electionline Weekly

America Goes to the Polls 2020

America Goes to the Polls 2020
Report examines policy trends that made a difference in 2020 turnout

The new “America Goes to the Polls” report — a joint effort between Nonprofit VOTE and the U.S. Elections Project — pulls back the curtain on the record-breaking voter turnout of the 2020 Presidential election to examine the bigger story: the crucial differences in voting policies across states and their impact on each state’s voter turnout.

“There’s no doubt that all of America — citizens, election officials, voting rights advocates — should be celebrating the numbers we saw in the 2020 general election with all 50 states showing an increase in voter turnout,” says Brian Miller, Executive Director of Nonprofit VOTE. “But if we want to continue to see and expand a vibrant electorate, we have to understand what worked and recognize that there are still wide differences in how citizens can vote state-by-state.” Indeed, the new report ranks all 50 states by turnout, highlighting the  policies their voters can use to register and cast their ballots.

“One difference was the record use of mail ballots and early in-person voting that made voting more convenient and safer in the midst of a pandemic.” says Michael McDonald, Election Project Director and Professor of Political Science at the University of Florida. “More than two of every three voters voted early. To put that in context, 2020 was the first modern election when more people voted early than filled out a ballot at the polls on Election Day.”

In an effort to offer citizens an easier and safer way to cast their ballots in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, 28 states changed their policies to make voting by mail more accessible. The results cannot only be seen in the national turnout success of 2020, but by the fact that half of the top 10 turnout states in the report were those that mailed ballots to registered voters. Almost all of the bottom 10 states required excuses for vote by mail ballots or cut off voter registration four weeks before the election.

The new America Goes to the Polls report also highlights Same Day Registration (SDR) — which allows voters to register as late as election day — as a crucial policy for encouraging turnout. “We saw that nine of the top 10 states offer SDR which results in a five percentage point increase in voter turnout over states without the policy,” says Caroline Mak, Research Coordinator at Nonprofit VOTE. “State adoption of SDR is a promising trend, with nearly half of all states offering it now. Last year’s election further underlines the fact that voter education, registration, and activation are key to the continuation and health of our robust, representative democracy.”

To download America Goes to the Polls 2020, visit nonprofitvote.org/americagoestothepolls

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Election News This Week

Hand Count: Antrim County, at the center of a lawsuit and some of the controversy surrounding the 2020 election will be doing things the old fashioned way for the upcoming May 4 primary. Antrim County Clerk Sheryl Guy had asked the County Commissioners to authorize spending to get the county’s voting machines ready for the May election. The commissioners declined. Guy says that means votes will have to be counted manually, which she says is against state law. County commissioner Ed Boettcher says a lawsuit alleging problems with the county’s election last November means the board had no choice but to require a hand-count for the upcoming vote. “It could become quite cumbersome, but, given our circumstances, it felt like our options were pretty limited,” Boettcher said. “There weren’t – there wasn’t a good – there wasn’t good direction to head. We’re heading in what I feel is the best one possible.” A spokesperson for the Secretary of State declined comment on the legality of a paper ballot hand count, citing the potential for future legal proceedings. A spokesperson for Dominion Voting Systems also declined comment. While the county already uses paper ballots — their Dominion machines are used to count ballots — the state outlawed the kind of precinct paper ballot hand counts the commission approved. “The state said we can’t, but let them come tell us that we can’t, given our circumstance,” said Boettcher, of the commission’s decision to hold a hand ballot count in the May primary.

U.S Postal Service News: The Postal Service unveiled a 10-year strategic plan this week that would raise prices and lengthen promised delivery times, among other measures, in an effort to recoup $160 billion in projected losses over the next decade. The announcement drew immediate condemnation from members of Congress who would have to pass legislation to carry out some parts of the proposal. Among other things, the plan would reduce post office hours, consolidate locations, limit the use of planes to deliver the mail and loosen the delivery standard for first-class mail from within three days in the continental United States to within five days, an effort to meet the agency’s 95 percent target for on-time delivery. In a news conference, Kristin Seaver, an executive vice president at the Postal Service, maintained that 70 percent of first-class mail would continue to be delivered in one to three days. Gostmaster General, Louis DeJoy argued that the steps were necessary given the Postal Service’s worsening financial situation. The agency, which is supposed to be self-sustaining, has lost $87 billion in the past 14 fiscal years and is projected to lose another $9.7 billion in fiscal year 2021 alone. “We have to start the conversation with we’re losing $10 billion a year,” Mr. DeJoy said in an interview on Tuesday, “and that’s going to continue to go up unless we do something.” Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. (D-New Jersey), renewed a call for the sitting members of the agency’s Board of Governors to be fired and for DeJoy to be “escorted to the street where his bags are waiting for him.” The plan should be a “dead letter” for the agency, he added.

Voters in Harris County, Texas have spun the voting Wheel of Fortune for the last time. This week Harris County Elections officials unveiled a new state-of-the-art touchscreen voting system they said will make voting easier and adds another layer of security including a paper trail. The new machines will cost the county more than $50 million. Harris County administrator Isabel Longoria said it was the first time in more than 10 years the county will be using new voting machines. “We’re looking at about 2,500 machines for the May election but we’ve got 12,000 total coming in for November,” Longoria said. The machines come from Hart InterCivic, the same company Harris County has used since 2000. “It’s going to be faster for folks to vote because you can touch the screen instead of dealing with those little turn wheels and buttons,” said Longoria They will first be used in May, when early voting begins at 23 different locations around Harris County for various local elections. “We don’t anticipate anything going at all wrong in the May elections,” Longoria says.

Return to Normal: Guilford County, North Carolina announced this week that the county will once again be handing out “I Voted” stickers at future elections. Guilford County Board of Elections Director Charlie Collicutt said this week that his office is bringing back the “I Voted” stickers.  Collicutt said the removal of the well-liked stickers in 2020 was done to prevent the possibility of spreading the virus. “Those were very popular,” Collicutt said of the stickers.  “We were just trying to cut down on things that were touched.” The county’s elections department also got rid of community pens that were in the past used by one person after another, and, of course, the department used wide open spaces for polling places and kept the voting booths a great distance apart.

Personnel News: Utah County, Utah Clerk Amelia Powers Gardner has announced that she will seek a vacant county commission seat. Angela Hall has been sworn in as the new Webster Parish, Louisiana registrar of voters. Terrell Alexandre has been appointed St. Croix deputy supervisor by the U.S. Virgin Islands board of elections.

In Memoriam: Former McHenry County, Illinois Clerk Katherine Schultz, who worked for the county for 55 years before her retirement in 2014 died on March 12. She was 79. Schultz worked for the first time as county clerk in 1990 and served six times. According to the Daily Herald she was remembered as dedicated, hands-on and hardworking public official by those who knew her. “I always enjoyed telling people she got started in McHenry County government when Dwight Eisenhower was president,” County Administrator Pete Austin said. “There wasn’t any part of her job that she didn’t know.” Schultz was honored at her retirement in a 2014 resolution by the Illinois General Assembly, and the Illinois Association of County Clerks and Recorders named her “County Clerk of the Year” in 2011. Under Schultz’s leadership, McHenry County was the first large county to use optical scanning voting machines. Without her, “the county might still be counting ballots by hand,” McHenry County Clerk Joe Tirio told the paper.

Legislative Updates

Federal Legislation: There was a real donnybrook in the U.S. Senate this week as the Senate Rules Committee held the first hearing on the For the People Act. “Today, in the 21st century, there is a concerted, nationwide effort to limit the rights of citizens to vote and to truly have a voice in their own government,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York). He called the voting rollbacks in the states an “existential threat to our democracy” reminiscent of Jim Crow segregationist laws, chanting “Shame! Shame! Shame!” at the Republicans promoting them. On the other end of the spectrum, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) spread disinformation about voter registration during his testimony. “This bill is the single most dangerous bill this committee has ever considered,” said Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas. “This bill is designed to corrupt the election process permanently, and it is a brazen and shameless power grab by Democrats.” According to The New York Times, So far, not a single Republican supports the nearly 800-page bill, and Democrats are unlikely to win support even from all 50 of their senators without substantial changes. Democrats’ best hope for enacting the legislation increasingly appears to be to try to leverage its voting protections — which many liberals view as a life-or-death matter not just for American democracy, but for their own political chances in the future — to justify triggering the Senate’s so-called nuclear option: the elimination of the filibuster rule requiring 60 votes, rather than a simple majority, to advance most bills. For now, though, even that remains out of reach as long as conservative Democrats in the 50-50 Senate are opposed. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D) and West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner (R) each testified on the legislation

Alabama: The House has approved a ban on curbside voting, a voting method that civil rights organizations had sought during the COVID-19 pandemic. Legislators voted 74-25 for the bill that now moves to the Alabama Senate.  The bill by Republican Rep. Wes Allen of Troy would explicitly forbid election workers from setting up curbside areas for people to cast ballots as well as forbid setting up of voting machines outside a polling place. Supporters of the bill said it is needed to protect election integrity. Opponents argued the state is cutting off an avenue that might make it easier for elderly and disabled people to vote.

 

Arizona: The House Committee on Government and Elections approved a measure to require early voters to fill out an affidavit that includes their date of birth and either their driver’s license number or the number of their county-issued voter ID card. Then county election officials would be required to be sure these match what they have on file. This would be in addition to the current signature-matching mandates in state law. Local elections officials testified against the bill citing the added time and costs. Gabriella Cazares-Kelly, the Pima County recorder, said that last year her office verified 459,791 early ballots. That required two shifts, each 12 to 14 hours a day, with employees paid about $14 an hour. Working with the language of SB 1713, Cazares-Kelly said it would take an additional 2,500 hours of staff time, meaning more than $35,000 additional cost. “And that’s only if everyone is using a driver’s license number on their affidavit and shows consistent information,” she said. “The additional verifications are unnecessary and don’t add any meaningful security measures to a process that’s already proven secure.”

The House Committee on Government and Elections also approved SB1010 under party-line vote. Under the bill anyone with enough money to buy a recount of any — and all — elections, and at any level they wanted, right up through the entire state. Under SB 1010 they could demand not just a regular recount, which is done by running the ballots again through tabulation equipment, but even a hand count as long as they could afford the cost — no one had any figures — and the request was made within five days after the formal certification of the results and could afford the cost.

Arkansas: Senate Bill 485, introduced by Sen. Kim Hammer (R-Benton) would reduce voting hours on Saturdays and close voting centers and polling places in Arkansas on Mondays before Election Day. Hammer says his measure will allow county election commissions to better prepare for Election Day, as well as check for any voting irregularities. Arkansas voting rights advocates claim such a law will make it harder to early vote.  

 

Florida: Some lawmakers have abandoned one of the most criticized elements of their proposed changes in voting laws, which make it harder for people to vote by mail in future elections. They have backed off the move to throw out all requests for mail ballots made for the 2020 presidential election, which, under previous law, meant that mail-in ballots would automatically be provided through the 2022 mid-terms. Throwing out all the ballot requests — retroactively — would disproportionately hurt Democrats next year, when both Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio will be seeking re-election. The Florida House elections committee approved legislation Monday to change many vote-by-mail rules. The proposal would shorten the length of time voters’ requests to receive mail ballots remain in effect. But first it was amended so that it wouldn’t apply retroactively and cancel previous requests. The legislation would require elections officials to use the last signature they have on file for a voter to match a mail ballot instead of comparing several signatures. People who return their mail ballots to drop boxes at supervisors of elections offices or at early voting sites would have to show identification proving they live at the address of the voter whose ballot they’re returning. If it’s not the same address, they’d have to sign a declaration at the drop box that they’re a relative of the voter whose ballot they’re returning. Only relatives could return someone else’s vote-by-mail ballot. More access would be granted to people representing candidates and political parties wishing to scrutinize signature matching and duplication of ballots that need to be corrected if they are damaged or not filled out according to the instructions.

Georgia: The Senate Ethics Committee voted along party lines to advance House Bill 531, which could soon receive a vote in the full Senate. The bill would also limit ballot drop boxes, an innovation in the 2020 election cycle that allowed voters to deliver their absentee ballots rather than have to rely on the U.S. Postal Service to return them by election day. Drop boxes would only be allowed inside advance polling places during the hours that they’re opening. In addition, the bill would expand early voting by requiring polling on two Saturdays during the three-week early voting period. Legislators also voted to allow county election offices to have the option of opening for early voting on two Sundays, a decision that came after protests over reducing voting opportunities especially for Black voters who go to the polls after church. The legislation also would create a hotline to report voting allegations to the attorney general’s office, allow the State Election Board to take over county election boards it deems problematic, and require disclaimers on absentee ballot application forms mailed by nonprofit groups.

A House committee passed a different election overhaul bill on Monday, and lawmakers will have to negotiate final versions of bills before this year’s legislative session ends March 31. The House version, Senate Bill 202, also would set a deadline to request absentee ballots 11 days before election day, disqualify provisional ballots cast in the wrong precinct, ban free food given to voters waiting in line, and require runoffs four weeks after election day instead of nine weeks.

Legislators have voted down a Gwinnett County bill that would have remade the county’s election board. Now, Democrats and Republicans alike appoint two members while a fifth, nonpartisan member is selected by the other members. The proposal to reconstitute the board would require the executive committees of both the Republican and Democratic parties to submit three names to the county commission within 30 days of there being an opening on the board. Commissioners would appoint two people from each list. If no lists are submitted, commissioners could appoint whoever they wanted. A fifth member of the board would be appointed by the commission without regard to party.

Decisions about Georgia elections, such as vote counting and polling place closures, could be made by appointees of Republican state officials empowered to take over local election operations, according to a bill awaiting final votes. Under the proposal, the Republican-controlled State Election Board would be able to replace struggling county election boards and install new management, with broad authority over elections and results. Critics of the proposal say it would usurp authority from county election boards, often run by volunteers appointed by each political party or county commissions. The bill calls for one person appointed by the state to oversee a county’s election operations. Supporters of the measure say some county election offices, such as Fulton’s, need help after 2020 elections stained by long lines in the primary and suspicions about ballot security. They say the state government should step in when local governments fail. The county election board takeover proposals are included within broad election overhaul measures, Senate Bill 202 and House Bill 531, which are scheduled for votes in each chamber starting Thursday. The legislation would also require voter ID for absentee ballots, expand weekend voting in general elections and limit ballot drop boxes. Both bills would allow the State Election Board to seek the removal of county election boards for poor performance. The measure that cleared the House goes further. It would remove the secretary of state as the chairperson of the State Election Board and replace him with an appointee of the General Assembly. That would give a majority of the board to the General Assembly, which already appoints two of its members.

Illinois: House Bill 1872, sponsored by Rep. La Shawn Ford, D-Chicago would repeal an existing law that prohibits prison inmates from voting is working its way through the General Assembly and was the subject of an informational hearing in the House Ethics and Elections Committee this week. Under current law, no person who has been convicted of a crime in Illinois, any other state, or in a federal court who is serving a term of confinement in any penal institution is allowed to vote. That includes inmates who are on furlough or in a work-release program, but it does not include people who’ve been released on parole or people being held in pretrial detention. Their right to vote is only restored once they have been released or paroled from prison. Simply repealing that law, however, would not, by itself, restore the right to vote for inmates because Article 3, Section 2 of the Illinois Constitution also prohibits prison inmates from voting. Per the constitution, “A person convicted of a felony, or otherwise under sentence in a correctional institution or jail, shall lose the right to vote, which right shall be restored not later than upon completion of his sentence.”

Indiana: The House Elections and Apportionment Committee was scheduled to meet Tuesday to discuss an election bill that would require voters to add identification information on absentee ballot applications and prohibits shifting election dates, but the hearing was canceled Monday afternoon. A spokeswoman said the hearing was canceled because of “scheduling conflicts,” but that the bill will be heard at a future committee hearing. But, area Democratic officials say the bill is voter suppression, while area Republican officials say the bill limits the potential for fraud. The bill — authored by Sens. Erin Houchin, R-Salem; Eric Koch, R-Bedford; and Jon Ford, R-Terre Haute; requires voters to write in — instead of election workers preprinting the number — their driver’s license or last four numbers of their Social Security number on the application for an absentee ballot that is on record with their county election offices. The bill also prohibits the Indiana Election Commission from “instituting, increasing or expanding” vote-by-mail or absentee vote-by-mail and changing the time, place or manner of holding an election.

HB 1365, would prohibit voting machines in the state from being connected to the Internet – a hot topic following the Nov. 3 presidential election, when cybersecurity experts testified at hearings in several states that voting machines were connected to the Internet on Election Day even though election officials believed they were not.

HB 1485, would make it a crime for someone to refuse to leave a polling place after they’ve been asked to leave by an election officer or by police for causing a disruption, and would also allow a document issued by a Native American tribe to be considered valid ID for the purposes of voting.

Iowa: The Iowa House passed a proposed amendment to the Iowa Constitution to restore voting rights to people with felony convictions who have served their sentences, leaving the amendment to an uncertain fate in the Iowa Senate. The House voted 94-0 Wednesday night to pass House Joint Resolution 11, advancing a priority that Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds has called for since 2019. The House overwhelmingly passed the proposed amendment before, in 2019. But the Senate, which like the House is controlled by Republicans, failed to act on the measure in 2019 and 2020. It’s unclear whether the Senate will act this year. Proposals to amend the Iowa Constitution must pass two consecutive general assemblies and win majority approval in a statewide vote. If passed this year, the Legislature would have to pass the same language in 2023 or 2024 before it could be put before Iowans for a vote.

The House on Wednesday also passed a separate bill, House File 818, that would impose similar restrictions on who is eligible to have their voting rights automatically restored if the constitutional amendment were to take effect. That bill passed on a vote of 65-28. The House bill would also require all restitution be paid to any crime victims before the person’s voting rights could be restored — a provision that Democrats said amounted to a poll tax.

Kansas: A bill that would limit the powers of the governor and Secretary of State during elections is moving through the Kansas statehouse. Lawmakers in the state’s Senate Federal and State Affairs committee held a hearing on the bill Wednesday morning. The bill would prohibit the governor, the executive branch and the judicial branch from altering election laws. It would also limit the authority of the Secretary of State from entering into consent decrees with any court without approval from the state’s legislative coordinating council. Supporters of the measure said it’s a necessary step to make elections safer for Kansas. However, some opponents of the bill said while it’s important to maintain election integrity, it’s not the legislature’s place to impose restrictions on other branches of government, seeing it as another attempt to place limits on the governor.

Maryland:  House Bill 1047, introduced by Del. Jheanelle K. Wilkins (D-Montgomery) has been touted by Democratic lawmakers and advocates as a way to improve voter confidence in mail-in voting while also expanding access to popular ballot drop-off boxes. In addition to expanding drop-off boxes and ballot tracking, the bill would also allow voters to “cure” absentee ballots that contain errors.

House Bill 222 would expand access to the ballot to Maryland’s prison population by requiring correctional facilities to give people voter registration forms upon their release and provide ballot drop boxes inside facilities for inmates to submit their votes. Under state law, incarcerated individuals maintain the ability to vote if they are serving time for a misdemeanor or are being held pre-trial. People convicted of felony crimes regain their ability to vote once their sentence has been completed. Anyone convicted of buying or selling votes permanently loses their registration eligibility. The bill would also require the state and local boards of elections to provide voter registration forms to incarcerated individuals at least 30 days before the registration window closes, and educate inmates about their voting eligibility and absentee ballots.

Michigan: Republican Senators introduced 39 elections-related bills this week. Among the proposed changes contained in the 39 bills: 

• Require drop boxes for absentee ballots to be approved by the secretary of state and the county board of canvassers.
• Require the removal of absentee ballot drop boxes used in the November general election that aren’t approved. Implement new requirements for monitoring such boxes. (SB 273)
• Allow those between the ages of 16 and 17½  to pre-register to vote if they meet certain conditions. (SB 274) 
• Allow individuals from each political party to observe and record election audits carried out at precincts and allow clerks to provide live video coverage of counting boards tasked with processing and counting absentee ballots. (SB 275)
• Authorize election inspectors, challengers and poll watchers to photograph and film the tabulation of votes. (SB 276)
• Allow county clerks to flag deceased voters in the qualified voter file — which houses each voter’s information and is widely used for many election needs — and require them to notify local clerks of any people who have died in the county every two weeks and then every week the 45 days before an election. (SB 277)
• Require those collecting absentee ballots from drop boxes to carry ballots in approved containers and require clerks to document each time ballots are collected. (SB 278)
• Modify the number of election challengers allowed to observe absent voter counting boards based on the number of absentee ballots assigned to the board. (SB 279)
• Require the board of state canvassers to complete the canvass of an initiative petition within 100 days after the petition is filed. (SB 280)
• Require the secretary of state to collect information from multistate programs and partnerships the secretary of state is participating in to verify voters’ addresses and registration status. Require the secretary of state to post on the department of state’s website the number of voters who moved out of state, the number of voters who changed addresses, duplicate voter registration records, voters who died and the results of investigations concerning improper votes among other information.(SB 281) 
• Limit who can access the qualified voter file. (SB 282)
• Change the deadline for county board of canvassers to examine ballot containers. Allow clerks in large jurisdictions to begin processing but not counting absentee ballots the day before the election. (SB 283)
• Require the secretary of state to provide a report to the Legislature detailing any contracts entered into for an election-related activity or service. Prohibit the state, counties, cities and townships from accepting contributions from individuals and entities to be used for election-related activities or election equipment. (SB 284)
• Require those requesting an absentee ballot to present identification to their local clerk or attach a copy of their ID to their application. Require clerks to issue a provisional absentee ballot to those who fail to show ID. (SB 285)
• Prohibit voters from using a drop box after 5 p.m. the day before Election Day. (SB 286)
• Prohibit clerks from providing prepaid postage for absentee ballot return envelopes and prohibit the secretary of state from providing funding for prepaid postage. (SB 287)
• Require statewide election audits conducted in a precinct to be carried out by members of the two major political parties and allow political parties to designate observers to monitor the audit and require the secretary of state to provide live video streaming of an audit. (SB 288)
• Require federal funds for election-related purposes to only be spent upon appropriation in a budget act and require any funds that aren’t appropriated within a budget act within 90 days to be returned to the federal government. (SB 289)
• Require election challengers to wear an identification badge. (SB 290)
• Amend the criminal code to expand election-related felonies. (SB 291)
• Require the secretary of state to establish training for election challengers. Require challengers to be associated with a political party, as opposed to groups advocating for a ballot proposition, and mandate they take training at least once every three years. Parties would need to offer this training at least three days before an election. (SB 292)
• Repeal a portion of criminal law related to election challengers appointed by entities that are not political parties. SB 292 bill would only allow political parties to provide challengers. (SB 293)
• Require the local board of election commissioners to strive to appoint the same number of Democratic and Republican election inspectors for every election precinct. This can be a challenge in areas that have substantially more Republican or Democratic voters — chiefly Detroit. If the board cannot appoint an essentially equal number of inspectors based on the party, the local clerk would need to send a report to the state within 10 days of the election explaining what was done to search for inspectors. (SB 294)
• Require hourly checks by precinct officials to ensure that during the ballot counting process, the number of ballots issued at a precinct matches the number of ballots tabulated at a precinct. While this law is intended to prevent out-of-balance precincts, it seemingly doesn’t account for someone receiving an absentee ballot but not ultimately casting it. (SB 295)
• Abolish every existing board of canvassers in a county with at least 200,000 starting in 2022. In a county with 200,000 to 750,000 people, it would require six-member boards. In larger counties, it would require eight-member boards. While boards now generally consist of four people, keeping boards at an even number would still allow for the chance that certification votes end in a tie. (SB 296)
• Require at least one Republican and Democrat be present at all times during an election canvass. Require board approval for the clerk to hire any associate who would help with the canvass. (SB 297)
• Extend the amount of time for an election canvass to be certified from 14 days after an election to 21 days. (SB 298)
• Require election inspectors to deliver the statement of election returns and a vote tally sheet in a sealed envelope to the local clerk by noon the day after the election. (SB 299)
• Require holding on-site early voting from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the second Saturday before any election. Clerks would need to post where and when early voting sites would be open. It would be a felony to reveal results from an early voting period until after polls closed on Election Day. (SB 300)
• Create criminal violations for tampering with ballots cast early or with revealing the results from early voting. (SB 301)
• Require voter registration applications include a provision where applicants attest that they do not claim voting residence or have the right to vote in another state. It’s unclear whether this would entail whether a person is registered to vote in another state, even if that person moved away from that state to Michigan. (SB 302)
• Ramp up the state’s voter identification requirements. Right now, voters who do not have photo identification can sign an affidavit attesting to their identity. This bill would instead mandate that they be issued provisional ballots, subject to a separate process of counting and verification. (SB 303)
• Outline how voters who want their provisional ballots to count would verify their identity. The bill would require these voters to prove their identity within six days of the election — if they present a government-issued ID that does not include an address, voters would also need to present a document such as a utility bill or bank statement verifying their address. (SB 304)
• Ban elected officials from including their names on publicly funded materials that have anything to do with elections. Officials could post the names of offices and contact information, but not the name of the election official. In theory, this would prohibit the secretary of state or county clerks from using taxpayer dollars to campaign while spreading election information. In practice, the measure would likely make it a misdemeanor for an elected official to post a news release with a quote on social media. (SB 305)
• Require the secretary of state to submit a report to the Legislature and publicly post within 45 days of an election the names of all local clerks who have not conducted required training. (SB 306)
• Require the full text of a ballot proposal be included on absentee ballots and ballots cast in person. (SB 307)
• Mandate the secretary of state create a signature verification process and that local clerks be trained on that process. This comes in response to misinformation about signatures on absentee ballot applications and absentee ballots. (SB 308)
• Outline rules and regulations for poll watchers and poll challengers. It explains the duties of both positions, where they are allowed to stand on Election Day, what they are allowed to challenge and how to resolve disputes. Republicans argued challengers and watchers at TCF Center in Detroit were prevented from monitoring election workers last fall, but the city and Democrats argued these challengers did not understand their roles and ignored COVID-19 social distancing guidelines. (SB 309)
• Prohibit the secretary of state from either mailing absentee ballot applications or posting these applications on a website. The secretary could only mail an application to someone who requested that application. It was not immediately clear whether any other entity — such as local clerks or political parties — would be banned from mailing out unsolicited applications. Republicans routinely argue mailing out applications to voters who did not request them may increase the chances of voter fraud. Voter fraud is exceptionally rare, and there is no evidence that mass mailings of applications drastically increases fraud. (SB 310)
• Allow active duty service members who are deployed at the time of an election to cast a ballot electronically, as long as signature verification measures are created and used. (SB 311)

The House Elections and Ethics Committee is considering making changes to Michigan election laws that would include condensing the May and August elections.  The change to the election dates would eliminate low turnout May elections and move up the August primary to a June election date. The earlier primary would give clerks more time to prepare for the November general election.  The legislation condensing the state’s election dates is also expected to save cities and townships the money that would usually be spent on the extra May and August elections. In 2017, the state estimated an average election cost between $2,000 and $2,700 per precinct, saving cities like Detroit about $1 million in a three-election year. 

Under a separate bill, county clerks, who are among some of the first to receive notice of a county death, would be tasked with removing those individuals from the voting rolls. Currently, with some exceptions, county clerks transmit the list of deceased individuals to local clerks, who are responsible for removing dead individuals.

Another bill would require the Secretary of State and county clerks to develop and administer training for election challengers, a suggestion that was made last year after election officials said GOP poll challengers at the TCF Center failed to understand the absentee ballot counting process when they made claims of fraudulent vote counts. The county clerks would administer the training to party and organization leaders, which would then be required to convey that training to challengers and issue a certificate of completion. The bill also increases training for election inspectors.

Montana: The Yellowstone State was an early adopter of election day registration, but that could soon be over after a bill advanced by Senate Republicans was approved this week. House Bill 176, if signed by Gov. Greg Gianforte (R) would end voter registration at noon on the day before Election Day. Supporters say the bill is needed because same-day registration causes undue burden for election administrators. Opponents say the bill will make it harder for some, like Native Americans and those who are disabled, to vote. The bill advanced on a party line vote. The House State Administration Committee originally tabled the bill. But Republicans revived the proposal after it was amended to move the voter registration deadline closer to Election Day. Republican Secretary of State Christie Jacobsen said the legislation is a top priority for her office.

A Montana House committee unanimously endorsed a bill aimed at making it easier for Native Americans to vote. The bill would require counties to have at least one satellite or alternative election office on reservations in the 30 days before an election and for the counties and tribes to agree, in writing, on the location and hours of operation. The bill puts into law the terms of a 2014 settlement in a voting rights lawsuit that required three counties to open satellite voting offices on reservations twice a week before Election Day. It also puts into law guidance issued by the Secretary of State’s Office directing other counties with tribal voters to comply with the settlement.

The House has voted to endorse new voter identification restrictions after amending legislation to require college students to provide a second form of identification in addition to their school ID. A week after the House State Administration Committee voted unanimously to keep Montana college IDs on the state’s the list of “primary” identification for registering and voting, House Speaker Wylie Galt, R-Martinsdale, introduced an amendment reversing the change to Senate Bill 169. The amendment passed 55-45. The bill is part of a package of legislation being pushed by Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen. As written, the bill would require an official document showing the voter’s name and current address, if they can’t provide a primary ID. Primary ID options include a Montana driver’s license or ID card, tribal photo ID, military ID, concealed carry permit, a driver’s license number or the last four digits of a Social Security number.

New Hampshire: The state Senate Republican majority rejected a Democratic effort to make no-excuse absentee voting and registration permanent in the Granite State despite the successful temporary relaxation of requirements last year to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Senate Bill 47 was defeated 14-10

 

 

New Jersey: The Assembly State and Local Government Committee advanced bills allowing county election boards to decide the placement of ballot drop boxes. The bill allows county election boards to decide the placement of ballot drop boxes by a simple majority vote. In the case of a tie, the county clerk casts the deciding vote. Under the bill, each county must erect at least 10 ballot drop boxes, with at least one box in each municipality with average per capita or median family incomes at or below 250% of the federal poverty line. The bill is a bid to prevent drop box clusters seen in some towns in last year’s elections. The rules used for those races required drop boxes be placed at specific sites, including county and municipal government buildings, community colleges and state universities. The Assembly State and Local Government Committee cleared that measure in a 4-2 vote along party lines. The Senate passed the measure in a 25-13 vote in February, but will have to do so again, as Assembly lawmakers amended it

The Assembly State and Local Government Committee voted 4-2 along party lines on a measure that would ban on- and off-duty police officers from loitering within 100 ft. of a drop box. That prohibition does not prevent officers from voting, nor does it prevent officers from remaining in their homes if those fall within the 100-foot limit. It also blocks municipalities from assigning police to enforce election laws unless they’re specifically requested by an election board, superintendent of elections or county clerk. The bill would still allow local and county police authorities to assist in the transport of ballots.

The Assembly Education Committee on Wednesday advanced legislation (A-3394) to require all New Jersey students in an appropriate middle school grade to complete a civics course beginning in the 2022-2023 school year. The course would address the values and principles of the American system of constitutional democracy, the function and limitations of government, and the role of a citizen in a democratic society. The New Jersey Center for Civic Education at Rutgers University would provide curricula, professional development and technical assistance for middle and high school civics education. The bill would be known as “Laura Wooten’s Law” in recognition of Mercer County’s longest-serving poll worker, who volunteered a record 79 continuous years before she passed away in 2019. Her voting rights advocacy inspired a coalition of college and high school students to launch the Poll Hero Project, an initiative to recruit young people to serve as poll workers.

A new bill introduced by Assemblyman Gerard Scharfenberger (R-Middletown) would require New Jersey’s State Department create a database of election violations, including civil rights breaches and fraud. The measure would require state officials create an incident reporting and complaint database to track abuses, including voting-related civil rights violations and fraud. It requires the incidents include information about the location and date of the incident, as well as a description and a list of actions taken by authorities in response to the complaint. It would also command election officials to forward complaints to the state Attorney General and the U.S. Attorney. Under the bill, the State Department must submit a report detailing incidents to the governor and the legislature.

North Carolina: Republican Sens. Warren Daniel, Ralph Hise and Paul Newton filed Senate Bill 326, the Election Integrity Act. The bill would prevent the collection of any absentee ballots after 5 p.m. Election Day or the date of the primary regardless of when the voter mailed the ballot. If the Election Integrity Act becomes law, elections boards in the state’s 100 counties will have a series of new rules to follow when handling absentee ballots. “The goal of the bill is to bring clarity, simplicity and a clear set of rules to ensure everybody’s on the same footing,” Newton said in an interview, “and the overarching goal is to really restore trust, restore confidence in the election process.” The bill mandates that voters eligible to cast absentee ballots must complete a request form by 5 p.m. the Tuesday two weeks before the election. As soon as the county board receives that application staff must mail to the voter the official ballot, a return envelope for the ballot, and instructions regarding the requirement for a photocopy of the voter’s identification.

North Dakota: The Senate on this wee reconsidered and narrowly defeated a bill to guarantee physical election polling locations. Sen. Diane Larson, R-Bismarck, who was absent from the Senate when the bill passed 25-20, asked the body to reconsider House Bill 1198, brought by Rep. Steve Vetter, R-Grand Forks. “This bill did seem to me to go too far in completely restricting the ability of the governor to react so that we do have the ability to vote” in elections, said Larson, who voted against the bill. It fell 23-24 on Monday, one vote shy of staying alive. The legislation would have prohibited the governor from issuing an executive order suspending or amending provisions in laws, orders or state agency rules related to the required minimum of physical polling places. The House last month passed the bill 77-17. Gov. Doug Burgum last year signed an executive order waiving the requirement that counties provide at least one physical polling site for the June 2020 election, due to the coronavirus pandemic. His spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday on whether Burgum would have vetoed the bill.

Ohio: State Reps. Bride Rose Sweeney, D-Cleveland, and Michele Lepore-Hagan, D-Youngstown want to increase voter drop box access throughout the state of Ohio, proposing to install hundreds of boxes for future elections. House Bill 209 would significantly increase the number of drop boxes installed in Ohio. It would require that each incorporated community, township, census-designated place and college/university campus have a drop box.  HB 209 separately sets a minimum number of drop boxes in a given county based on its number of registered voters: Counties with more than 250,000 registered voters would need at least one drop box per every 12,500 voters; Counties with between 37,500 and 249,999 registered voters would need at least one drop box per every 15,000 voters; and Counties with fewer than 37,500 voters would need at least two total drop boxes.

Texas: Using an obscure provision in the Texas Senate rulebook, Democratic senators blocked consideration of five Republican voting bills at a Capitol committee hearing this week. The Democrats delayed action by “tagging” the bills, saying they were not provided with written notice of Monday’s public hearing at the State Affairs Committee within 48 hours. State Affairs Chairman Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, announced the delay at the start of Monday’s hearing, vowing to return as soon as possible. According to the Austin American-Statesman, much of the ire is focused on Senate Bill 7 and a similar measure up for a House hearing on Thursday, House Bill 6, which would require voters with a disability to prove a health impairment before voting by mail, block vote-by-mail applications from being sent unsolicited to voters and require counties to provide the same number of voting machines in each polling place regardless of population density, among other changes.

Virginia: Gov. Ralph Northam (D) has recently signed three elections-related bills into law: House Bill 1968, allows localities to provide early-voting on Sundays;  Senate Bill 1097, waives the requirement for witness signatures on absentee ballots in public health emergencies; and Senate Bill 1239, which allows registrars to work with third-party companies to ensure absentee ballots are printed on time.

 

 

Wisconsin: The Wisconsin Assembly passed a resolution this week to authorize an investigation into the 2020 presidential election that President Joe Biden narrowly won in the state.  The resolution, opposed by Democrats, is needed to give the committee authorization if it decides to issue subpoenas to compel testimony and gather documents, said Rep. Joe Sanfelippo. He is vice-chairman of the Assembly elections and campaign committee that would conduct the probe. The resolution authorizing the investigation passed on a 58-35 party line vote, with all Republicans in support and all Democrats against. It passed after Republicans last month ordered an audit of the election results. Sanfelippo said at a news conference Tuesday that he hoped the committee would not need to subpoena anyone to testify, a power that hasn’t been used by a legislative committee in at least half a century. He said it was in everyone’s best interests to be open and forthcoming.

Wyoming:  The Wyoming Senate unanimously passed Senate File 142 on third reading on Monday, March 22. The legislation aims to prohibit the state or local governments from accepting private funds to help cover costs of getting voters registered or to help pay for “preparing for, conducting or overseeing an election.” The Senate amended the legislation ahead of their third reading vote to allow the secretary of state’s office to use donated private funds “for the explicit purpose of election training or education” and to allow meals and food to be donated to support election training or for poll workers or other staff on election day.

Senate File 145 failed on the third and final reading in the Senate in a narrow 14-15 vote, with one lawmaker excused. Senate File 145 sought to require a runoff election after a primary election if no single candidate captured the majority of votes. A candidate would need to receive over half of the votes to be considered the winner of a primary election. In packed primary races, if no candidate obtained enough votes, a runoff election would occur, with the two leading candidates facing off against one another.

Legal Updates

Federal Lawsuits: Sidney Powell asked a federal court in Washington this week to throw out the $1.3 billion defamation lawsuit that Dominion Voting Systems filed against her for spreading a baseless conspiracy that the voting machine company helped to “steal” the election from former President Donald Trump.  Powell doesn’t argue that her statements were true. Rather, her lawyers say that the 65-year-old Trump ally made statements of political opinion, protected under the First Amendment.  “No reasonable person” would believe that her comments were “statements of fact,” Powell’s lawyers wrote in their motion to throw out the case.  “Reasonable people understand that the ‘language of the political arena, like the language used in labor disputes … is often vituperative, abusive and inexact,’” the motion argues. “It is likewise a ‘well recognized principle that political statements are inherently prone to exaggeration and hyperbole.’” The 54-page motion to dismiss says Powell was just informing the public of her opinions and legal theories, and those who were interested were free to “review that evidence and reach their own conclusions” or wait for courts to resolve the matter “before making up their minds.” Her lawyers also argued that the District Court in D.C. lacks jurisdiction, and if the court won’t dismiss the lawsuit, it should transfer the case to Texas, where Powell lives.  

California: The First District Court of Appeals in San Francisco ruled this week that not all state agencies must provide voter registration materials. Disability-rights advocates had sued saying the state is violating a legal duty to register voters in offices serving disabled students and the elderly, who have less access than others to motor-voter sign-ups. While the populations served by those offices are less likely than others to apply for drivers’ licenses, which would entitle them to immediate voter registration, they are not the types of public agencies required by law to have their own registration sites, the First District Court of Appeal in San Francisco said Tuesday. Federal law requires states to establish voter-registration centers in offices that provide either “public assistance” or “state-funded programs primarily engaged in providing services to persons with disabilities.” After advocacy groups said California was not fully complying with the law, then-Secretary of State Alex Padilla agreed in 2018 to set up registration sites in some county welfare departments, the state Office for Services to the Blind, and offices serving disabled students in community colleges. At a judge’s orders, Padilla added more welfare offices and student financial aid centers as registration sites in 2019. But he declined to install registration sites at “special education” offices serving students with disabilities, or at the 33 Area Agencies on Aging, nonprofits commissioned by the state to deliver meals and provide other services to elderly people who need them. The court said neither one was the type of office mandated by federal law to register voters. Advocates have said they will appeal.

Georgia: The Georgia Court of Appeals has ruled that a Fulton County judge has the power to decide whether to enforce subpoenas filed by the state ethics commission seeking documents from Democrat Stacey Abrams’ 2018 gubernatorial campaign. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Jane Barwick said last year that she didn’t have jurisdiction to enforce subpoenas from the commission, which is looking into whether Abrams’ campaign illegally coordinated its efforts with nonprofits supporting her bid for governor. Georgia law prohibits independent groups from coordinating with candidates. Abrams ultimately lost the election to Republican Brian Kemp. A rematch between the two is expected in 2022, and her camp has noted that the ethics commission’s executive secretary, David Emadi, was a Kemp donor in 2018.

Illinois: The Illinois Supreme Court has denied an appeal by six Naperville Township Republican candidates who wanted justices to overturn a lower court’s decision to void any votes they receive in the April 6 election. As a result, only votes cast for Naperville Township Republican Organization candidates will be counted by the DuPage County Clerk’s Office. Because they face no opposition, both will be elected to the posts they seek as will unopposed Democratic candidates. The names of the six invalidated candidates will appear on ballots because they were printed before a final ruling was made. The DuPage County Clerk’s Office will discard any votes they receive as invalid.  While the candidates’ case was granted expedited consideration because the election date is approaching, the high court rejected the request and allowed the Second District Appellate Court’s ruling to stand.

Michigan: Circuit Court Judge Kevin Elsenheimer ruled the plaintiffs in a case alleging election fraud in Antrim County will not have to disclose its possible dealings with former President Donald Trump or his team. “You’re looking for correspondence with any attorney associated with President Donald Trump, campaign staff, etc.,” said 13th Circuit Court Judge Kevin Elsenheimer said to state Assistant Attorney General Erik Grill. “Obviously, you’re trying to establish some coordination and my question to you is: let’s assume hypothetically there was coordination … how is that relevant?” Grill said he wanted to know if coordination is “driving some element of this case and keeping it going long after a point that it really should have stopped.” Officials in several northern Michigan clerks’ offices said they were visited by Trump operatives following the November elections. Lawyers appeared remotely via video feed Monday to discuss discovery issues arising in an unsettled election lawsuit filed in Antrim County. Both sides claim the other is withholding information that’s delaying the case from moving forward. The lawsuit focuses largely on claims that Dominion Voting Systems tabulators and software can’t be trusted.

Mississippi: Primary elections are two weeks away, but Canton voters are still not able to cast their absentee ballots. There has been at least five lawsuits filed in the Canton election battle. A judge ruled the incumbent mayor’s name will be on the ballot, but that’s not the end of the dispute.  Canton residents believe the ongoing legal wrangling that’s stopped absentee ballots from being printed is all about power. Canton resident Tobias Anderson said with no absentee ballots printed, it significantly alters his voting plan. “I always do the absentee ballot and vote here, so, for that to not be an option for me it’s going to make it difficult for me to have a say so,” said Anderson. The initial dispute over ballots was resolved when a judge ruled the mayor and two sitting alderman who were disqualified for not living in the city would be allowed to run for their positions again. Now, there’s a new hold-up for the ballots.

New Hampshire: It has been 10 months since the state appealed a Superior Court judge’s order striking down as unconstitutional the 2017 law tightening voting registration requirements, known as Senate Bill 3. In the past several months, and most recently in late February, attorneys for the state on one side, and the Democratic Party, League of Women Voters and six individual current or former college students on the other side, have traded written briefs in preparation for likely oral arguments, which have not yet been scheduled. In January filings, the plaintiffs have noted that three judges have found Senate Bill 3 to be unconstitutional – including two preliminary rulings and the final Superior Court ruling being appealed in this case – finding that the law imposed severe or unreasonable restrictions on the right to vote. In briefings filed in late February, he state’s attorney’s wrote: “… a plaintiff seeking to invalidate a duly enacted law (like SB 3) on its face is required to show that the law ‘violates the Constitution in all, or virtually all, of its applications’ to succeed. “Showing that certain portions of SB 3 may adversely affect a small subset of same-day registrants during certain high volume elections at certain polling places is insufficient to meet that high bar.” The attorney general’s office acknowledges, “SB3 reduces the number of individuals who may register to vote without providing documentary proof of domicile.”

New York: The U.S. Department of Justice has determined that Oneida County violated voter rights in last year’s election in the 22nd Congressional District, according to a letter to the county from federal authorities. A top Justice Department official notified the county Tuesday that the federal government plans to file a civil lawsuit over violations that disenfranchised voters in the election, according to a copy of the letter reviewed by syracuse.com | The Post-Standard. The two-page notice alleges the Oneida County Board of Elections violated the National Voter Registration Act and the Help America Vote Act, two key federal laws aimed at ensuring free and fair elections. The Justice Department review confirmed what was revealed in the legal battle after the election: Oneida County failed to process at least 2,400 voter registration applications that had been submitted in time for the election through the state Department of Motor Vehicles. An unknown number of those voters who properly registered for the 2020 election at the DMV were not given a chance to vote. The federal review also found Oneida County election officials improperly rejected hundreds of affidavit ballots submitted at polling sites, even though they were cast by eligible voters in the Nov. 3 election, according to the letter.

North Carolina: The Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District announced an end to a sweeping, four-year-long investigation into voter fraud in North Carolina. The investigation resulted in a range of charges related to immigration, registration and election rules against about 70 people — more than 40 of whom were accused of casting ballots illegally. Dates of those charges, which involved activity during the 2016 election and prior, range from July 2018 to mid-February 2021. Many of the latest indictments were announced for the first time last week, but the totals fall far short of early suggestions by the federal government of “pervasive” or “systemic” fraud, suspicions the U.S. Attorney’s Office put before a federal judge in an effort to keep details of its inquiry secret for years. Hundreds of pages of now unsealed court files — which WRAL News, The News & Observer and other media outlets fought in court for more than than a year to obtain — shed light on the contentious relationship State Board of Elections officials had with federal investigators from the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The two sides repeatedly accused each other of either sabotage or incompetence, the court records show. The filings also illustrate a shift in priorities for the then newly installed Trump Department of Justice, which grew increasingly focused on bringing criminal charges for voting irregularities among noncitizens. State officials, who relied on federal citizenship data for voter list maintenance, discovered that what once was a routine process could now spawn wide-ranging criminal investigations.

Ohio: The Ohio Secretary of State’s Office has requested a protective order to prevent Secretary Frank LaRose and Elections Director Amanda Grandjean from being deposed by lawyers for the Summit County Republican Party’s Executive Committee. The state sought a protection order in response to deposition notices sent by Attorney Stephen Funk, who is representing the Summit GOP’s Executive Committee in the suit filed Friday challenging LaRose’s rejection of Bryan Williams’ reappointment to the Summit County Board of Elections. Williams has claimed that LaRose – a Summit County native – developed a political animosity toward him after he sponsored a fundraiser in 2018 for a potential Republican opponent in LaRose’s race for secretary of state. The party is asking the court to order that Williams serve a four-year term at the election board through Feb. 28, 2025. Williams has been a member of the board since March 2014, and from 2004 to 2010, he was director or deputy director. The court announced this week that it will require LaRose and Grandjean to be deposed, but imposted a time limit on it.  The court partially rejected the state’s request for a protection order to prevent the depositions and partially granted it by ordering that LaRose’s deposition last up to two hours and Grandjean’s up to one hour. Attorneys for the state may also have an additional 30 minutes and 15 minutes, respectively, for “examination if needed.”

Opinions This Week

National Opinions: HR1, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII | Voting rights, II, III | Election reform | Voter suppression | DOJ nominee | Democracy | Voting Rights Act | Election integrity | Sidney Powell, II | Voting security | Jim Crow

Alaska: Election legislation

Arizona: Recount | Election fraud | Voting system | Audit

California: Trust in process

Colorado: Election reform

Connecticut: Election reform

Florida: Manatee County | Voting rights | Drop boxes | Election fraud | Election legislation, II  

Georgia: Election process, II | Election legislation, II, III, IV, V | Voting wars | Voting rights

Hawaii: Automatic voter registration

Idaho: Accessibility

Iowa: Contested election | Election legislation | Early voting

Louisiana: Voting equipment

Maine: Online voter registration

Michigan: Voting rights, II

Minnesota: Voting rights

Missouri: Election legislation

New Hampshire: Election laws

New Mexico: Election legislation

North Carolina: 2020 election

Ohio: Voting system

Tennessee: Assault on democracy | Voting rights | Easy voting

Texas: Election legislation | Disinformation

Virginia: Voting rights

Washington: Ranked choice voting | Ex-felon voting rights

Wyoming HR 1

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 Elections Manager, Alexandria, Virginia —  The City of Alexandria is looking for an Assistant Elections Manager to support election operations and election officer staffing within the City. The Assistant Elections Manager’s primary responsibility is to manage elections officer recruitment, placement and training, and help coordinate election day preparation Responsibilities also include assisting with the management of voting equipment, polling place activities, and the daily operations of absentee voting. The work is performed under the general direction of the Elections Manager. Manages the staffing of election officers, including verifying their eligibility to serve, ensuring that all have signed oaths, arranging training, maintaining records and scheduling election officer assignments; Maintains communications with election officers regarding department-wide information, including writing content for and distributing the election officer newsletter;  Helps coordinate polling place activities, ensuring that all appropriate signage is posted, that each location has appropriate supplies and parking, and that all locations are accessible and appropriately staffed; Assists with the preparation of voting equipment prior to each election which includes programming equipment, testing equipment, ensuring the secure storage of equipment, and delivering equipment to/from polling places; Assists with the daily operations of absentee ballot processing, including verifying voter eligibility and assisting voters in casting absentee ballots; and Performs other duties as required. Salary: $46,758.92 – $76,858.11 Annually. Deadline: April 6.  Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Assistant IT Chief, Dallas County, Texas— Manages, oversees and performs technical and administrative work of information technology for the Elections Office. Provides technology vision and leadership in the development and implementation of the elections technology program while assisting the Elections Administrator in strategic, tactical and elections related compliance. Oversees the design, implementation and evaluation of systems to support end users in productive use of computer hardware and software; collaborates with the County’s Information Security Officer, IT operations, IT applications to ensure best-in-class recording and elections security, infrastructure and client services. Directs and oversees IT projects and systems to ensure security, quality control and efficiency; facilitates the development of each project to meet customer needs. Plans and implements enterprise information systems to support elections operations. Manages and directs IT personnel to establish workload priorities; coordinates projects and reporting of activities while maintaining workflow estimates. Facilitates communication between staff, management, vendors, and other technology resources within the organization and with outside stakeholders. Provides project management oversight for key initiatives and division-level responsibilities. Manages the division budget expenditures and related administrative tasks. Plans, directs, and monitors the development, installation and maintenance of computer programs and associated computer operations necessary to achieve functional departmental systems. Develops the design specifications of computer systems, programs and operating systems, with the following core competencies: Security Analysis, Design, Business Process Improvement, Data, Modeling, Development, Planning, Implementation, Test Script Development, Monitoring/Controls, Troubleshooting/Problem Solving, Documentation and Service Motivation. Collaborates with the Information Security Officer, IT Operations, IT Applications and PMO to ensure best-in-class procedures and security standards for the security of all elections information and established IT programs. Directs and/or assists in the resolution of highly complex or unusual business problems that cross various IT disciplines and agency boundaries. Develops and establishes department standards and procedures, including application development, quality assurance, incident management, documentation and project management. Evaluates, plans, reviews, and recommends long-range enhancements for computer hardware, software and data communications equipment. Performs other duties as assigned. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Bilingual Coordinator/Clerk, York County, Pennsylvania— Assist in the voter registration and election process. Coordinates all bilingual activities of the Election/Voter Registration Office. Assemble and pack supplies for local election boards. Answer telephone. Assist in the voter registration and election process including scanning signatures. Assist at the front counter. File as required. Assist Spanish-speaking voters, candidates and other members of the public through interpretation and service. Coordinate all bilingual activities of the Election/Voter Registration Office. Speak before various community groups concerning the election/voter registration process. Other reasonable duties as assigned by Supervisor. Salary: $11.50/hr. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

CEO, Verified Voting — Verified Voting is seeking its next CEO for its 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) entities. In the course of completing its strategic plan, Validating 2020, Verified Voting has significantly expanded its team and programmatic capacity to address the urgent need for greater accuracy, security, and verifiability in elections. The organization is now looking for a dynamic and experienced executive to lead the Board and staff through its next strategic planning, implementation and evaluation process as it continues to fulfill its mission. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the CEO will manage a team of seventeen. Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Organizational Strategy and Vision; Fundraising and Resource Development; Financial Management and Operations; Outreach and Communication; Human Resources / Staff Management; and Board Relations. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Certification Program Manager, Hart InterCivic— The Certification Program Manager performs high level management of multiple state and federal certification activities. The Certification Program Manager assists with developing the state certification roadmap in conjunction with internal stakeholders, communicates the roadmap to other departments, and provides direction for Certification Project Managers for individual certification campaigns. Additionally, the Certification Program Manager is responsible for ensuring that equipment inventory is appropriately utilized and tracked. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Deputy Director, Lake County, Ohio— The Lake County Board of Elections (Painesville, Ohio) is accepting applications for the position of Deputy Director of the Board of Elections. Situated in Northeast Ohio along Lake Erie, Lake County boasts a strong local economy with diverse dining, entertainment and housing options. Lake County ranks 12th in the State of Ohio in voter registration population with approximately 163,000 registered voters, 56 polling locations and 163 precincts. The Board plans to implement a new voting system in 2021, which is one of the many exciting projects the new Deputy Director will assist with upon appointment. The Board’s 7 full-time employees and numerous seasonal employees offer decades of combined election experience and are committed to administering free and fair elections. The successful applicant will be affiliated with the Republican Party and will reside and register to vote in Lake County within 30 days of being appointed. Additional minimum qualifications include the following: a high school diploma or have attained the equivalency of a high school diploma (GED). College level education is desired. Baseline understanding of the rules, processes, procedures, and equipment used in local election administration, including: Operating voting machines and other automated office equipment; managing a successful and efficient database; using, understanding and applying election law terminology; understanding the basics of Ohio’s “sunshine laws” governing open meetings and public records; and, receiving and implementing assignments and instructions from board members and the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office. Managerial requirements, as demonstrated by previous work experience, include the following: Effective written and interpersonal communication abilities; strong organizational skills and attention to detail; familiarity with relevant state and federal human resources policies and practices; familiarity with the handling of budgets and public appropriation of funds; ability to perform duties as assigned by the law, the board of elections, and/or the Secretary of State; ability to convey or exchange information, including giving and managing assignments or direction to board personnel; ability to adapt and to perform in a professional manner under stressful or emergency situations; ability to comprehend a variety of informational documents; and, ability to conduct self at all times in a professional and courteous manner. Ideal candidates will have previous employment at a Board of Elections or similar elections office and experience with programming elections using hardware and software provided by Election Systems and Software (ES&S) as well as Triad Government Services voter registration software. Starting salary is negotiable and recruitment is open until the position is filled. The successful applicant must consent to and pass a statewide criminal background check. Application: Qualified applicants must send cover letter and resume to Lake@Ohiosos.gov or mail hardcopy of the same to: Attention: Board Members; Lake County Board of Elections; 105 Main St. Ste. 107, Painesville, OH 44077

Deputy Elections Administrator, Dallas County, Texas— Assists with the direction and oversight of absentee mail voting, early voting, and election day voting for 1.1 million registered voters; ensures the voter registration rolls are accurate and complete; and assists in the oversight of the campaign finance files for candidates and office holders. Coordinates with the County IT Department in managing the department’s purchased software solutions and developing internal software solutions; coordinates employee usage of software. Negotiates, drafts, finalizes and manages comprehensive election contracts with the Elections Administrator; ensures compliance of contracts for thirty (30) contracted elections per year; and presents briefings and orders for Commissioners Court, the Election Board and the Citizen Election Advisory Committee. Assists the Elections Administrator in managing the budget, monitoring purchases and developing strategic, operational, and budgetary plans. Manages daily activities of staff; reviews and approves delegated personnel functions with the Elections Administrator regarding hiring, evaluating, disciplining, training and terminating of early voting election judges and staff, the utilization of equipment, and the reporting of counted ballots and election results; provides direction and guidance to supervisory staff on personnel issues. Monitors, reviews and analyzes statutes, regulations, and election legislation to determine impact on election operations and to ensure compliance. Performs all functions of the Elections Administrator in his or her absence. Interacts with judiciary, department heads, elected officials, other County staff and the general public to resolve problems, provide information and communicate ideas. Performs other duties as assigned. Salary Range: $8,077-$10,081/month. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Director/Deputy Director, Geauga County, Ohio — The Geauga County Board of Elections is seeking applicants for the position of Director/Deputy Director. The applicant must be registered as a Democratic and be a resident of Geauga County within 30 days of being hired. Deadline: April 1. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Director of Elections, Denver, Colorado — Do you have a passion for democracy and working in elections administration? If so, we want to hear from you! The City and County of Denver has an exciting opportunity for an appointed Director of Elections to serve in the Office of the Clerk & Recorder Paul D. López. Join our team of dedicated public servants in supporting residents while upholding public trust and integrity in our elections process. The Denver Office of the Clerk and Recorder serves Denver residents through two primary divisions: Elections and Recording/Public Trustee. By making more than 11 million records available online and providing electronic recording, the Office of the Clerk and Recorder allows people to do business more efficiently 24 hours a day. It is responsible for managing technology to collect, preserve and disseminate records that reflect and verify ownership, transfer, encumbrance, and foreclosure rights of all real property in the City and County of Denver. It issues and records marriage and domestic partnership licenses; administers records for elections and lobbyist information, has executive authorization to formally execute all contractual agreements with the City, and has executive and legislative authorization to formally implement and publish all policies, ordinances and appointments in the City and County of Denver. The Elections Division within the Office of the Clerk and Recorder provides comprehensive elections services for the City and County of Denver, including voter records, voter services, ballot operations, technical and logistical support, and election administration. The Denver Elections Division is a national leader and vanguard of elections administration, with a reputation for innovative and voter-centric service. Salary Range: $99,649 – $159,438. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Election Superintendent, Mason County, Washington— The Election Superintendent is responsible for the overall management, supervision and implementation of all facets of voter registration and of all federal, state and local elections. This includes the preparation, distribution, process and tabulation of ballots, ballot and election security and secrecy of each voter’s ballot. All of these tasks must be performed while maintaining accuracy, efficiency and transparency. This position must utilize county and grant funds in the most effective way to implement short and long-term goals, organize personnel, facilities, and time to assure optimum services to Mason county. This position requires a high level of complex computer skills and the ability to be the public face of the department. Salary: $5,175-$6140/month. Application: Mason County Human Resource 411 North 5th Street, Shelton, WA 98584.

Elections and Voter Registration Manager, Snohomish County, Washington— The Snohomish County Auditor’s Office is seeking an experienced, collaborative professional to lead a dedicated team as the Elections and Voter Registration Manager.    The mission of the Elections and Voter Registration Divisions is to conduct fair, accountable elections and encourage people to understand and participate in the voting process. The successful candidate will manage a staff of ten, oversee a budget ranging from $4 to $7 million (depending on the election cycle), and will be a member of the Auditor’s Office leadership team. The successful candidate must have a deep commitment to ensure accessible, nonpartisan, secure, transparent elections. Salary: $86,276-$121,913. Deadline: March 31. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Elections Director, Oregon Secretary  of State’s Office— Are you ready to put your experience in election administration, management, and practical skills to work leading an election division in a state that prides itself on its innovative election policy? Would you like to be part of a new, principled, equity-driven administration that is committed to empowering the public through election education, access, policy, and outreach? The State of Oregon is looking for you. This is an extremely visible, high profile position that serves at the pleasure of the elected Secretary of State. This position reports to the Deputy Secretary of State and serves as a member of the Agency’s executive management team. As the Elections Director for the State of Oregon you will: Ensure all election-related processes run smoothly and fairly, including initiative petitions, campaign finance, complaint response; Support election officials, legislators, members of the public, the media, and others with your election expertise; Ensure agency compliance with all relevant state and federal mandates; Support and encourage counties, candidates, campaigns, and voters to comply with election laws and procedures; Protect all election systems from outside interference; oversee development of programs to proactively combat misinformation campaigns and mitigate with accurate resources via multiple channels; Procure new Oregon Central Voter Registration System; Write policies, recommendations, strategic plans, and draft legislation; Manage a yearly budget of approximately $10 million and lead a team of approximately 40 people; Connect with employees to establish relationships to promote a strong division culture; Identify, needed skill sets to ensure employees are engaged and receive the necessary support, coaching, development, and training for continuous success; and Maintain and improve the culture of voting in Oregon. Salary: $8,842 – $15,240 Per month – Full Time.  Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Program Manager, Maryland State Board of Elections — The Director of the Election Reform and Management Division manages and supports the State’s implementation of the Help America Vote Act, Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, and other federal election laws, develops and implements efforts to improve election administration, and oversees the duties assigned to the Division. The position also manages the State’s mail-in and provisional voting programs conducted by the local boards of elections and the agency’s voter education and outreach efforts. The Division oversees an audit program of the local boards of elections and statewide training and education programs for election officials. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Regional Service Technician, Hart InterCivic— A Regional Service Technician responds to all customer requests ranging from training requests, to phone support requests, to onsite repair of voting equipment requests. This individual is one of the local customer’s support routes. The position requires residency in Harris County, Texas. The Regional Service Technician handles all Return Material Authorization (RMA) requests for external customers for all Hart InterCivic Verity products within his/her region and provides on-site customer support and troubleshooting on an as-needed basis. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Registrar of Voters, San Diego County, California— The Registrar of Voters is an executive management position that leads the Department and provides eligible citizens of San Diego County with widespread and ongoing opportunities to register and vote in fair and accurate elections for all federal, state and local offices and measures; and provides access to the information needed to utilize the initiative, referendum, and recall petition processes. Qualified candidates will possess a bachelor’s degree and five years of management level experience that demonstrates the ability to perform the essential functions of the classification. The ideal candidate for this position will have executive level decision-making skills in the area of election administration, as well as organizational and political acumen in order to advise and provide direction for ROV programs and services. Candidates familiar with election administration principles, campaign finance, election technologies, voting procedures, and federal and state election laws, are preferred. This recruitment will remain open until the position is filled. Interested applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible for consideration. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Senior Election Subject Matter Expert (SME), U.S. Election Assistance Commission— The Senior Election Subject Matter Expert (SME) is responsible to create EAC clearinghouse material to assist Election Officials, Voters, and other stakeholders with best practices, white papers, tools, data, training materials, instructions, and any other information that would be helpful to election administrators to assist with the Administration of elections. The incumbent will provide expert guidance regarding election administration that touches all facets of the agency to serve EAC stakeholders. The agency is filling multiple positions with this vacancy. Preparing and implementing programs and resources for election officials and voters. Major Duties: Updating and maintaining current Clearinghouse resources for election officials. Creating professional presentations, brochures, and training materials on all facets of election administration. Creating professional infographics using election-related data. Researching, collecting, and analyzing election data and presenting findings in reports, best practices, and white papers. Writing election related blogs and other publications regarding election administration. Making recommendations for reorganizing the EAC website to better serve its stakeholders regarding its Clearinghouse function. Researching and analyzing trends and identifying solution for election related challenges. Working closely with the senior advisor for programs and program directors to produce timelines for execution of work product and the expeditious issuance of reports, guidance to states, best practices and other documents, including factoring in timelines to accommodate review and comment of various draft documents. Recommends actions to alleviate conflicts within the timeline. Assists with work quality related to all agency Clearinghouse functions. Recommending action to ensure coordination and integration of program activities of each division including meetings and activities of EAC advisory boards. Serving as a team member on ad hoc teams convened to provide quick responses to special projects and studies which may cut across organizational lines, disciplines, and functions. Team participation is vital to effectively accomplish unit assignments. Successful participation in both routine and special assignments requires flexibility, effective interactive skills, and willingness to cooperate to enhance team accomplishments. Ensuring documents meet EAC standards and improve the agency Clearinghouse function. Identify areas that require improvement, establish working groups to assist with gaps. Provide feedback on election-related work quality including editing and guidance to staff to improve overall quality of work. Serving as the Project Manager for outsourced election work product as needed. Working with external stakeholders as needed. Reviewing Grant funding trends and preparing an analysis on trends of how the funds are being spent on innovative ways to assist stakeholders with ideas. Performing other related duties as assigned. Salary: $87,198 to $144,128. Deadline: June 3. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Senior Election Subject Matter Expert (SME), Accessibility, U.S. Election Assistance Commission— The incumbent of this position serves as the Senior Election Subject Matter Expert (SME) Accessibility of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) which was established under the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002. HAVA was enacted to establish a program to provide funds to States to replace punch card voting systems, to establish the Election Assistance Commission to assist States with the administration of Federal elections, to otherwise provide assistance with the administration of certain Federal election laws and programs, and to establish voluntary voting system guidelines and guidance for States and units of local government with responsibility for the administration of Federal elections. EAC serves as a National clearinghouse and resource for information with respect to the administration of Federal elections. The Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA), specifically requires states to make polling places accessible “in a manner that provides the same opportunity to people with disabilities for access and participation” as is provided to non-disabled voters. This includes accessible parking and paths of travel. Each polling place is also required to have at least one direct recording electronic voting system or voting system equipped for individuals with disabilities. HAVA also requires equal access for people with disabilities to registration by mail and a computerized statewide database, eliminating the need to re-register when people move (or re-register as a person with a disability) amongst other provisions. The incumbent is responsible to create EAC Accessibility related Clearinghouse material to assist election officials, voters, and other stakeholders with best practices, white papers, tools, data, training materials, instructions, and any other information that would be helpful to election administrators to assist with the administration of elections. The incumbent will provide expert guidance on accessibility related to election administration that touches all facets of the agency to serve EAC stakeholders. Salary: $87,198 to $144,128. Deadline: June 3. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Testing and Certification Program Director, U.S. Election Assistance Commission — The Testing and Certification Program Director develops EAC policy, quality management system, and standard operating procedures for the Voting System Testing and Certification (VST&C) Program and Division. Works with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP), regarding laboratory accreditation for laboratories seeking accreditation to test voting systems under the EAC program. Under HAVA, NVLAP does the initial laboratory assessment and makes recommendation to the EAC, through the Director of NIST on the accreditation of candidate laboratories. Manages Division personnel (i.e., current FTE, technical reviewers and new hires). Establishes, implements, and evaluates budget, working jointly with the EAC’s leadership and Executive Director to establish priorities for the VST&C Division. Manages voting system testing and certification efforts, including supervising contract staff, technical reviewers, and consultants. Oversees testing of voting systems developed by registered manufacturers to determine whether the systems provide required basic functionality, accessibility, and security capabilities. Serves as EAC lead/co-lead on critical infrastructure issues. Develops blogs, white papers and other informational material for stakeholders on election technology and cybersecurity. Serves as EAC lead for development efforts on Voluntary Voting System Guidelines and development of requirements for testing at the laboratories. Serves as the lead auditor on voting system test laboratory audits. Leads the Election Official IT Training Program. Represents the EAC and VST&C Program at stakeholder meetings and conferences. Performs other duties as assigned. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Voter Services Manager, Denver Clerk/Recorder— This position will lead the Voter Services team within Elections Division. The Voter Services Manager also: Manages 4 FTEs that provide customer service and data entry; Serves as the County Administrator for SCORE (Statewide Colorado Registration and Election database); Oversees the election judge trainers, edits and approves training for: Supervisor Judges, Registration Judges and Support Judges and succession planning; Provides recommendations for staffing needed to perform voter registration functions and answer the phones and emails during various phases of the election cycle; Acts as a subject matter expert in elections by continuously reviewing Colorado election laws to accurately inform and instruct the general public and internal staff; Prepares, processes and/or provides written reports and other documents as necessary or requested, in accordance with legal precedents or other specialized/technical procedures; Implements policies, programs, operating procedures for the voter services department; Contributes to the development of performance goals, documents performance, provides performance feedback, and provides information to inform the formal performance evaluation; Fosters an atmosphere of innovation in order to challenge the organization to think creatively, especially as it relates to positive citizen and customer experience opportunities; Coaches, mentors, and challenges staff; Champions continuous improvement, including devising new strategies and new opportunities; Leads staff development initiatives that include training, development; Performs other duties as assigned or requested. Salary: $81,572 – $130,515. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

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Thermal Tape: Width is 2.25″ and the amount of tape/roll is 285′. Core inner diameter is 0.5″. There are 33 full cases and 24 rolls/case. Previously used in conjunction with the TSX voting machines. Seller: Richland County, Ohio Board of Elections.