In Focus This Week
Stewards of Democracy
Focusing on the People in Election Administration
The Stewards of Democracy Initiative (SDI) is a new research effort from Reed College’s Elections & Voting Information Center (EVIC). The SDI was announced to the public on July 27, 2021 with an inaugural webinar, “Stewards of Democracy Initiative: A Conversation.” The event featured local election officials engaging with academic researchers, focusing on the people in election administration and how to support and sustain the elections community.
In addition to the SDI academic researcher track leaders we’ll be discussing shortly, webinar panel participants included the following local election officials: Lance Gough, former Executive Director of the Chicago Board of Elections, Brianna Lennon, County Clerk of Boone County, Missouri, and Remi Garza, Elections Administrator for Cameron County, Texas. Heather Creek of the Democracy Fund, an SDI sponsor, also participated in this event.
Topics discussed at the webinar included:
- Diversity in Election Administration: Path to the Profession
- The Voice of Local Election Officials in Election Reform
- Nonprofit Funding & Election Performance
The webinar was attended by over 75 participants from state, local and federal election offices, academic research institutions, non-profits, election technology providers, and other stakeholder groups. If you did not get a chance to attend, you can check out the recorded video on EVIC’s website.
Incidentally, members of the elections community might know EVIC as the “Early Voting Information Center” at Reed College. However, the EVIC team recently completed a renaming and rebranding of the Center to reflect its expanding platform of work beyond “early voting” – where it all began over a decade ago – to include such efforts as performance auditing of Oregon’s election system, research on the turnout effects of automatic voter registration, three years of surveys of local election administrators known as the Local Election Official (LEO) surveys in partnership with the Democracy Fund, and now the SDI.
The idea for the SDI grew directly out of the LEO surveys with the intent of bringing together a leading group of academic researchers, and pairing them with elections practitioners, in order to focus on understanding and advancing the work of America’s local election officials and how they promote electoral integrity.
The SDI effort is led by Paul Gronke, founder and director of EVIC and a recipient of an Andrew Carnegie Fellowship to support his SDI work. Gronke and his team at EVIC implement the SDI program thanks to the generous support of the Democracy Fund, the Andrew S. Carnegie Corporation, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Election Data and Science Lab, the University of Southern California Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy and Reed College.
The SDI encompasses four tracks of research, each led by leading election science scholars:
- The People and Paths to Election Administration is led by Bridgett King (Auburn) and Paul Manson (Reed College). The LEO community is overwhelmingly female (75%), white (98%), and over age 50. This research will work to understand the reasons for these patterns and to identify how to begin to move the community to be more representative of a diversifying American electorate.
- Amplifying and Elevating the Voice of LEOs in Election Reform is led by David Kimball (University of Missouri, St Louis), Lia Merivaki (Mississippi State University), and Mara Suttman-Lea (Connecticut College). This research focuses on the values, norms, and beliefs of local officials – the “ethos of election administration” – and how these officials think about election administration, electoral integrity, and election reforms.
- The 2020 Experience: Elections, Pandemics, and Death Threats led by Christian Grose (University of Southern California) and Paul Gronke examine the 2020 election experience in depth, focusing on two areas. The first is the role of non-profit and philanthropic support of elections. Grose is the academic leader of the USC Schwarzenegger Institute which provided millions of dollars in support of local officials in 2020. They will examine what impact those grants had and what the future holds for non-profit support in the elections space. Second, this group will look at how LEOs managed death threats, massive disruptions to their work, and other challenges in 2020.
- Moving Forward: Repairing the Damage, Expanding the Pipeline, and Protecting Our Democracy is a collaboration by all of the track leaders and focuses on lessons learned and how to move forward.
The EVIC team has been implementing the structure of the SDI behind the scenes for the past six months by talking with election administration and election science scholars, state and local election officials, thought leaders in the nonprofit sector, and other stakeholders quickly finding widespread agreement that a vital part of what made the 2020 election the safest and most secure in American history was the leadership and staff in thousands of local election offices around the country. At the same time, many of the efforts to identify “lessons learned” after the 2020 election cycle are ignoring these same people – to their peril, according to Gronke.
Currently, EVIC is forming a practitioner advisory board for the SDI to provide feedback and mentoring, and to keep the track leader researchers focused on the real-world, practical impact of their research. Next up for the SDI is additional webinars, production of a set of materials directed at the elections community outlining lessons learned and paths moving forward, an in-person convening later this fall, and publishing a book.
“Policy changes can be well-meaning but can fail if they ignore the people who have to implement these policies,” says Gronke. Keep up with EVIC and the Stewards of Democracy Initiative on EVIC’s website and Twitter feed.
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Election News This Week
Threat to Democracy: The Department of Justice (DOJ) launched a task force aimed at combating violent threats against election workers following a spike in such incidents tied to the 2020 presidential election. The announcement comes after the DOJ last month indicated that criminal law enforcement would play a key role in the Biden administration’s push to protect voting rights and safeguard elections. “A threat to any election official, worker, or volunteer is a threat to democracy,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, who will lead the effort. “We will promptly and vigorously prosecute offenders to protect the rights of American voters, to punish those who engage in this criminal behavior, and to send the unmistakable message that such conduct will not be tolerated.” In a statement, DOJ said its new task force would combine efforts from multiple entities within the department, including its criminal, civil rights and national security divisions, as well as the FBI and Department of Homeland Security.
Vote Local: Local and special elections were held in a number of states this week and it was relatively smooth sailing in all jurisdictions although there were a few issues and some interesting takeaways. In Camden County, Missouri, one man was under arrest after creating a disturbance in an Autumn Village polling location. In Jefferson City, Missouri it was slow going for poll workers in a special election. In Whitewater Township, Michigan, a marijuana ballot initiative election was canceled following a late-Monday court order, but that did stop voters from turning up at the polls anyway. In Taylor Township, Michigan, it may take up to two weeks for results to be announced due to write-in campaigns for mayor and city council. It was slow going, but smooth sailing for voters and poll workers in Sedgwick and Shawnee counties in Kansas. In Lansing, Michigan, 76% of those who cast a ballot in Tuesday’s election did so via mail/absentee ballot. Four years ago that number was 44%. Overall turnout in Lansing remained relatively low though at just about 15%.
Sí, pero en español: The League of United Latin American Citizens of Iowa (LULAC) is asking Secretary of State Paul Pate to allow voting materials to be published and completed in languages other than English. Pate has 60 days to respond to the petition, which asks for clarification about the law and requests that Pate allow non-English voting materials statewide. LULAC may bring legal action if Pate does not respond in that time. The issue stems from a 2002 law that declared English as the official language of Iowa — and therefore the language of official documents, meetings, publications and other state business. The state had continued to provide voter registration forms in Spanish until it was sued by Rep. Steve King (R) in 2007. A state court ruled in 2008 that voter registration forms must be in English only. LULAC is requesting Pate issue guidance for 97 counties—two are covered by Sec. 203 of the Voting Rights Act—about whether it is legal to translate and distribute voting information in other languages. In an emailed statement, Pate said that he had reached out to Spanish-speaking voters in past elections and would continue to do so. “My office has conducted numerous outreach efforts with the Spanish speaking community to help them understand Iowa’s election laws and deadlines,” Pate said. “That includes ads on TV, radio and print, as well was working with the Iowa Office of Latino Affairs.”
Suffrage News: A new exhibit dedicated to women’s suffrage will soon make its way into the Museum of Alabama. Entitled “Justice Not Favor: Alabama Women & the Vote,” the new exhibit, presented by the Alabama Department of Archives and History (ADAH), will focus on two of Alabama’s leading advocates for voting rights: Pattie Ruffner Jacobs and Amelia Boynton Robinson. The exhibition will explore the story of voting rights for Alabama women, including the long fight for the 19th Amendment, which was ratified in 1920, and the modern Civil Rights era. Jacobs, a Birmingham native, who became one of the state’s leading suffragettes in the early 20th century, and Selma’s Robinson will both have new bronze busts added to the ADAH’s Statuary Hall. They will be the first statues of women in the hall. Both works of art were sculpted by Alabama artist Clydetta Fulmer and forged at Fairhope Foundry. “These additions to our statuary collection and the opening of Justice Not Favor represent a step forward in the Archives’ commitment to deliver an inclusive presentation of Alabama’s history,” said Steve Murray, director of the Alabama Department of Archives and History. ““Alabama women have organized, petitioned, lobbied, and voted to have influence on public life and policy. Examining their motivations, their achievements, and their setbacks helps us to better understand the Alabama experience.” The exhibit is on display through May 31, 2022.
Personnel News: Justin Lee has announced that he’s stepping down as the Utah elections director. Glenda Clendenin is retiring as the Moore County, North Carolina elections director after 35 years on the job. Congratulations to Lori Mitchell, Chaffee County, Colorado clerk, and recorder, on being recognized as a Certified Elections/Registration Administrator (CERA). Ruby Durant has stepped down as the assistant registrar of voters in Greenwich, Connecticut. Jan Clair has stepped down from the Lake County, Ohio board of elections. Dayna Cunningham is the new dean of the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts University. Plymouth, Minnesota City Clerk Sandy Engdahl is retiring after 22 years. Susan Lewis has been sworn in as the new Washington County, Utah clerk/auditor.
Legislative Updates
Federal Legislation: Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff (D) has introduced the “Right to Vote Act,” which he said would create the first-ever affirmative Federal voting rights guarantee for all U.S. citizens. The bill’s intent, Ossoff said in a statement, would establish a statutory right to vote in federal elections. Americans would be able to challenge, in court, any policy that restricts ballot access. The bill raises the bar for states to justify policies that might make it harder for citizens to vote in federal elections. It also provides measures to aid Americans with registering to vote, obtaining an ID required to vote, casting a ballot and ensuring that ballot is counted. “The Right to Vote Act will for the first time enshrine the right to vote in Federal statute and allow U.S. citizens to challenge in court any policy that makes it harder for them to participate in elections,” Ossoff said.
Sens. Gary Peters (D-Michigan) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) have introduced legislation that would would create a new task force at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to combat deepfake technologies. The Deepfake Task Force Act would charge the DHS task force with creating a coordinated plan to explore how a “‘digital content provenance’ standard could assist with reducing the spread of deepfakes, develop tools for content creators to authenticate their content and its origin, and increase the ability of civil society and industry leaders to relay trust and information about the source of the deepfakes to consumers.” The senators said the task force would include experts from academia and the public and private sectors. “Deepfakes represent a unique threat to our national security and our democracy,” said Sen. Portman. “For most of human history seeing meant believing, but now that is becoming less and less true thanks to deepfakes. Combined with the network effects created by social media, fake videos or pictures can travel around the world in an instant, tricking citizens. I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation because establishing a deepfake task force at the Department of Homeland Security will help solve this problem by making progress to develop standards so that companies, tech platforms, journalists, and all Americans can track and authenticate content so we can better separate the truth from the lies.”
Alabama: A bill by Rep. David Wheeler (R- Vestavia Hills) and Senator Will Barfoot (R-Pike Road) took effect this week that allows precinct election officials who are registered to vote in a given county to now serve in any precinct in that county. Previously, poll workers served only in the precinct where they are registered to vote. The legislation provides that first priority may still be given to those who want to work in their own precinct.
Maine: Westbrook residents will vote on using ranked choice voting at the municipal level in November. City Councilors voted unanimously Monday to put the measure on the ballot. Council President Gary Rairdon, who previously spoke against it, and Councilor Elliot Storey were absent. No members of the public spoke on the topic at the meeting. If approved by voters, ranked-choice voting would be used in the mayor’s race and to elect city councilors and other applicable local seats when there are three or more candidates and no candidate has won by more than 50% of the votes. The change would cost about an additional $30,000 per election. City Clerk Angela Holmes said ranked choice voting would have been applicable in four elections between 2013 and 2019, including two mayoral races.
Massachusetts: Gov. Charlie Baker has signed a bill extending early and mail-in voting practices in Massachusetts, adopted during the pandemic, through the end of 2021. A spokesman for the governor confirmed that he signed a supplemental budget including “a section extending expanded early voting and no-excuse mail-in voting until December 15, 2021.”
New Hampshire: Gov. Chris Sununu has signed a handful of elections-related bills into law. House Bill 77, a measure requiring town and city clerks to provide daily notifications to the Secretary of State’s Office of any filings for elected office. Rep. Ralph Boehm, a Litchfield Republican, was the prime sponsor. House Bill 223, which was also signed into law, authorizes political parties to subscribe to a list of absentee ballot requests, which will be provided by the secretary of state. Sponsors of the bill include Rep. Joe Sweeney, a Salem Republican, and Rep. Joe Alexander, a Goffstown Republican. Previously, candidates who were running for statewide office could request the list. The bill also adds the date the absentee ballot was returned to the information that will be provided by the secretary of state. House Bill 285 modifies how voter checklists are verified. Current law requires the secretary of state to submit a list of every city or town that has a registered voter matching a given death record. The new law adds the requirement that the secretary of state provide information to municipalities where the name on the death certificate is a partial match to their voter checklist. House Bill 476 loosens the requirement that election officials live in the same voting district as the additional polling place where they are working. Instead, it requires election officials to live in the same town they are serving. For cities, the law requires election officials to live in the same city ward where they are working.
Sununu has vetoed House Bill 98 which would have moved the state’s primary from the second Tuesday in September to the first Tuesday in August. In his veto message, the governor said the change would move the election and campaign season into the middle of summer. This is a time when many Granite Staters are enjoying their vacations and are far less likely to be involved in the electoral process,” Sununu wrote in his veto message. “This change could lead to depressed voter engagement in the election and reduced turnout.” The bill had bipartisan support in the House and Senate and supporters said it would help level the playing field for challengers with little time to mend party fences, raise money or get their message out, while incumbents have name recognition and an existing fund-raising apparatus.
Legal Updates
Alaska: Anchorage Superior Court Judge Gregory Miller ruled that Alaska’s new ranked-choice voting system and top-four open primary are legal and may be used in the 2022 statewide general election. The Alaskan Independence Party, a Libertarian politician and a Republican attorney had sued to stop the state from implementing Ballot Measure 2, which voters approved last year. Alaskans for Better Elections, the group that backed the measure, joined the state in defense. Attorney Ken Jacobus represented the plaintiffs argued that the new law forces candidates to run together and violates their freedom of association. Miller rejected that argument, saying candidates can pick and choose who they want to run with. “No candidate is being ‘forced’ to team up with another candidate; rather, they choose, early on,’” Miller wrote. Plaintiffs also argued that a four-person open primary violates political parties’ freedom of association by allowing a candidate to identify with a political party that did not nominate them. Miller rejected that argument, saying in part that the Alaska Constitution’s freedom-of-speech section “says nothing about political parties’ right to mandate what words appear on a ballot.”
Colorado: U.S. Magistrate Judge N. Reid Neureiter sanctioned two lawyers who brought a lawsuit alleging the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Donald Trump and his supporters, calling their case “one enormous conspiracy theory.” “This lawsuit was filed with a woeful lack of investigation,” Neureiter said in a lengthy written decision. Neureiter ordered the two lawyers, Gary D. Fielder and Ernest John Walker, to pay the legal fees incurred by people and entities they sued, including Facebook Inc and voting machine company Dominion Voting Systems Inc. The amount of money the two will need to pay has not yet been determined by Neureiter, who has asked Dominion and Facebook to provide documentation about how much they spent. In the order, the judge said the lawyers sowed doubt over President Joe Biden’s victory with no evidence. “Albeit disorganized and fantastical, the Complaint’s allegations are extraordinarily serious and, if accepted as true by large numbers of people, are the stuff of which violent insurrections are made,” the judge said.
Tech Thursday
Michigan: Kalamazoo County has unveiled a new website meant to increase transparency in communicating election results. For the first time, election results for each contest will include the total number of registered voters, poll book totals, turnout percentage and the number of votes cast by absentee ballot and at the polls on Election Day for each precinct. Kalamazoo County Clerk and Register of Deeds Meredith Place announced the new website in advance of this week’s election. “My goal when I ran for clerk in 2020 was to establish trust and public confidence in our election process by increasing transparency in election administration,” Place said. “If our system allows for more timely election results distribution and for more information to be reported, then we need to make it public for all.” During the November 2020 election, unofficial results did not come until more than 24 hours after polls closed. Starting with this week’s special election, even if ballot tabulation may not be complete on election night, this new website will show the public exactly which precincts have been counted and those precincts that are still outstanding, including ballots cast at the polls on Election Day.
North Carolina: It’s in the cloud, or at least it will be by the end of summer. According to Carolina Public Press, all 100 counties in the Tarheel State will be transitioning their voter registration data to a Cloud-based operating system. According to CPP, This is an early step in what will be a yearslong and nearly $3 million process to upgrade state and county election systems to improve security, usability and efficiency. Originally designed in 1998 and put in place statewide in 2006, North Carolina’s current election information management system is made up of a network of data servers in the state office and every county, woven together by a network of computer programs. Updates planned over the next three years will make cybersecurity practices more consistent across all 100 county boards of elections, streamline updates to the back-end systems, write new software for use at the county and state levels, and replace the state servers with new hardware, according to Brian Neesby, chief information officer for the State Board of Elections. Moving voter registration data from county servers to the cloud lays the foundation for all the other changes. “This is a big step toward the implementation of modernization as opposed to talking about modernization,” said Derek Bowens, Durham County’s election director.
Opinions This Week
National Opinions: Election officials | Voting rights, II, III | Voter suppression | Election designs | Jim Crow | Election legislation, II
California: Recounts
Arizona: Ballot review, II
Indiana: Fair voting
Maine: Voting Rights Act
Massachusetts: Voter ID
Montana: Native American voting rights
New Hampshire: Voting rights
New Mexico: Drop boxes
New York: Election reform | Voting rights
Nevada: Voting rights
North Carolina: Early voting
Pennsylvania: Election reform | Trust in elections
Virginia: Voting rights | Ranked choice voting
Washington: Pierce County | Ex-felon voting rights
West Virginia: Election integrity
Wisconsin: Voter fraud
Upcoming Events
Staying Nonpartisan: Guidelines for 501c3 Voter Engagement Activities: Nonprofit organizations are encouraged (and in some cases, required) to assist the people they serve to participate in elections. This often includes voter registration drives, GOTV reminders, candidate engagement, and ballot measure advocacy. But what, exactly, are nonprofits allowed to do and how can they be sure they don’t cross the partisan threshold? Join us on August 13th as David Levitt, Principal at Adler & Colvin, sheds light on the IRS guidance around tax-exempt voter engagement. Mr. Levitt’s practice focuses on the representation of nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations, with an emphasis on program-related investments, social enterprise, political advocacy, and nonprofit corporate governance. When: August 13, 2pm Eastern. Where: Online.
NASED Summer Conference: We’re disappointed not to meet in person, but we look forward to seeing you online at the NASED Virtual Conference, August 9-10 and 19-20, 2021. August 9 and 19 are for NASED state/territorial members only. Items on the agenda include opening remarks from Jen Easterly, director of CISA, and sessions on cybernavigating programs, addressing threats to election officials, VVSG 2.0, list maintenance, election integrity and a state legislative update. When: August 9-10 and 19-20. Where: Online.
NASS Summer Conference: The National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) will convene in person for the 2021 Summer Conference. It will be held August 13-16 in in Des Moines, Iowa. The conference will feature committee meetings, discussions and various workshop sessions on election administration, cybersecurity, business services, state heritage and more. A preliminary conference agenda is available online here. In addition, an expo area will have a limited number of NASS Corporate Affiliates on-site showcasing their products and services. Please note, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention health recommendations will be observed throughout the conference. Learn more about the venue’s COVID-19 safety requirements here. There will also be a limited virtual component for those unable to attend in person. Registration for the conference will open in late-May. When: Aug. 13-16. Where: Des Moines, Iowa.
NISGIC Annual Conference: The 2021 NSGIC Annual Conference will be held September 20 – 24 as a hybrid event at the Renaissance Dallas Addison Hotel and leveraging technology to provide for virtual participation, as well. The safety and comfort of conference participants are paramount. We will be following all guidance in place at the time of the conference and working closely with venues to ensure full care is given. We understand that not all conference attendees will be able to join us in person. Those participating virtually can expect a rich experience with interactive plenary presentations, networking opportunities, and participatory workshops and other sessions. (We’re so sure you’re going to enjoy the experience, we urge you to consider participating from home or another space where you can give it your full attention.) Whether you attend in-person or virtually, the NSGIC Annual Conference is the hub of critical connections for state, local, tribal, and federal GIS policymakers and coordinators, private sector partners and solution-providers, and other leaders in the geospatial ecosystem. Like nowhere else, the NSGIC Annual Conference is a place where relationships are built, information is shared, and collaborations are born. When: September 20-24. Where: Hybrid—Dallas & Virtual.
National Conference of State Legislators Legislative Summit: The Legislative Summit is NCSL’s premier annual event and provides a platform for legislators, staff and other public policy professionals to learn from the nation’s foremost experts, as well as each other, about solutions to the country’s most pressing issues. Watch for registration and hotel details in early June 2021. When: November 3-5. Where: Tampa, Florida
Job Postings This Week
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.
Associate General Counsel, North Carolina Board of Elections— The N.C. State Board of Elections is the statewide agency that supervises elections administration, enforces campaign finance requirements, and conducts associated investigations. The State Board ensures uniform implementation of state and federal election laws and appoints local officials serving on county boards of elections. The Board is composed of five individuals appointed by the Governor from lists of nominees submitted by the chairs of the two political parties having the highest number of registered affiliates. Agency staff are civil servants subject to the State Personnel Act. This position works within the legal staff of the State Board of Elections, which supports all agency functions. This position provides legal counsel on an array of complex constitutional, statutory, and policy questions affecting election administration. The attorney also devotes substantial efforts to support litigation needs and to review and revise training and other materials summarizing legal standards. Salary: Recruitment Range: $75,650 – $102,000. Deadline: August 6. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Campaign Manager, Bipartisan Policy Center— BPC is currently seeking candidates for a new role—Campaign Manager—to support the work of the Elections Project. The Elections Project explores and analyzes the entire election ecosystem, from voter registration to casting a ballot to the counting and finalizing of results. Its goal is to help policymakers enact sustainable bipartisan policy reforms, informed by election officials, that improve the voting experience for a diverse electorate. The Elections Project most recently launched the Business Alliance for Effective Democracy. BPC created the Business Alliance to provide an objective forum designed to facilitate proactive corporate engagement on polarizing election policy issues. The Alliance—comprised largely of Fortune 100 companies—focuses on concrete actions that corporate stakeholders can take to shore up our democracy in this fraught political moment. The Elections Project also runs BPC’s Task Force on Elections. This group of 28 state and local election administrators seeks achievable, bipartisan policy solutions that can be implemented well across the country. The Task Force forms the basis of the Elections Project’s focus on state-based policy reforms for voting. 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.
Chief Deputy County Clerk, Summit County, located in Utah, is seeking candidates with administrative professional experience for Chief Deputy Clerk. The Chief Deputy Clerk performs a variety of professional administrative and supervisory duties related to organizing, directing, and coordinating the various legally required functions of the office of the County Clerk. In the absence of the County Clerk, assumes all statutory authority and responsibility of the department. Works in close relationship with the Clerk. Appointments to this position are politically exempt from protection under county personnel policies and procedures; as such employee works at the will and pleasure of the clerk. May provide close to general supervision to Deputy Clerk(s) and Elections Clerk. We are a drug free workplace conducting pre-employment drug testing. We are an equal opportunity employer and encourage women, minorities, and the disabled to apply. Salary: $75,000. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Deputy Commissioner of Elections, Linn County, Iowa— Under limited supervision, performs supervisory and administrative work in directing all County election activities. Supervises and evaluates the work of subordinate staff; effectively recommends personnel actions related to selection, performance review, scheduling and discipline; administers personnel and related policies and procedures. Provides training to full, part-time and temporary staff to insure that elections are properly administered. Directs all election activities including voter registration, ballot preparation, data processing, the canvassing of returns, the location of polling places, absentee ballots, the coordination of election night returns, the distribution and receipt of nomination papers and the preservation of voting records. Insures that voting equipment is in proper working order and that appropriate procedures are in place to safeguard the equipment. Monitors legislative actions to determine what changes may be required in election policies and procedures. Interacts with candidates for public office, the media, city and school officials and the general public to answer questions regarding the election process, provide information and coordinate related activities. Develops and administers the budget of the Elections Office. Starting Salary: $71,518 – $101,318. Deadline: August 15. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Desktop Support Technician, Wake County, North Carolina Board of Elections— Do you have a strong IT background and a desire to be a part of the elections process? The Wake County Board of Elections is seeking a Desktop Support Technician to manage the IT services required to conduct elections for the citizens of Wake County. The ideal candidate will possess experience working in a field support setting with computer equipment, networking, software installation and troubleshooting, and customer support. This is not your typical IT help desk support role. In this physically demanding position, you will need to be able to lift up to 50 lbs. and endure extended periods of time lifting, squatting, crawling in tight spaces, climbing on ladders to pull cables from drop ceilings, pushing and pulling gaylord bins on wheels, carrying supplies and equipment. Work is performed mostly indoors investigating or installing networks, running cables, setting up computers and peripherals at voting locations. This position will require work at various locations including the Board of Elections Operation Center, polling places, and Early Voting locations across the county (churches, community centers, libraries, schools, etc.). Salary: Hiring Range: $22.97 – $31.01. Deadline: August 8. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Elections Director, Boulder County, Colorado— The Boulder County Clerk and Recorder’s Office has an opening for an Elections Director that serves at the pleasure of and reports directly to the elected Clerk and Recorder. The Elections Director position is within the Deputy of Elections job classification. The Elections Director is one of the office’s six Leadership Team members, third in command of the Clerk and Recorder organization and oversees a staff of twelve permanent Elections Staff members (and upwards of 600 election judges during certain election times). The Elections Division provides comprehensive elections services for Boulder County, including voter records, voter services, ballot processing, technical and logistical support, and end-to end election administration. Commitment to building an inclusive, forward looking, continual improvement, and supportive work culture is required. This position leads the team and is accountable for the execution of compliant, accurate, accessible and transparent elections for a county of nearly 250,000 voters. This position will ensure the integrity and accuracy of the election management processes in accordance with federal and state laws, Secretary of State rules and Clerk and Recorder policies. Salary: Hiring Range: $89,256 – $128,544. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Executive Director, National Vote at Home Institute— NVAHI (“Vote at Home”) is now accepting applications to fill its top leadership position of Executive Director. Vote at Home’s Executive Director will serve in a chief executive role and report directly to the board of the National Vote at Home Institute (a non-partisan, 501 c (3) organization). National Vote at Home Institute is a nonpartisan organization dedicated to making sure every American can vote in secure, safe, accessible, and equitable elections by expanding and improving vote by mail, absentee and early voting processes and supporting election officials, Secretary of States, Commissioners, and boards. The Vote at Home Executive Director shall be responsible for managing all aspects of the organizations’ operations, including: Strategy. Recommending, implementing, and effectively executing all VAH policies and key strategies and programs as approved by the board. Budget. Fundraising and budget administration, to ensure Vote at Home’s financial sustainability and the effective and efficient expenditure of available funds. Management. The proper management and supervision of all staff, contractors, and contracts to promote diversity and equity, ensure a collaborative and productive workplace, and comply fully with all applicable federal, state, and local laws. Partnerships. The creation of collaborative partnership relationships with other key organizations and individuals to help promote and amplify VAH’s work. Communication. The effective communication, in a wide variety of public and private forums, of Vote at Home’s vision, mission, key strategies, and core messages. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Elections Technical Specialist, Buncombe County, North Carolina— This position is part of a team managing physical election equipment and associated software. Primary responsibilities include preventative maintenance of voting machines, logic and accuracy testing, supply management, leading the mock election process, preparing laptops for voting locations, security monitoring, and in-house technology troubleshooting. The primary purpose of this position is to provide specialized technical work supporting election-specific systems related to voting equipment, elections software, audits, and precinct compliance. The ideal candidate will have excellent communication and organizational skills as this position requires significant coordination with outside departments and vendors. Responsibilities include budgeting and leading a team of personnel during elections to support voting locations. Overtime, including some weekends, is required during election periods. Warehouse management experience and IT experience preferred. Salary: $22.50-$29.81. Deadline: Aug. 31. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
GIS Specialist, Polk County, Florida— This position consists primarily of technical work using geographic information system software to create and maintain maps and street index. Following reapportionment in early 2022, tasks will include drawing new precinct boundaries and updating associated tables. Applicant must have experience working with GIS software and various databases, and outstanding attention to detail. All work will be performed in Winter Haven, Florida. For more information, inquire Loriedwards@polkelections.com
Information Security Officer, Virginia Department of Elections— The State Board, through the Department of Elections (ELECT), shall supervise and coordinate the work of the county and city electoral boards and of the registrars to obtain uniformity in their practices and proceedings and legality and purity in all elections. It shall make rules and regulations and issue instructions and provide information consistent with the election laws to the electoral boards and registrars to promote the proper administration of election laws. Ensuring the integrity and accuracy of the administration of elections through the administration of the state-wide voter registration system, campaign finance disclosure application and other agency applications and solutions. Ensuring that the systems perform to the expectations of the users and conform to applicable federal and state laws and Board rules and regulations. Leads ELECT’s Information Security Program to ensure ELECT Systems remain confidential, integrity is maintained, and ELECT systems remain available for all users. Ensures ELECT systems meet federal, Commonwealth of Virginia and agency security standards. The position will work with ELECT development teams, network service providers and security staff of the Commonwealth of Virginia to ensure security requirements are included in SDLC activities. Responsible for creating and maintaining security policies, artifacts, tracking vulnerability remediation and updating system security plans to meet changing business, security and technology requirements. Responsible implementing and monitoring security controls for ELECT’s information technology systems. Oversees Information Security Program, ELECT’s Data Privacy Program and ELECT’s Locality Security Program including Voting Systems and Voter Registration System Security. Salary: Up to $150,000. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Policy Analyst, Bipartisan Policty Center— BPC is currently seeking a Policy Analyst to support the work of the Elections Project. The Elections Project explores and analyzes the entire election ecosystem, from voter registration to casting a ballot to the counting and finalizing of results. Our goal is to help policymakers enact sustainable bipartisan policy reforms, informed by election officials, that improve the voting experience for a diverse electorate. The Policy Analyst will play a central role in the development and implementation of the Election Project’s research and advocacy priorities. This analyst role is new and will include all existing priorities of the Elections Project as well as build on newer efforts focused on federal voting reforms. The Policy Analyst must be well-versed in election administration, eager to promote free and fair elections through evidence-based policy research. The position will report to the Director of the Elections Project Matthew Weil and work closely with others on BPC’s elections team. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Registrar of Voters, San Diego County, California— The Registrar of Voters of the County of San Diego is an executive management position reporting to the Assistant Chief Administrative Officer. The Registrar 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 provide access to the information needed to utilize the initiative, referendum, and recall petition processes. Salary: $170,000 – $190,000. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Research Director, Center for Election Innovation and Research— The Research Director will report to the Executive Director and lead CEIR’s research initiatives. These initiatives include, but are not limited to, matters pertaining to voter registration, voter access, election integrity and security, and election policy, generally. The Research Director will set goals aligned with CEIR’s mission and provide the research team with strategic direction on how to reach those goals, all while ensuring the rigor, integrity, and quality of all research activities. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Senior Director of Election Security, CIS— CIS (Center for Internet Security) is the trusted guide to confidence in the connected world. CIS collaborates with the global security community to lead both government and private-sector entities to security solutions and resources. CIS is an independent, not-for-profit organization. The Senior Director of Elections Security works within the Operations and Security Services (OSS) Department at CIS and reports to the Vice President of Elections Operations. The Senior Director of Elections Security partners with key internal and external stakeholders and experts in the elections and standards communities to lead CIS efforts in developing best practices, processes, and tools to support the security of elections systems. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Senior Mapping Technician, Wake County, North Carolina Board of Elections— Do you have a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) background and a desire to be a part of the elections process? The Wake County Board of Elections is seeking a Senior Mapping Technician to manage the addressing and voting jurisdiction system for Wake County voter registration. The ideal candidate will possess experience working with GIS applications and data. Wake County has over 775,000 registered voters, and overall this position will be key in the management of over 43,000 individual street geocode ranges. With the rapid growth in Wake County, this position is essential for keeping pace with an ever-changing landscape. The position will also help Wake County stay on the top of services provided to the residents and voters. In this position, you will maintain a close working relationship with they Wake County GIS and Planning Departments, as well as local municipalities and addressing entities. You will manage addresses and jurisdictions for over 775,000 voters. You will work in a team environment to manage and audit address data, produce maps for various elections related functions, and analyze data for redistricting. Salary: Hiring Range: $17.49 – $23.60. Deadline: August 8. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Vice President of Election Operations and Support, CIS— CIS (Center for Internet Security) is the trusted guide to confidence in the connected world. CIS collaborates with the global security community to lead both government and private-sector entities to security solutions and resources. CIS is an independent, not-for-profit organization. Reporting to the Executive Vice President for Operations and Security Services (OSS), the Vice President for Election Operations will oversee all elections-related efforts within CIS, most importantly the Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EI-ISAC) and related elections community support sponsored by the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). This position will also manage election-related projects and activities that are funded by third parties or self-funded by CIS. The Vice President for Election Operations will lead an organization comprised of the CIS staff working on election-related efforts and will be responsible for outreach to U.S. state, local, tribal, and territorial election offices as well as private sector companies, researchers, and nonprofit organizations involved in supporting elections. This position may work remote in the US, with travel to our offices in Albany, NY and Washington, DC as needed. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Voter Registration Specialist, Wake County, North Carolina Board of Elections— The Wake County Board of Elections is currently seeking an experienced customer service professional to join our Voter Registration Team. The ideal candidate will be a detail-oriented, data entry guru with exceptional attention to detail and organizational skills. As a part of the Voter Registration Team, you are responsible for connecting written information with computer data. Salary: Hiring Range: $17.49 – $23.60. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
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