service to our readers. To have your job listed in the newsletter, please send a copy of the job description, including a web link tommoretti@electionline.org. Job postings must be received by 5pm on Wednesday in order to appear in the Thursday newsletter. Listings will run for three weeks or till the deadline listed in the posting.
Customer Relations Manager, Dominion Voting Systems, San Leandro, California — Dominion Voting Systems is seeking a highly motivated and enthusiastic, Customer Relations Manager, to be based in our San Leandro, California office! This position will be responsible for supporting customers by partnering with the sales and operations teams to exceed customer needs and requirements; addressing and resolving customer concerns; and, identifying ways to implement preventive measures for continuous process improvement. Salary: Negotiable base + bonus target & benefits. Deadline: Open until filled. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Customer Relations Manager, New Jersey (Remote) — Dominion Voting Systems is seeking a highly motivated and enthusiastic Customer Relations Manager to work remotely and be based in New Jersey! This position will be responsible for supporting customers by partnering with the sales and operations teams to exceed customer needs and requirements; address and resolve customer concerns; and, identify ways to implement preventive measures for continuous process improvement. Salary: Negotiable base + bonus target & benefits. Deadline: Open until filled. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Deputy Registrar, Manassas, Virginia — conducts local, state and federal elections and performs the duties of the General Registrar in his or her absence. Executes and supervises the recruitment, appointment, oaths, official policies, training and payroll of election officials who work the polls. Processes voter registration applications and administers absentee voting both in person and by mail, email, and fax. Creates Voter Photo IDs; programs electronic poll books for precinct use and trains election officials on their operation. Produces reports and statistics as assigned; creates official advertisements for upcoming elections and registration deadlines; prepares City election results for news media and the public. Assists the General Registrar and Electoral Board in ascertaining election results. Salary: $55,574. Deadline: Open until filled. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Product Specialist, Denver, Colorado — Dominion Voting Systems is seeking a tech-savvy and passionate, Product Specialist, to be based in our downtown Denver, Colorado office. This role is responsible for responsible for the installation, operation, repair, and maintenance of all Dominion Voting Systems elections products; providing elections support services and customer training; and interfacing directly with customers, co-workers and election officials. Salary: Negotiable base + bonus target & benefits. Deadline: Open until filled. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Program Officer, Civic Engagement and Government, Ford Foundation —program Officer will particularly inform work on expanding democratic participation—promoting increased and greater representation in elections and shape agendas to reflect the public interest. In collaboration with the Director and team members, the Program Officer will develop a body of work primarily focused on promoting voting rights and other aspects of inclusive non-partisan democratic practice in the United States, that address underlying structural drivers and rules of the game, and seek longer term, more durable change (rather than tactical gains in particular electoral cycles). Opportunities to be addressed may include promoting government’s role in registering voters, strategic litigation, increasing participation and debate in primaries, and developing pathways that connect voting with issues that people care about. The Program Officer will also contribute to CEG efforts that seek to democratize the role of money in politics; and develop, test and demonstrate models of powerful civic engagement with government that build strategic civic capability, achieve policy outcomes, help make government more responsive, and over time contribute to increased trust in government. The Program Officer will work under the direct supervision of the Director of Civic Engagement and Government, and be part of the CEG team. The Program Officer will assess the CEG field, identify key ecosystems and work with various actors and other funders to analyze challenges and opportunities, seek rigorous evidence about program effectiveness, identify levers of change, and play a leading role in shaping specific grant activities. The Program Officer will share substantive knowledge with Foundation colleagues; collaborate broadly across CEG and other thematic areas; serve as a ‘connector’ of grantees, promote thoughtful learning; and work with practitioners, government officials, scholars, NGOs, other donors and corporate sector leaders on issue of common concern to leverage positive impact toward common goals. Deadline: July 8. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Project Manager, Hart InterCivic — project manager plans, directs, and coordinates project activities to ensure that project goals are completed efficiently and on schedule. As a member of the Professional Services Team, the Project Manager works with other team members to manage delivery of the full scope of Hart Voting System implementation and support services. The Project Manager is responsible for ensuring that project goals and deliverables are met, and is directly accountable for the success or failure of projects he or she manages. Deadline: Open until filled. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Proposal Writer, Clear Ballot, Boston— newly created proposal writer position will be part of a dedicated team producing competitive responses to State and County government RFPs. Responsibilities and Tasks: Write engaging content about technical subjects; format final documents using the company style sheet; collaborate with a team of subject matter experts; edit proposal drafts; respond to deadlines and move quickly; contribute to a database of response text, figures and technical descriptions and benefit from professional growth opportunities. Deadline: Open until filled. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
RMA Support Consultant, Hart InterCivic — an RMA Support Consultant responds to all return material authorization requests from Hart InterCivic internal and external customers for all Hart Voting System products. The person in this position must possess the ability to communicate effectively with customers, suppliers, or employees. Essential responsibilities include: Acquires a functional level of knowledge for all Hart InterCivic products and their modules; manages and organizes information and documentation for customer issues; applies advanced knowledge of computer software tools to problem-solving situations; knowledge of standard ticket tracking software is a must; in-depth knowledge of standard inventory warehouse processes and procedures; stays informed on support methodologies; keeps up with revisions to any relevant materials (Agile ECOs and effectivity); works cooperatively with Hart InterCivic field personnel to insure customer satisfaction; complies with, and keeps up with changes in, Hart InterCivic policies, procedures and regulations; other duties as assigned. Deadline: Opening until filled. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Software Developer II, Denver, Colorado & Toronto, Ontario — Dominion Voting Systems is seeking a highly technical and passionate Software Developer II to be based in either our downtown Denver office or our downtown Toronto office! This position will be responsible for providing high-level technical expertise to design development, coding, testing and debugging of new voting system software and/or significant enhancements to existing software for our customers. This position will work on a team utilizing an Agile development environment. Salary: Negotiable base + bonus target & benefits. Deadline: Open until filled. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
System Support Specialist, Denver, Colorado — Dominion Voting Systems is seeking a tech-savvy and detail oriented, Network & Systems Specialist, to be based in our downtown Denver, Colorado office. This role is responsible for assisting with the deployment and troubleshooting of advanced elections hardware and software system configurations; providing support to the logistics associated with procuring elections systems and equipment; performing tests and evaluations of various voting solutions; and providing election support to customers both remotely and/or on-site. Salary: Negotiable base + bonus target & benefits. Deadline: Open until filled. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Technical Writer, Clear Ballot, Boston — our small and growing team of technical communicators has an immediate need for a new member with intermediate-to-senior experience. Documentation is key to success in the election systems domain. Deliverables include tasks and supporting information, and, highly scrutinized specifications and plans. All products and their documentation are certified by federal or state agencies; evaluation is performed by demanding government laboratories. Once products are certified, documentation supports the work of users under pressure whose skills range the technical spectrum. Key Responsibilities: Work collaboratively with fellow communicators and the Engineering, Quality Assurance, Technical Support, Compliance/Certification, Business Development, and Executive Management functions; develop deep understanding of the federal regulations governing voting systems, and, the ability to interpret issues raised by delegated federal and state reviewers in partnership with Compliance/Certification; meet governmental standards and write appropriately for target audiences: voters, poll workers, election officials and their technical staff, and voting system test laboratories; quickly grasp complex technical concepts and make them easily understandable through prose and graphics; deal gracefully with multitasking and constant change; create and modify single-sourced, conditionalized, reusable content in MadCap Flare; adhere and contribute to working styles and standards, information architecture, and documentation production process; and respond to documentation tickets. Deadline: Open until filled. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
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