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June 27, 2019

June 27, 2019

In Focus This Week

(Editor’s Note: Due to the 4th of July holiday, electionline Weekly will not publish next week and there will be no Daily News posting on July 4 and 5. Have happy and safe holiday.)

Stewards of Democracy
The views of American local election officials 

By Natalie Adona, Elections Senior Research and Learning Associate
The Democracy Fund

Local elections officials (LEOs) are the stewards of our democracy, but oftentimes they are left out of important conversations about the future of our elections nationwide. The LEOs from our survey are the chief elections officers in their local jurisdictions. Not to be confused with poll workers, the LEOs surveyed in our new report oversee local election processes and are responsible for ensuring the voting process is fair, free, and secure. Among their many responsibilities, LEOs execute the election laws in their state, make decisions that define the voter experience, and train the permanent and temporary employees that interact with the electorate.

It might be hard to imagine but (depending on how you count) between 7,000-10,000 local election officials manage the front line of elections in the United States. Despite their recognition as the people who run elections, LEOs are often left out of national conversations about reform and may not have a seat at the table when important policy decisions are made at the local, state, or federal levels—decisions that they alone will ultimately implement.

Stewards of Democracy: The Views of American Local Election Officials details the findings of the Democracy Fund-Reed College 2018 Survey of Local Election Officials (2018 LEO Survey), and is part of our effort to create a space for these stewards of democracy to be heard. The survey is designed to capture the collective experience of officials across the country, and to help us learn more about their perspectives on election administration, access, integrity, and reform. The results should be interpreted as a snapshot of opinion taken in the midst of a competitive midterm election.

More than 1,000 LEOs from across the country responded to our survey. Our survey respondents serve over 81 million registered voters. They manage offices with staffs of one or two in the smallest jurisdictions to over 1,000 employees in the largest (not including poll workers). Our hope is that this report will be the start of an ongoing attempt to elevate LEO’s voices in efforts to modernize and secure American elections.

The report breaks down the findings of the survey into four sections:

Meet Your Local Election Official – This section provides data on the professional and demographic profile of the typical LEO including LEO workload, years in service, pay, professional training and other demographic information.

Running the 2018 Election – This section covers findings on 2018 election preparedness including information on resources, staff, meeting the challenges of cybersecurity, and confidence in voter registration list security.

Voter-Centric Elections: Education and Outreach – This section discusses LEO attitudes regarding accessibility, including voter education and outreach.

Improving Elections Using New and Old Tools – This section focuses on the adoption of modernization and of technology, such as online voter registration and automatic voter registration systems to improve elections. It also covers our analysis of LEO opinions, in their own words, on how they think elections can be improved, including legislative and policy changes involving voting.

The bottom line is that all the LEOs we surveyed care deeply about their ability to administer elections in an accessible, efficient, and secure fashion. We were particularly moved by how our survey demonstrated LEOs’ dedication to a positive voter experience and to nonpartisan election administration. Respondents in our survey made it clear that they have and will continue to be good stewards of democracy—but resources, staffing, and coordination between state and local officials are areas of concern.

We plan to solicit LEO opinions again, at different times, using different lenses. We hope that our efforts encourage conversations and collaboration with LEOs and lead to reforms that best serve the American electorate—providing policymakers with invaluable insight into the makeup of the election administration field and its evolving needs as it hopefully becomes more diverse in the coming years.

 

EAVS 2018

2018 Election Administration and Voting Survey (EAVS)

The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) today released findings from the 2018 Election Administration and Voting Survey (EAVS), the most comprehensive source of state- and local jurisdiction-level data about election administration in the United States.

“For the last 15 years, the EAVS has played a vital role in helping election officials, policy makers and other election stakeholders identify trends, anticipate and respond to voter needs, and invest resources to improve election administration and the voter experience,” said EAC Chairwoman Christy McCormick. “This year, the EAC was pleased to make several notable improvements to improve the survey’s data quality and completeness and make the survey more accessible and useful to the election community.”

The EAC has taken multiple steps since 2016 to strengthen the EAVS. For example, EAVS Section F questions on voting equipment makes and models were redesigned, resulting in substantially improved data quality. The Statutory Overview was re-named the Policy Survey and given a new format to provide better context for understanding the EAVS data and make it easier to interpret the results and create comparisons across states. The EAC also introduced new questions within the Policy Survey relevant to cybersecurity, including on the functionality of statewide voter registration databases, online voter registration, election failsafe mechanisms, and post-election auditing.

“While election administration across the nation is largely decentralized, this report allows us to better understand election frameworks and operations in each state and most localities,” said Dr. Nichelle Williams, EAC Director of Research, who leads the EAVS. “It also depicts election administration trends over time, such as the increased usage of electronic poll books and increased rates of early in-person voting.”

The EAC contracted with Fors Marsh Group to conduct the survey. EAVS Section B, which concerned voting by military and overseas citizens, was administered in partnership with the Department of Defense’s Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP).

Some notable findings from the 2018 EAVS include:

Turnout

  • More than 120 million Americans, or 52 percent of the estimated Citizen Voting Age Population, voted in the 2018 Midterm Elections.
  • The nationwide turnout rate was 15.5 percentage points higher than in the 2014 Midterm Election, with some states reporting turnout levels that approached those of a typical Presidential Election.

Voter Registration

  • More than 211 million persons were reported as registered and eligible to vote in the 2018 Midterm Elections, an increase of 11 percent over the 2014 Midterm Elections.
  • Nearly 80 million voter registration applications were received between the 2016 and 2018 Federal Elections.
  • Departments of Motor Vehicles (DMVs) remained the most utilized method for voter registration and accounted for 45 percent of registrations, an increase of 33 percent over 2014.
  • Online voter registration is allowed in 39 states and territories, and accounted for 16 percent of registrations in 2018, a six-point increase over 2014. This represented a slight decrease from 2016, when 22 percent of registration applications were processed online.
  • Nearly half of states have some kind of policy allowing for same day voter registration and more than 800,000 same day registrations were processed during the 2018 Midterm Elections.

By-Mail and In-Person Early Voting

  • Voting in-person on Election Day remained the most-used mode of voting. More than half of voters cast their ballots in person on Election Day.
  • However, by-mail voting was used by a quarter of the electorate in 2018.
  • Nearly one-fifth voted at in-person early voting sites, a rate that more than doubled since the 2014 elections. In six states, more than half of ballots were cast at in-person early voting sites.

Military and Overseas Voting

  • More than 350,000 Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) voters participated in the 2018 Midterm Elections.
  • The number of ballots transmitted to UOCAVA voters increased by more than 50 percent over the 2014 Midterm Election.
  • Ballot transmission increasingly occurs electronically rather than through postal mail, while postal mail was the most common mode of ballot return.
  • Overall, five percent of ballots returned by UOCAVA voters were rejected, most commonly because they were received after state deadlines.

Polling Places and Poll Workers

  • Almost one-third of states have vote centers or allow voters to cast ballots at any polling place in their jurisdiction.
  • Recruiting adequate numbers of election workers continued to be a challenge for election officials. Nearly 70 percent of responding jurisdictions reporting that it was “very difficult” or “somewhat difficult” to obtain a sufficient number of election workers.

Election Technology

  • Nationwide, jurisdictions reported deploying 334,422 pieces of equipment to cast and tabulate votes in the 2018 Midterm Elections.
  • The most commonly-used equipment types are optical or digital scanners and Ballot Marking Devices (BMDs).
  • More than 90 percent of election jurisdictions use voting machines that produce some form of paper backup.
  • The usage of e-poll books among jurisdictions increased by nearly 50 percent between the 2014 and 2018 Midterm Elections. More than a quarter of all jurisdictions used electronic poll books in 2018.

Post-Election Auditing and Recounts

  • All states have a mechanism for conducting recounts to ensure that ballots were counted correctly.
  • Most states (78.2 percent) require some kind of post-election audit.
  • About half of states conduct election audits of voting machines every election.
  • Only twelve states do not require any type of election audit.

The EAC conducts the EAVS to meet its Help America Vote Act of 2002 mandate to serve as a national clearinghouse and resource for the compilation of information with respect to the administration of federal elections. Additionally, the EAVS fulfills EAC data collection requirements contained in both the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) and the UOCAVA.

 

 

 

Election Security Updates

The House Administration Committee approved the Securing America’s Federal Elections Act in a 6-3 party-line vote. The bill, would establish cybersecurity safeguards, such as prohibiting machines from being connected to the internet in any way and outlawing voting machines from being manufactured in a foreign country. It also authorizes $600 million in funding for the Election Assistance Commission to give to states to increase security standards through the fiscal 2020 financial services and general government funding bill. The House Appropriations Committee approved that spending bill, with the election funds, earlier this month.

Over in the Senate, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) the top Democrat on the Rules Committee tried to bring forward an election security bill, the Election Security Act. The bill would require a paper trail and would provide security grants to the state. The bill was blocked by Sen. James Lankford (R-Oklahoma) who has worked with Klobuchar on bipartisan elections legislation.

“I find myself at odds today with a partner in this … we have worked together in a very nonpartisan way to be able to resolve this issue. I think we still can resolve this and we can actually get a result, but a partisan proposal will not get us an end results where both parties come together and get to resolve this,” Lankford said from the Senate floor according to The Hill. 

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-California) announced this week that Congress will receive an election security briefing from administration officials in July.

“Next month we will take further steps to harden our democratic institutions against attacks, and on July 10 we will receive the all-member election security briefing we requested from the administration so we can continue to protect the American people,” Pelosi said during a press conference according to The Hill.

2020 Candidates on Election Issues

This week, as part of her platform, Democratic candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) released a plan that would create new standards for how federal elections are conducted.

As part of the proposal, intended to expand voting access and strengthen election security, Warren would create a new federal agency, the Secure Democracy Administration, the New York Times reports. She would replace every voting machine across the country with modern equipment and would require the use of a uniform federal ballot. She would also impose uniform standards on election rules, requiring all states to have automatic voter registration and same-day registration, early voting and voting by mail.

Election News This Week

This week, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose launched a program that will enlist the help of community and social service groups to find inactive voters who are at risk of being removed from the state’s voter rolls. LaRose is asking all 88 county boards of elections to send the secretary’s office names for a “registration reset list” that will share with local organizations that work with populations vulnerable to being removed. “I want to partner with some of these community organizations that are, in many cases, better equipped than any government office to actually go out and find people in the communities, because they are local, on-the-ground, grassroots organizations,” LaRose told the Associated Press.

Well this isn’t lucky. As it currently stands, the Ohio 2020 primary will be March 17 and that has officials in Cleveland concerned because the city is known for its large and boisterous St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Cuyahoga County elections officials noticed the date and have discussed internally the challenges it might create, Anthony Perlatti, director of the board of elections told The Cleveland Plain Dealer. “We haven’t put much thought into it because we’re kind of hoping it doesn’t happen,” Perlatti told the paper. Initial concerns include polling-place logistics — downtown polling places may have to be closed for logistical and security reasons. There are also concerns about drunk people and parking. “Voting probably will not be the first thing on many people’s minds that day,” Perlatti said. “They’re going to have their day planned out with friends and family, and maybe they’ll be able to squeeze voting in, but who knows.”

It’s not an “I Voted” sticker, but this is a fun story. A new law in Iowa requires county elections officials to print the county seal on vote-by-mail ballot envelopes. Problem is, not all counties have a seal. They may have a logo, but under Iowa code a seal is different and has different requirements. County Deputy Auditor Jenny Hillary told KCRG she spent about 10 weeks creating a seal with other county officials. She said, “I think a lot of other auditors thought they had a seal too and then when you start reading the Iowa code it says it’s supposed to have the word ‘county’ spelled out or abbreviated (and) the word ‘Iowa.'” An IT worker actually did the design work which saved the county the costs of contracting out the design. The county supervisors approved the seal this week and Hillary said she’s already sent ballots with the new seal to the printer.

Wooo! We’ll take a whole roll of these! The Manatee County Supervisor of Elections and State College of Florida’s Graphic Design Program teamed up to create a new “I Voted” sticker exclusively for the 2020 election year. Students from a graphic design class submitted their creations for Supervisor Mike Bennett’s review. “We will print more than 500,000 stickers for all three elections in 2020,” Bennett said according to the Herald Tribune. “SCF approached us last year asking for an opportunity to create a future ‘I Voted’ sticker. With 2020 being a presidential election year, we thought that would be the best time to showcase a student’s talents to Manatee County voters.”

Personnel News: Kendra Lane has been appointed co-director of elections for the state of Missouri. Sandra Milburn, training officer at the Kentucky state board of elections, will join the secretary of state’s election office as deputy chief election administrator. Wyoming Secretary of State Edward Buchanan will be on the job for a bit longer after he was passed over for a judgeship. Tonya Barnes is the new Pittsburg County, Oklahoma elections secretary. Lake County, Ohio elections board Chairman Dale Fellows has been awarded the 2019 Pat Wolfe Election Official of the Year Award by Secretary of State Frank LaRose. London Twp., Michigan Clerk Lisa M. Francis has reconsidered her resignation and will stay on the job until the end of her term. Election manager Melissa Morton is the new registrar of voters in Charlottesville, Virginia. Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill is running for the U.S. Senate.

In Memoriam: Former Belmont County, Ohio Elections Director Bill Shubat died on June 24. He was 61. Shubat retired from the board of elections in January after 24 years with the BOE. Before joining the Belmont County BOE, Shubat worked in the secretary of state’s office. “Fortunately for everybody in Belmont County who has an interest in a fair and accurate election process, he graciously agreed to begin working at the Board of Elections here in Belmont County,” BOE Member Michael Shaheen told the Times Leader. “He was always able to navigate the waters so as to be mindful of everyone’s political affiliations and allegiance while always keeping politics out of his job as a director of the board of elections. Board member Robert Quirk told the paper that Shubat was instrumental in instituting new security requirements after the 2016 election. “When he was in charge, there was a feeling that there were going to be no problems,” Quirk said. “You had a tremendous air of confidence … that we were going to get through the elections, and the elections would be fairly-run without difficulty.”

Legislative Updates

Arizona: The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors have approved a $6.1 million contract to update the county’s vote-counting system. The board also approved the creation of a new position, an executive director of elections, that will report the board and the county recorder.

California: The Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee has approved ACA 6 by a 6 to 1 vote. Under the proposed legislation Californians would vote on an amendment that would allow those still on parole to regain their right to vote.

Delaware: Legislators in The First State are considering a bill that would drop the requirement that voters provide an excuse before being able to cast an absentee ballot.

Georgia: Georgia lawmakers are looking into the possibility of allowing some non-violent felony offenders to vote. The “Senate Study Committee on Revising Voting Rights for Nonviolent Felony Offenders” will review the current law and how it affects “reintegrating persons back into society,” according to a release from the state Senate.

Hawaii: Gov. David Ige has signed the all-mail elections bill into law as well as an automatic recount bill.

Massachusetts: Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin and Attorney General Maura Healey spoke to legislators about a bill that would allow for same-day registration.

Michigan: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has signed Senate Bill 150 into law which includes $2.5 million for the secretary of state’s office to implement parts of the voter-approved Proposal 3. The bill includes $750,000 to implement automatic voter registration, $750,000 for education and training, $1 million for an absentee counter voting board and $500,000 for technology costs.

New Hampshire: The Senate is considering a bill that would end The Granite State’s participation in the Interstate Voter Registration Crosscheck. HB 315, which repeals New Hampshire’s participation in Crosscheck, does not specify a replacement, nor does it mandate the secretary of state even participate in any voter verification program.

New York: The Legislature has approved a bill that would include the SUNY and CUNY systems as voter registration locations under the state’s Motor Voter law.

North Carolina: The House has unanimously approved HB 19 which would allow counties to continue to use DRE voting machines through the next general election. The current deadline to switch to a paper-based system is December. The bill gives local elections officials the option of asking the State Board of Elections for a reprieve in purchasing new equipment.

Rhode Island: By a unanimous vote, the House has approved moving the state’s primary to the eighth Tuesday before the general election which would finally bring Rhode Island in compliance with federal election laws that require UOCAVA ballots to be mailed 45 days before a federal election.

The Legislature is considering a bill supported by the state board of elections that would place restrictions on write-ins. If approved, state and local boards would only be required to tally write-in votes for individuals who filed their notices of intent in advance.

Legal Updates

Arizona: The Arizona Libertarian Party is asking the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to determine how the vacancy left by Sen. John McCain will be filled. The plaintiffs want the court to order a special election to fill the seat.

Colorado: Gunnison County District Court Judge D. Cory Jackson has ruled that a lower court erred when it found Marie Rossmiller guilty of the misdemeanor charge of voting in the wrong precinct. He has sent the case back to the lower court for a new verdict.

Indiana: The National Election Defense Coalition is suing Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson alleging she’s violated state law in denying public record requests since September for her communications about election security with the National Association of Secretaries of State. The coalition argues that Lawson’s public statements have downplayed the vulnerability of election systems.

Iowa: Arguments began in Polk County District Court over House File 516 which was approved in 2017. The law was intended to “modernize election procedures and, with respect to voter verification, ensure the integrity of and instill public confidence in all elections in this state,” Matthew Gannon, an assistant attorney general, said during opening statements according to the Des Moines Register. Bruce Spiva, an attorney representing the plaintiffs, said during opening statements that the law “erects significant barriers,” particularly for voters who are young, elderly, poor, lacking education, minorities, women and Democrats. “There is no crisis that required this measure,” Spiva said according to the paper. “The state should not put unnecessary hurdles in front of the ballot box.”

Mississippi: Former Canton City Clerk Valerie Smith has pleaded guilty to violation of voter registration statues. She received one year of probation and was ordered to pay a fine to the county.

New Jersey: A federal grand jury has convicted longtime Hoboken political Frank Raia of vote-by-mail fraud in connection to the 2013 municipal elections.

Tech Thursday

Websites: Congratulations to the Bipartisan Policy Center and the launch of their redesigned website this week.

Washington: The State of Washington is moving forward with plans to use its new $9.5 million voter registration system — VoteWA — despite concerns expressed by some county elections officials that the system is not ready for prime time. During a test of the system earlier this year, counties found a host of problems such as missing apartment numbers and the systems inability to translate materials in the five required languages.  According to The Seattle Times, the secretary of state’s office said those problems have been solved, but some counties are still creating work arounds in preparation of the August 6 primary. Assistant Secretary of State Mark Neary, who is one of the project leaders that he understands counties might be nervous, but “I’m also confident in the VoteWA system and being able to conduct our primary,” Neary told the paper.

Opinions This Week

National Opinions: Vote-by-mail | Election security, II, III, IV, V | Automatic voter registration | Voting Rights Act, II | Voter suppression | Same day registration | Data

Florida: Voter suppression | Election security | Early voting

Georgia: Primary date

Illinois: Voter registration centers

Iowa: Suffrage

Kansas: Ranked choice voting

Missouri: Primaries

Montana: Secretary of state

New Hampshire: Voters with disabilities

New York: Election reform

North Carolina: Election security

North Dakota: Election process

Ohio: Election security

Pennsylvania: Suffrage

Washington: Paid postage

West Virginia: Automatic voter registration

Upcoming Events

National Association of Secretaries Of State — The National Association of Secretaries of State will hold their annual summer conference in late June, early July in New Mexico. Watch this space for more details about agendas and registrations. When: June 30-July 3. Where: Santa Fe, New Mexico.

International Association of Government Officials — “Educate-Elevate-Energize-Engage” is the theme of this year’s annual conference. The conference will include numerous education sessions and workshops as well as a visit to the NASA Houston Space Center. Where: Houston. When: July 11-17.

National Association of Counties — NACo’s 2019 Annual Conference will be held in Clark County (Las Vegas). Although the schedule and keynote speakers are still being hammered out there will be two symposiums on disaster management including an interactive roundtable. When: July 12-15. Where: Las Vegas.

National Association of State Election Directors — The NASED Summer Conference will be held in Austin, Texas, July 14-16, 2019. Watch this space for more details about agendas and registration.

National Conference of State Legislatures: NCSL’s Legislative Summit will feature numerous elections-related sessions include several about redistricting, voter registration, infrastructure and the Census. And if that wasn’t enough, Dolly Parton will be one of the featured keynote speakers.  When: August 5-8. Where: Nashville.

Election Center 35th Annual National Conference: This year’s Conference attendees will be inspired and energized as we head into the final stretch of the 2019 Election year. We will share substantive elections issues including crucial critical infrastructure information, new election initiatives and tons of practical and meaningful election administration tools and resources including the newest innovations and ideas to help election officials as the 2020 presidential year quickly approaches. When: Aug. 17-24. Where: Orlando.

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 to mmoretti@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.

Bilingual Resources and Marketing Specialist, Gwinnett County, Georgia —  Gwinnett County Voter Registration and Elections is responsible for planning and organizing all election voter-related activities and assist Gwinnett’s cities and special districts with election preparations. The division is comprised of staff that are proud to be part of a team that works together to assure that every vote counts. This position will be responsible for marketing and outreach for our Elections Division. The incumbent will create marketing material, work with community partners/organizations and conduct outreach related to Gwinnett County’s Election Division and the Bilingual Election Law (Sec. 203 of the Voting Rights Act). The incumbent must be proficient in oral, written and reading comprehension of the Spanish language. The primary responsibility for this position will be to educate and inform various community organizations, registered and prospective voters about election processes in both English and Spanish. The incumbent will also be required to set up and take down tables, display boards and various marketing materials for public events. Salary: $42,1620 $48,486. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Business Analyst, Wisconsin Elections Commission — This position is responsible for understanding, applying, and documenting the Wisconsin Elections Commission’s operational requirements and IT development.  The Elections Business Analyst plays a critical role ensuring that business requirements are accurately translated into development tasks for the agency’s IT developers. The Business Analyst also ensures that IT development team needs are clearly conveyed to business team members. Finally, the Business Analyst ensures that IT development tasks are completely and accurately documented.  This position supports the WisVote statewide voter registration database, as well as other information systems used to facilitate elections in the State of Wisconsin. This position plays an important role in supporting the IT backbone of Wisconsin’s elections, ensuring that both election officials and voters have the tools necessary to conduct and participate in fair and secure elections. Salary: $54,080 and $68,640. Deadline: July 8. Application: For the complete listing and to apply, click here.

Customer Support Consultant, Hart InterCivic— The Customer Support Consultant is responsible for providing application and hardware support to Hart InterCivic customers via telephone and email for all Hart InterCivic products.  The Support Consultant is also responsible for monitoring all requests to ensure efficient, effective resolution. The successful CSC will work directly with customers and other staff members. The position is responsible for responding to customer contacts, dealing with issues in a professional manner, providing technical direction to customers in a manner they can understand and being a customer advocate.  The CSC must have outstanding written and verbal communication skills. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Election Coordinator, Solano County, California— The Elections Coordinator is a supervisor who is charged with successfully overseeing a specific election function – this could be either Voter Registration, Vote by Mail, Candidate Services, or Poll Places/Poll Workers.  Each of the four Coordinators within our office are rotated every four years for cross-training and expanding job knowledge. Additional duties involve participating in developing, updating and implementing office procedures to comply with Federal and State laws; training staff and potentially poll workers; working with community stakeholders in achieving our mission; or coordinating the work of contractors that assist with our operation.  The Ideal candidates will have experience in conducting elections and supervising employees. Skills in Microsoft Office applications including Access and Excel; Geographic information systems such as ArcMap; or experience with web design and adobe software packages are beneficial. Salary: $33.41 – $40.61 hourly. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Elections Lead Specialist, Douglas County, Colorado— The Elections Lead Specialist assists in the supervision and coordination of elections operations, staff, and election judges including voter services, mail ballot processing and the conduct of elections. The objective of this position is to perform a variety of functions and diverse support roles on a routine basis. Mail Ballot Processing responsibilities are prioritized over other duties during election cycles, which may increase or decrease dramatically depending on the Elections cycle. In the absence of the Operations Manager, assumes responsibility for front-line functions associated with elections operations. This is a highly visible position requiring exceptional leadership, organizational, and communication skills. Salary: $3,550-$4,438 monthly. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Elections Specialist, Wisconsin Elections Commission — This position functions as part of the elections administration team and is a resource for the public on election-related laws and procedures. The Elections Specialists regularly conduct public outreach, education, training, technical assistance workshops, seminars, and certification classes. This position is also responsible for core election administration tasks, including, but not limited to review of state and federal candidate ballot access documents, ballot design and review, and canvass of election results. This positions also works in, and provides services regarding, Wisconsin’s statewide voter registration system, which is a database of voter and election information as well as a primary tool for administration of elections in the state. This position is a contact for county and municipal clerks to provide customer service, training, and guidance in the administration of elections using WisVote. Salary: $17.96 and $29.62 per hour.  Deadline: July 7. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Election Specialist I, Douglas County, Colorado — This position is focused on routine customer service and general office/clerical support including data entry, communications, and processing mail. This is a support role capable of performing a variety of tasks, with problem solving abilities, managing multiple competing responsibilities and prioritizing to maintain a continuous flow of election office operations. This is a visible and crucial position requiring exceptional computer, customer service, and communication skills. This is a benefited part-time position and benefits are pro-rated to 30 hours per week. This is an open until filled posting, review of applications and interviews will begin immediately and continue until suitable candidates are selected. Salary: $16.40-$20.50/hourly. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Election Specialist II, Douglas County, Colorado— The Election Specialist II is responsible for routine support services related to temporary employees, training, Voter Service and Polling Centers, mail ballot processing, voter registration, and customer service. This position contributes to the department’s achievement of delivering efficient, transparent, fair and accurate elections as well as performs other projects as assigned. This position requires technical work in a lead role capable of performing a variety of complex tasks, with solving problem abilities, managing multiple competing tasks and prioritizing to maintain a continuous flow of operations and temporary support. This is a visible and crucial position requiring previous elections experience, and exceptional computer, customer service, and communication skills. Please note this position is posted as open until filled, review of applications will begin immediately and continue until a suitable candidate is selected. Salary: $3,214 – $4,017 Monthly. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Program Associate, Elections Policy, The Democracy Fund — Democracy Fund’s Elections team is seeking a Program Associate to promote and advocate for national issues in voting policy, particularly election law and election cybersecurity policy. This role presents a unique opportunity to blend philanthropy, policy development, and legislative advocacy. The successful candidate will be passionate about educating leaders, officials, and the public on the urgent need for election reform and the danger that attacks on the electoral process pose to our democracy. he Program Associate will focus on increasing the public’s trust in elections, improving election security, advancing policies and practices that make elections more accessible, and reducing attempts to change election law for partisan benefit. Day-to-day tasks will include grantmaking, policy work, advocacy, coalition and relationship building, thought leadership, and developing innovative approaches to reduce real or perceived threats to American elections. We are looking for candidates who are determined to help our democracy work better. Strong candidates will possess several years of experience working on voting or election policy and leading advocacy or legislative policy change. The successful candidate will have a track record of working well with others to get things done in a complex, fast-paced environment and will thrive as part of a small, highly collaborative team. The Program Associate will report to the Associate Director, Elections. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Project Manager, Hart InterCivic— Project Managers at Hart InterCivic are highly motivated “self-starters” who are enthusiastic about providing exceptional customer service. Working with other members of the Professional Services and Operations teams, the Project Manager directs activity, solves problems, and develops lasting and strong relationships with our customers. Hart InterCivic’s unique and industry known culture of innovation, transparency, and customer-centric focus creates an environment where team members will continually grow and be challenged to develop their careers. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Product Manager, Hart InterCivic — as Product Manager, you will join a team that is charged with product planning, design, and execution throughout the lifecycle of Hart’s products, in support of the company’s overall strategy and goals. This includes: gathering, validating, and prioritizing internal and external customer needs; documenting and communicating product and technical requirements; gathering market and competitive intelligence; supporting the certification, sales, and marketing teams. The Product Manager must possess a unique blend of business and technical savvy – with experience in elections technology or other government-oriented products preferred.  To succeed in this role, the ideal candidate must spend time in the market to understand its unique attributes; demonstrate competence with specialized hardware and software; and find innovative solutions for the broader market. The Product Manager plays a key role in helping others to understand the product positioning, key benefits, and target customer, as well as providing advanced subject matter expertise in using the company’s products. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Research Scientist, MIT Election Data and Science Lab— MEDSL seeks a research scientist  to oversee the data science workflow of the lab’s election-related data collection, processing, and dissemination efforts.  MEDSL aims to improve the democratic experience for all U.S. voters by applying scientific principles to how elections are studied and administered. Responsibilities include assisting the director with designing and implementing research projects; gathering and analyzing data, designing research protocols, and documenting results; managing data science and quality control for the 2018 release of the Elections Performance Index (EPI); acquiring data from government sources and designing protocols to update indicators not provided by government sources; assisting with redistricting data collection/dissemination efforts; working with web designers to update EPI website and creating original content for MEDSL website; onboarding and monitoring the work of students/research support associates; tracking scholarship in the field of election science; and performing other data science/administrative/reporting duties as assigned. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Software Sales Specialist, VOTEC— VOTEC’s Sales Specialist is responsible for creating news sales with prospects and existing clients in targeted areas in the US. We are looking for an election professional comfortable using insight and consultative selling techniques to create interest that offers unique solutions on their operations, which link back to VOTEC’s solutions. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

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