In Focus This Week
Being a poll worker during a global pandemic
Six CTCL staffers served as election judges in Illinois
By Whitney May
Center for Tech and Civic Life
Imagine a decade ago: the first iPad was released, “Tik Tok” was just a popular song by Ke$ha, and I was training election judges in Durham County, North Carolina. At the time, our training curriculum focused on standard procedures like setting up voting equipment, processing voters, controlling ballot reconciliation paperwork, and completing provisional envelopes. We also covered a handful of mild ‘what if’ scenarios, including “What if an election judge tries to sell Tupperware in the voting enclosure?” In 2010, cybersecurity and global pandemics were not on our radar for training topics.
Fast forward 10 years and today’s election officials (and the poll workers they manage) are operating in a new reality where more and more rapid response plans are being added to their long list of fundamental election responsibilities. At the Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL), we’re supporting election departments to meet these rising challenges by providing tools, training, and best practices. And we believe being a poll worker is one of the best ways to serve our local communities and stay grounded in the evolving profession of election administration.
On March 17th, six of CTCL’s Chicago staff served as election judges for the 2020 Illinois Presidential Primary during the COVID-19 pandemic. We were stationed in both the city and the suburbs, in school auditoriums and American Legion halls, as ballot clerks and epollbook operators. For some of the team, this was their first election judge experience while for others it was a return to the post. This is our story
Anxious start with special precautions
As one might guess, we had anxiety from the start due to many factors surrounding COVID-19. We wondered if the other election judges would show up. Would the primary be postponed at the last minute like Ohio? How would we set up the voting space for social distancing?
Needless to say, the primary happened and the staffing levels were manageable for most of our polling places. We worked within the physical constraints of our voting enclosures to create more space between workstations and voting booths where possible. And while we weren’t always able to achieve the recommended 6 feet, there were instances where it was easier to implement.
Josh Simon Goldman, who served as an election judge in the City of Chicago, creatively used masking tape to mark spots for voters to stand while they were waiting in line to check in.
Rocío Hernandez, a Cook County election judge, received pop-up reminders on her epollbook screen throughout the day. The reminders encouraged election judges to follow basic guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We all took other health precautions like bringing hand sanitizer, latex gloves, and sanitizing wipes. In fact, most of the election judges we worked with brought their own supply as well as a surplus to share with the group.
Some voters had their own safety gear and ballot-marking pens, which was voter behavior we hadn’t seen in previous elections. Overall, it was clear that staying healthy was a top concern and a team effort. There was the sense that we were (and are) all in this together.
Low levels of turnout and high levels of gratitude
Whitney May prepping a ballot privacy sleeve in her polling place while wearing protective latex gloves
In addition to following special precautions, we were also curious about voter turnout during a pandemic. Would COVID-19 discourage people from leaving home to vote on Election Day? Would the arrival patterns change? The Chicago Board of Elections did take steps to encourage more people to vote before Election Day. This included extending early voting hours and vote-by-mail request deadlines.
However, the unofficial results currently show about 31% turnout for the City of Chicago. This is lower compared to previous primaries with comparable contests like the 2008 and 2016 primaries which both had voter turnout over 50%. But even with lower turnout, there was a steady stream of about 250 voters across each of our assigned polling places. And the slower pace of the day provided us with time to wipe down booths, touchscreen voting machines, pens, doorknobs, and table surfaces.
While turnout was depressed, our spirits were not. Election judges, voters, and others expressed gratitude for each other and democracy. One voter brought us chocolate candies along with sanitized serving tongs wrapped in aluminum foil. The school we were in, which was closed, was offering free breakfast and lunch to students in the neighborhood and they offered their packed meals to us as well. Overall, most people were effusive, even one voter who lamented that the pandemic had closed all the Chicago pubs on St. Patrick’s Day.
Considerations for November 2020
With remaining state primaries in limbo and the Democractic presidential primary race inching closer to a winner, much of the nation’s attention is now turning its focus to the general election in November. And the working assumption is that COVID-19 will continue to disrupt business as usual, elections being no exception. With this in mind, election officials, experts, and government leaders are exploring ways to ensure all eligible citizens will have safe, convenient, and accessible options to participate. These include options to register to vote as well as request, receive, mark, and cast their ballots.
Reflecting on our election judge experiences, we’re interested in how election departments might successfully:
- Adjust policies, procedures, and resources to manage an increase in mail ballots
- Invite more people to vote by mail, and communicate deadlines that give voters adequate time to request, receive, and return their ballot
- Inform voters of their options to return their mail ballot, whether that’s to a polling place, drop box, and/or vote center
- Recruit and train enough poll workers to maintain safe and convenient in-person voting locations before and on Election Day
While so much is uncertain right now, you can count on CTCL to stay curious, be poll workers again, and continue supporting election officials with tools, training, and best practices that address the newest challenges in the field. You can find CTCL resources to support your office with implementing vote-by-mail, and we’ll be expanding these webinars in the coming weeks and months. And recognizing that accurate, up-to-date election information is more important than ever this year, we’re also offering online courses in May and July to boost election departments’ digital communication skills.
As we continue working through these unprecedented times, CTCL is here to produce materials that are helpful to you. We need your feedback to make that happen. What resources or support would be useful to your election office during the COVID-19 pandemic? What questions are you trying to answer right now? What do your policymakers need to know? Share your ideas about election administration during COVID-19 by completing this form.
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Primary Updates
Wisconsin: As of press time, Wisconsin is still planning to hold its primary election April 7. Although there have been numerous calls to move the election and officials in the City of Green Bay have actually filed suit against the state, plan is to move forward. Officials in Milwaukee and Dane counties both issued guidance saying that voters who request an absentee ballot are allowed to declare that they are “indefinitely confined” as their reason for not including a copy of their photo ID with their ballot. The county clerks told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. they were aiming their messages at those who are staying at home to avoid the spread of illness but don’t have the technology or ability to provide a photo of their ID when requesting absentee ballots. “This is not an effort to circumvent the voter ID law,” Dane County Clerk Scott McDonell told the paper. “If you’re 25 and you’ve got an ID (and a way to take a photo of it), this is not for you.” Although more than 550,000 absentee ballots have been requested, elections officials still must prepare for people to show up at the polls on the 7th and many of them are struggling to find enough poll workers to effectively run the election. Some localities are also being forced to limit, eliminate or create drive-through early voting.
COVID-19 Updates
Rescheduled Primaries: At press time, the following states have rescheduled their primaries: Connecticut 6/2; Delaware 6/2; Georgia 5/19; Indiana 6/2; Kentucky 6/23; Louisiana 6/20; Maryland 6/2; Ohio 6/2; Pennsylvania 6/2; and Rhode Island 6/2.
Stimulus Package: The Senate-approved coronavirus relief bill will include $400 million for states to help them protect elections during the pandemic. According to NPR, the money would allow states to expand mail-in and early voting, as well as online voter registration. The money could also be used to help secure in-person voting sites. The House is expected to vote on the package on Friday.
Bipartisan Policy Center: In response to the current health crisis posed by COVID-19, BPC hosted an E-briefing with state and local election officials to dig into some of the major issues facing elections during the pandemic. Some of the topics covered during the briefing were how Florida dealt with conducting their March 17 primary during the pandemic and the move to have more and more elections conducted by mail, what that means on the front end, for voters, and especially what that means on the back end for state and local elections officials. It was a great conversation. You can view the hour-long video here.
National Association of Secretaries of State: This week, NASS President Paul Pate (Iowa) and President-elect Maggie Toulouse Oliver (New Mexico) penned an open letter to Congress and American voters on election preparations during the COVID-19 pandemic. In their letter, Pate and Toulouse Oliver elaborated on states’ readiness to conduct elections during the pandemic as well as called on Congress to “recognize the necessity for flexible funding to meet each of our specific needs. We would also encourage them to aid the U.S. Postal Service, as they are absolutely necessary for sending and receiving mail ballots from absentee, military and overseas voters.”
Alaska: Only one of six vote centers will be open in Anchorage for the March 30 election.
California: Officials in some California counties are still counting ballots from the March 3 primary and those efforts have been hampered by the state’s shelter-in-place order. In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order making three upcoming special elections all vote-by-mail and extending the deadline for ballot counting, tabulations and other responsibilities to the official canvass of the March 3 primary. Also in California, a recall election in the City of Westminster will be conducted entirely by mail.
Colorado: The town of Gypsum has voted to postpone its April 7 municipal election to July 7 and that election will now be conducted entirely by mail.
Delaware: Gov. John Carney signed an executive order cancelling all elections through May 15. The order means the state’s primary will now be June 2, school board elections will be June 16 and officials in Newark are still working to determine when they will hold municipal elections, previously scheduled for April 15.
Georgia: Georgia postponed its March primary to May 19 and now Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has said that the state will mail absentee ballot request forms to all eligible voters.
Indiana: Following Gov. Eri Holcomb’s executive order to move the state’s May 5 primary to June 2, the state’s election commission OK’d several additional changes. The bipartisan commission unanimously voted to: Move all election deadlines forward by 28 days. Approve absentee ballots that are dated May 5, 2020. Allow anyone to cast an absentee ballot by mail. Allow county election boards to conduct meetings electronically. Encourage counties to appoint medical professionals to travelling boards that help voters cast ballots in confined-care facilities. Permit family members and caregivers of confined voters to personally deliver ballots. Allow counties to consolidate voting locations. Advises counties to determine election counts by 3 p.m. June 12.
Iowa: Iowa Secretary of state Paul Pate has moved special elections in Black Hawk, Plymouth and Woodbury counties to July 7. Pate has also extended the absentee voting period for the June primary.
Louisiana: Voter in the Feliciana Parishes will see their local elections shift to this summer. Instead of casting ballots in municipal elections on April 4, voters in towns in East Feliciana Parish and West Feliciana Parish will now cast ballots on June 20 with a July 25 runoff if necessary.
Maine: The Kennebunk select board has voted to move the town’s upcoming special election to May 14.
Maryland: The Maryland State Board of Elections has voted to make the June 2 primary an all vote-by-mail affair. The proposal now goes to Gov. Larry Hogan for approval. The board also voted against the three counties conducting a special election on April 28 to open up at least one vote center to accommodate accessibility needs.
Massachusetts: The cities of Fairhaven and Dartmouth, Massachusetts have postponed their town elections to a date that’s yet to be determined. In Tewksbury, the town election will now be held on May 16.
Michigan: Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced this week that every eligible voter in Michigan would receive an absentee ballot application for the May 5 election. Also in Michigan, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has signed an executive order that will extend the canvassing deadline for the state’s primary to April 24. “Providing more time to canvass the recent election will provide certainty for Michiganders that our elections are accurate and worth everyone participating in,” Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said.
Mississippi: The City of Natchez, Mississippi municipal elections have been moved from April 7 to May 12. Also in Mississippi, a special election for alderman in Petal has been moved to June 1. The City of Aberdeen has also voted to move its municipal election.
Montana: Gov. Steve Bullock has given counties the authority to decide whether or not they would like to conduct the June 2 primary entirely by mail. “This is about protecting Montanans’ right to vote at a time we face unprecedented challenges with the COVID-19 pandemic,” Bullock said in a statement. “Locally elected officials best understand the voting needs of their communities, and taking this action now ensures they will have the time to make the right decisions for their localities. I feel confident we can protect both the public’s health and the right to vote with this direction.” Yellowstone County was the first out of the gate to say it will conduct its election by mail.
Nevada: The June 9 primary election in Nevada will be conducted entirely by mail. All active registered voters in Nevada will be mailed an absentee ballot for the primary election. No action or steps, such as submitting an absentee ballot request application, will be required by individual voters in order to receive a ballot in the mail.
New Jersey: All of New Jersey’s May 12 nonpartisan elections will be conducted exclusively by mail.
New Mexico: In New Mexico, which is scheduled to hold its primary election on June 2, Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver has opened the state’s online absentee ballot portal early so as many residents can apply for absentee ballots as early as possible. “Opening the online absentee portal a month early is just one of the ways my Office, and election administrators around the state, are taking steps to ensure safe and efficient elections this year,” Toulouse Oliver said in a statement. “Though there will still be in-person voting during the early vote period and on June 2nd, I encourage voters to utilize an absentee ballot as a way to fulfill your civic duty to vote while also fulfilling your civic duty to practice social distance.”
North Carolina: The North Carolina State Board of Elections has moved the May 12 11th District U.S. House runoff to June 23.
Ohio: Under a bipartisan plan, the Ohio Legislature has voted to move the state’s primary to April 28 and make it all vote-by-mail. According to the Columbus Dispatch, officials would send postcards to every Ohioan with instructions on how to apply for an absentee ballot. Anyone who hasn’t cast an early ballot already would have to print off a paper application, or call their county elections and request one be mailed to them, and mail it in. Elections officials then would mail an empty ballot with a postage-paid envelope. Voters would have until April 27 to mail it back or drop it off at at a curbside county ballot box, and votes would be counted on April 28.
South Dakota: The city of Sioux Falls, South Dakota is asking for permission to delay a local election and instead have that election coincide with the state’s June 2 primary.
Texas: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed an executive order moving the May 26 primary runoffs to July 14 with early voting to begin on July 6.
U.S. Virgin Islands: U.S. Virgin Islands Supervisor of Elections Caroline F. Fawkes has suspended voter registration in the U.S. territory. “After careful review of the registration process, which involves the Elections System staff’s direct contact with the public, I have made the decision to suspend voter registration effectively immediately,” Fawkes said in a statement according to the St. Thomas Source.
Election News This Week
VVSG 2.0: The 90-day public comment period for the VVSG 2.0 is now open. Last month, the Technical Guidelines Development Committee (TGDC) unanimously voted to provide the U.S. Election Assistance Commission with recommendations on the VVSG 2.0 Requirements. The recommended requirements, developed with the support of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), were submitted to the EAC’s Acting Executive Director on March 9, 2020. On March 11, the EAC submitted the proposed VVSG 2.0 Requirements to the EAC’s Standards Board and Board of Advisors for review. This week, the EAC initiated a 90-day public comment period on the VVSG 2.0 Requirements, which will run through June 22, 2020. “Each step toward final approval of VVSG 2.0 is another step toward improving election security. The final VVSG requirements will enable manufacturers to develop updated, improved, accessible, and secure voting technology. The process to gather feedback from our stakeholders is critical to completing this process,” said EAC Chairman Ben Hovland, who has served as the EAC’s designated federal official for the TGDC for the past year. “We look forward to getting input from our Board of Advisors and Standards Board, and to hear from the public through the hearings and public comments.” Those who wish to review the VVSG 2.0 Requirements document, as recommended by the TGDC, and submit comments may do so via regulations.gov.
Election Cybersecurity Glossary: The Election Cybersecurity Glossary is a trusted, one-stop reference tool that includes terminology pertaining to election administration, election security, and national security. The Glossary is intended to help election officials, journalists, lawyers, policymakers, advocates, scholars, and the intelligence community find, understand, and communicate election cybersecurity terminology. The Glossary is the only online glossary that merges hundreds of terms of art across the spectrum of election cybersecurity — from information technology to cyberspace; national security and intelligence to election administration; law to public policy.
Continuing Education: A new online project by the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard University and a coalition of foundations has unveiled a new project that they hope will better educate the public about the civil rights movement and the approval of the Voting Rights Act. According to Voice of America, Selma Online — a free, online teaching platform that seeks to transform how the civil rights movement is taught in middle and high schools across the country. The project uses footage from Ava DuVernay’s 2014 movie “Selma” and attempts to show students how events in 1965 shaped voting rights. “It’s perfect timing, unfortunately, because of the crisis we are in,” Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. told The Associated Press. “Not only is the timing optimal for teachers who are developing online lesson plans but also for families.”
Sticker News: YES! Some good news this week. Katie Fish, a graphic and interactive design major at Temple University in Philadelphia is the winner of the city’s “I Voted” sticker contest. The contest had more than 150 entries from adults, elementary and high school students. “It’s just kinda surreal, I’m like proud of myself,” Fish told The Temple News. “I didn’t really think I was gonna win.” She said she visited City Hall, Love Park, the Rocky statue and the Liberty Bell with them to gain inspiration. “We want young people to feel as though there’s a place for them and we want them all to vote regularly and to be part of what is one of the greatest rights to Americans,” Lisa Deely, chairwoman of the city commissioner’s office told the paper. “[Fish] just fulfilled everything that I thought that our stickers should be. It should be Philly-centric, it should be different, it should have a more artsy vibe to it.”
Personnel News: Debbie Bedford is stepping down as the Rutherford County, North Carolina board of elections director. Niko Vangjeli has been sworn in as the Worcester, Massachusetts clerk. Knox County, Tennessee Administrator of Elections Cliff Rodgers has announced his retirement citing polarized politics as his reason for retiring after running 24 elections in nine years. “I can tell you today that I simply do not have the energy, the 24/7 focus and the passion to deal with another highly polarized presidential election,” he told the Knoxville News Sentinel. “I’m tired of not having enough time for my family or, quite frankly, much of anything else. I’m tired of waking up at night in a cold sweat and in the morning — all stressed out — and that was well before all of the coronavirus concerns.”
Research & Report Summaries
The Congressional Research Service (CRS) released an “in-focus” brief on disrupted elections earlier this month. The brief, Disrupted Federal Elections: Policy Issues for Congress, introduces historical and policy issues that could be relevant for congressional oversight, legislation, or appropriations related to elections disrupted by events such as natural disasters, other emergencies, or cyberattacks that could substantially delay or prevent normal voting, election administration, or campaigning. The brief identifies the 10-day delay of the 2018 elections in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands as the only apparent case of a postponed federal general election in modern history.
The Brennan Center released a report estimating costs of election policy options in response to the COVID-19 pandemic last week. The report, Estimated Costs of Covid-19 Election Resiliency Measures, estimates that it would cost up to $2 billion to implement all parts of the Brennan Center’s response plan. The plan includes a vote-by-mail option for all voters, maintaining in-person voting, developing and bolstering online voter registration, and public education.
(Research and Report Summaries are written by David Kuennen.)
Legislative Updates
Alaska: This week, the Senate approved a proposal that would give the lieutenant governor the power to order statewide election by mail for the August primaries if the public health emergency continues. If the Legislature were to extend the public health emergency through November, the lieutenant governor would have the power to order the November general election to be conducted by mail, also.
Kentucky: Senate Bill 2 has passed both chambers of the Legislature. The bill has more than 40 amendments, but it essentially requires residents to provide a government-issued photo ID in order to cast a ballot. If signed into law, it would be in effect for the November general election.
Also in Kentucky, the Legislature has approved a bill that would require counties to purchase more secure voting machines. Although election officials estimate it will cost about $80 million statewide to replace the voting machines, no funding was included in the legislation.
Massachusetts: The General Assembly has approved a bill that would allow municipalities to postpone 2020 local elections, push back voter registration deadlines and increase voting options while the commonwealth is in a state of emergency.
New York: State Sen. Jen Metzger (D-Rosendale) has introduced S8120 that would allow eligible voter to cast their June 2020 state primary ballots by mail. June 23 is New York state’s primary day for all offices other than president.
Legal Updates
North Carolina: A North Carolina appeals court has rejected a request by Republican lawmakers to have all 15 of the court’s judges hear a lawsuit challenging the state’s voter ID law.
Ohio: State Rep. Tom Brinkman (R-Mt.Lookout) has sued Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor and Justices Michael Donnelly, Patrick Fischer and Melody Stewart saying they violated the state constitution when they issued a decision dismissing a legal challenge to the election delay because they did not include an opinion, or explanation why. “The Ohio Constitution is quite clear that the Supreme Court must provide reasons for all its decisions in all cases,” Brinkman told FOX19 NOW. “I am simply asking the court to comply with the constitution. It’s that simple.”
Texas: In a lawsuit filed in Travis County district court, the Texas Democrats are asking a judge to declare that a portion of the Texas election code allowing voters to cast a mail-in ballot if they suffer from a disability applies to any voter in Texas “if they believe they should practice social distancing in order to hinder” the spread of the new coronavirus.
Wisconsin: Judge William Conley has ruled that Wisconsin residents can register online to vote until March 30. The original deadline was the 18th and the state Democratic party sued to move the deadline. It is apparent that some accommodation is necessary to preserve citizens’ right to vote amidst this unprecedented public health crisis,” Conley wrote in his filing. Conley denied all other requests from the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, which were to extend the March 18 deadline for mail-in registration, waive certain voter ID and proof-of-residency requirements, and extend the absentee ballot receipt deadline.
Also in Wisconsin, the City of Green Bay is suing state officials to delay the spring election and move it to mail, arguing an in-person election will endanger poll workers and residents amid the growing coronavirus crisis. The lawsuit filed Tuesday in federal court asks a judge to order the state to cancel the April 7 election and mail ballots to all registered voters, a decision that would impact all Wisconsin communities beyond Green Bay. The city also wants the state to extend the deadline for voter registration to May 1 and give municipal clerks a June 2 deadline for counting mailed ballots.
West Virginia: The West Virginia Supreme Court will hear arguments in the ongoing battle over whether four provisional ballots cast during Harpers Ferry June 2019 municipal election should be counted. The hearing is set for May 19.
Tech Thursday
Youth Voter Engagement: This week, CIRCLE announced the launch of a new interactive data tool on the civic and political participation of young people and the conditions that may help it, hinder it, and ultimately shape whether youth engage in civic life. This tool includes more than 40 measures related to youth voting, volunteering and other forms of participation, and a wide range of political, socioeconomic, and demographic characteristics for communities across the country. You can explore how states rank on a range of indicators, and zoom in on select district and county-level data to get a local snapshot of the communities you care about.
Opinions This Week
National Opinions: Vote by mail, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI | Public health | Coronavirus, II, III, IV, V, VI | Election disfunction | Election preparation | Voting system | Young voters | Voting machines | General election | Funding
Arizona: Vote by mail
Arkansas: Vote by mail
California: Early voting | Top two primary
Colorado: Ranked choice voting, II
Florida: Smooth election | Turnout | Ion Sancho
Illinois: Primary
Indiana: Primary
Kentucky: Election legislation | Voter ID
Maryland: Vote by mail
Michigan: Suffrage
Montana: Vote by mail
Nebraska: Primary
New York: Online voting | Primary, II
Ohio: Voter registration deadline | Primary | Vote by mail, II
Pennsylvania: Primary, II | Vote by mail
Tennessee: Vote by mail, II
Texas: Coronavirus, II | Vote by mail
Utah: Vote by mail
Virginia: Voting access
Washington: Vote by mail | Election policies | Special elections
West Virginia: Primary
Upcoming Events
NASED Summer 2020 Conference: — Twice a year, the National Association of State Election Directors members gather to discuss the latest developments in election administration. Members of the public are welcome to attend at the non-member registration rate. Check back here for more information about the Summer 2020 Conference. Where: Reno, Nevada When: July 19-22.
NASS Summer 2020 Conference: The National Association of Secretaries of State will hold their Summer 2020 conference at the Silver Legacy Reno, Nevada. Check back here for more information about the Winter 2020 conference when it becomes available. Where: Reno, Nevada. When: July 19-22.
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.
Assistant Director, Kentucky State Board of Elections— The Kentucky State Board of Elections is an independent agency of state government, established by the Legislature to administer the election laws of the Commonwealth. The SBE also provides training and resources to the County Clerks and County Boards of Election, and supervises registration and purgation of voters within the state. The position of Assistant Director is a highly skilled and valued member of the SBE staff who performs duties ranging from staff management, advising and training of local and state officials, budgeting and policy development. While not required, a license to practice law is preferred. Compliance with Kentucky Revised Statute 117.025 requires that this position be filled by a candidate that is a registered member of the Republican Party of Kentucky. Out of state candidates will be considered if they can show proof of registration with the Republican Party of their current state of residence. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Assistant Registrar, Falls Church City, Virginia— The City of Falls Church is seeking an individual to fill a full-time (40 hours per week, Monday through Friday) Assistant Registrar position. Individual selected will provide professional and technical support services to the Director of Elections & General Registrar of Voters. Responsibilities: During elections, assists the Registrar with making arrangements for setting up polling places, supervising the preparation of voting lists by precincts, publishing notices in accordance with regulations, supervising the printing and maintenance of election ballots according to election laws, making arrangements for adequate facilities and equipment at poll stations; Helping candidates with campaign finance filings; Drafting voter correspondence; Generating and interpreting reports and auditing work for accuracy; Making calendar and website updates, posting meeting notices and understanding FOIA; Mail new voter information notices to all new registered voters and those with address changes; Mailing ballots to qualified voters; Election officer training including updating manuals; Ballot security including identifying threats to vote security and act decisively to defend the integrity of the election and voting process; Voter outreach including voter registration drives at high schools and nursing homes; Preparing extensive documentation for testing and conducting and evaluating elections; Assisting voters with registration and absentee voting; and, Perform related tasks as required. Salary: $46,339+. Deadline: April 2. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Chief Operating Officer, U.S. Election Assistance Commission— The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) is looking for a seasoned manager to serve as Chief Operating Officer (COO). This is an exceptional opportunity for an individual to oversee the functions and programs of the Commission coming up to the 2020 Elections! The COO is the primary management official responsible for supervising the day-to-day operations of EAC staff. EAC has several program operation divisions which will report to the COO: Voting Systems Testing and Certification, Grants, Research, Communications, HR/Administration, and Finance. Plans and implements communications plans, events, media campaigns, press conferences, briefings, messaging and interviews. Participates in developing communications and media initiatives, planning and implementing of media events, and maintaining a proactive media strategy for the EAC. Under the leadership of the Executive Director, EAC is elevating attention on management issues and transformational change. To manage this change, and to enable the Executive Director to focus attention on Congressional affairs, external relations, budget formulation and execution, and clearinghouse activities, the COO position was created to manage the programmatic, financial management, and administrative functions of the Commission, all of which will continue to be directed by talented professionals with strong expertise in their areas of responsibility. The COO will have special responsibility for supervising senior staff, ensuring that key program areas work in a carefully coordinated way, as well as ensuring that new systems and procedures are effectively adopted whenever such change is required to support the Commission’s transformation and improvement. Salary: $134,789 to $156K. Deadline: April 8. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Communications Associate, Democracy Works— The communications team ensures the vision of Democracy Works is clearly and creatively articulated to our stakeholders in a variety of contexts. We develop strategic communication plans and programs for our internal and external audiences, promoting the mission and brand of Democracy Works across several channels. We love democracy and are excited to communicate our work to strengthen it. As a part of the team, you will: Support and maintain a strategic, goal-oriented vision for all Democracy Works internal and external communication projects; Develop fresh story ideas: Proactively research and write materials to tell our story and engage a variety of audiences (i.e. website, blog and social media content); Produce communication materials: Prepare executive talking points and bios, briefing materials, newsletters, and presentations that align with our organization’s strategic goals and branding; Assist other teams by copy-editing and proofreading written content; Brainstorm strategic outreach ideas, and produce creative content for new and ongoing projects; Media outreach: Identify strategic narratives and compelling storylines to pitch relevant reporters and secure timely media coverage; Media monitoring: Track and report media coverage of Democracy Works, our products, campaigns, and industry trends; and Press lists: Build and maintain comprehensive press lists to develop relationships with reporters Deadline: Target start date April 28. Salary: $58K-$68K. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Deputy Chief Information Security Officer, U.S. Election Assistance Commission— As the Deputy Chief Information Security Officer (Deputy CISO), the incumbent provides policy, leadership and direction, and serves as a key contributor to the EAC’s strategy regarding achieving mission goals; ensuring that all IT functions are integrated, prioritized and executed within agency priorities and allocated resources; and working closely with EAC’s service providers. Salary: $96,970 to $148,967. Deadline: April 27. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Development Director, Election Administration Resource Center— The Election Administration Resource Center is seeking a proactive, relationship-driven Development Director to help shape the organization’s fundraising strategy and establish a group of individual and foundation donors. You will collaborate with the Board, Executive Director, and staff to lead the organization to strong financial sustainability. Current funding is on a three-year cycle, and plans for the 2021-2024 period will start immediately. You are a highly-organized, self-monitoring exceptional communicator who loves prospecting, authentic relationship building, and making big asks. General job responsibilities: Work with the Finance Officer to plan and operate the annual budget; Establish and maintain relationships with various organizations throughout the nation and utilize these to enhance the mission of the Election Administration Resource Center; Identify potential donors and otherwise increase the overall visibility of the Election Administration Resource Center. Diversifying revenue streams and securing multi-year funding opportunities should be a primary focus; Lead the development and execution of a million dollar three-year fundraising strategy growing existing budget from $1M to $2M annually; Define appropriate goals, track metrics, and prepare progress reports for the board and grant funders; Develop and execute fundraising campaigns to increase the reach of the Election Administration Resource Center and generate revenue. Application: Please send a resume, three references, salary history, and requirements, along with a cover letter of no more than two pages to rosemary.blizzard@rankedchoicevoting.org.
Director of Communications, U.S. Election Assistance Commission— Plans and implements communications plans, events, media campaigns, press conferences, briefings, messaging and interviews. Participates in developing communications and media initiatives, planning and implementing of media events, and maintaining a proactive media strategy for the EAC. Develops and maintains productive relationships with members of the media. Enlist the cooperation of media representatives in providing accurate information to the public that furthers the goals and objectives of the EAC. Provides background information to the media as required and drafts talking points for spokespersons ahead of interviews and presentations. Researches, develops, writes and edits reports, presentations, press releases, fact sheets, feature articles, letters, speeches, testimony, annual reports, opinion pieces, videos, and other public-facing communications materials that effectively communicate the Commission’s goals to EAC stakeholders and a variety of public and internal audiences. Procures and manages contracts and assists with the procurement of other Communications-related needs, i.e. photography, video, subscriptions, and other non-EAC services and goods. Attends staff briefings and policy discussions to gain knowledge of Commission activities in order to remain current on the latest developments of interest to the public, assist in preparing for and responding to media inquiries, and formulate recommendations regarding agency policies and programs. Performs other related duties as assigned. Salary: $96,970 to $148,967. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Director, Information Services, Orange County, Florida— The director of information systems oversees all operations of the Information Systems Division. The director also provides strategic direction to the organization regarding Information Systems initiative and needs, and establishes security systems, policies, procedures and protocols related to all Information System functions. The director reports to the supervisor of elections, supervises a staff of 16, as well as temporary workers during election events. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Grants Specialist, U.S. Election Assistance Commission— The Grants Specialist will assist the Grants Director to manage and administer the grants program for the EAC pursuant to 5 USC §3109 (See 42 USC §15324(b)) and §204 (6)(c) of HAVA. The incumbent provides expert advice to EAC leadership regarding grants management; provides advice and guidance to States and U.S. territories regarding the use of funds provided by EAC to ensure State/U.S. territory compliance with HAVA, Appropriations Law and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) circulars; conducts pre- and post-audits to review how funds have been spent; and makes recommendations to the Executive Director for audit resolutions. Salary: $69,581 to $128,920 per year. Deadline: June 17, 2020. 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.
Proposals Manager, Hart InterCivic— The Proposals Program Manager will be responsible for leading and coordinating cross-functional teams for the successful development of proposals and management of the proposal lifecycle. This includes requests for proposals, requests for information, support for post-proposal contract questions, and other related activities. The Proposals Program Manager will work closely with key stakeholders and input providers across each peer group including Sales, Product Management, Finance, Operations and Engineering. This position reports to the Director of Certification and Proposals. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Quality Assurance Engineer, Democracy Works—You will be our first QA-specific hire, meaning that we are looking for someone who can help us build our approach to QA from the ground up with an eye toward providing guidance to our engineers in their work and potentially building out additional QA capacity over time. As a part of the team you will: Stand up end-to-end testing on our large/complex microservices setup; Structure our approach to QA from the ground up and potentially build a team of QA engineers over time; Write automated testing for our user-facings tools; Integrate into our dev process to confirm the quality of the code our developers are producing; Do some amount of manual testing as needed; Regularly collaborate with other members of the voter engagement team. Salary: $105K-$125K. Deadline: Target start date April 27. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Senior Cyber Program Manager, U.S. Election Assistance Commission— As the Senior Cyber Program Manager, the incumbent provides policy, leadership and direction, and serves as a key contributor to the EAC’s strategy regarding the Election Technology Program. The incumbent furthers the EAC’s efforts in various arenas; works to improve federal, state and local relations with regard to elections; and provides strategic guidance to senior staff on various issues pertaining to elections and specifically, election security. Salary: $96,970 to $148,967. Deadline: April 27. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Site Reliability Engineer, Democracy Works— As our first Site Reliability Engineer, you will guide the direction of the infrastructure engineering discipline at Democracy Works; exemplifying reliable, measurable, secure and repeatable practices that will act as a “force multiplier” across our products. You will: Maintain our infrastructure using Terraform and Kubernetes. Design, build, maintain, and plan for growth of infrastructure at Democracy Works. Create and maintain monitoring and alerting for services. Create and maintain documentation for the systems and tools that you work with. Automate “toil” – discover repetitive manual actions, document those actions, and automate them if possible. Improve existing automation to mitigate risk introduced through the natural process of software change. Join an on-call rotation for services you are responsible for. Review existing code and architecture for security and reliability. Work closely with developers and product teams regarding security and reliability implications of software and infrastructure changes. Aid developers in debugging production issues across services in a distributed system. Assist with interview processes for other available roles at Democracy Works. Work with product teams to balance and prioritize your work according to external deadlines and organizational goals. Salary: $105,000 – $125,000. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Voter Service Manager, Arapahoe County, Colorado— This position provides the opportunity for you to take your voting or government-related experience to a new level in an exciting year where we will administer a statewide primary election in June and the November Presidential General Election. Join our team of dedicated public servants in supporting voters across Arapahoe County while upholding public trust and integrity in our elections process. This position will assist with complex administrative and supervisory work in directing daily activities. The Voter Service Manager supports the Elections Deputy Director, Chief Deputy Director and the Clerk and Recorder with issues concerning all operations of Elections. Salary: $65,960 – $105,365. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
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