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Election News This Week

Yes on No: Although ballots are still being processed and counted, California voters gave a resounding yes on no to the recall of Gov. Gavin Newsom. In the days leading up to the recall, election administrators were forced to deal with a barrage of unfounded claims of voter fraud, which some worried could lead to violence. The leading candidate in the recall process quickly conceded and made little mention of fraud in the concession. Overall, recall day in California went well with very few problems reported from in-person voting. In Tehama County, some mail ballots had a print error that has caused the tabulator to not be able to read the ballots, according to the Tehama County Clerk and Recorder/Registrar of Voters. The error was caused by a human error by Tehama County’s ballot printing vendor. In Kern County, elections officials praised the use of curbside drop-off for ballots that helped speed up the process. In Shasta County, a ballot scanner at one polling place temporarily stopped working, but voters were able to put their ballots in a drop-off bin. While there were no major problems reported in Los Angeles County, one of the largest voting districts in the country, one poll worker at a West Hollywood polling place caused quite a stir when he showed up decked out in Trump paraphernalia from head to toe. After he refused to change he was escorted from the polling site. There were some lines at vote centers in Orange County. It’s estimated that the recall’s final cost could be close to $300 million.

Voter Education: Several dozen people showed up to a recent voter education event in Utah County, Utah to learn more about the state’s election process. Josh Daniels, Utah County clerk/auditor, told KUER that after last year’s presidential election, there were a lot of questions about voting integrity. “We are getting an unprecedented amount of public interest in the results of the 2020 election, in the topic of election security,” Daniels said. “Election officials are under more scrutiny than ever before,” Daniels said. “They’re being asked questions they’ve never been asked before. There’s public records requests that are at an all-time high. So [we’re] just trying to be proactive and host an event like [this] to get out ahead of it and share what we do and answer questions.” Daniels spoke about topics like security measures in place and how they track the ballots from the mail to their office. Rep. Steve Christiansen, R-West Jordan, also attended the event. He said he wanted to hear about the concerns from voters because he’s planning to introduce election reform legislation during this upcoming General Session. “All I am attempting to do is to introduce changes that will help people to feel much more comfortable, that our elections are being conducted in a trustworthy way,” Christiansen said. Daniels said the county plans on hosting more events in the future to answer questions from residents and bring more transparency to the process. Additionally, in Chaffee County, Colorado, the clerk’s ballot processing space has recently gone through a renovation that will allow for more room for staff and greater transparency for election observers. Clerk Lori Mitchell is providing tours for those interested in checking out the new space.

Pennsylvania Department of State: This week, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D) withdrew his nominee to be Pennsylvania’s top elections official, accusing state Senate Republicans of turning the confirmation process into a partisan charade. Wolf said Republican leaders were seeking a “record number” of hearings to confirm his acting secretary of state, Veronica Degraffenreid, and said she has been the victim of desperate and baseless smears by the top-ranking GOP leader. According to The Morning Call, Wolf says the highest-ranking state senator, Republican Jake Corman of Centre County, has accused Degraffenreid of hiding something without giving her an opportunity to respond. In response, Corman issued a statement saying the Senate was not obligated to honor Wolf’s request to withdraw her from consideration and the GOP caucus is considering how to proceed with her nomination. The governor said he was convinced Senate Republicans “plan on using her confirmation as an opportunity to descend further into conspiracy theories and work to please the former president by spreading lies about last year’s election.” “There were no irregularities, no conspiracies and no fraud that occurred,” Wolf said. He said Degraffenreid will continue in the secretary’s role on an acting basis.

Congratulations: Cobb County, Georgia  Elections and Registration Director Janine Eveler has been selected the winner of the 2021 Ann Hicks Award during this year’s Georgia Association of Voter Registration and Elections Officials Conference. This award is presented to an election official to recognize their excellence in elections administration, according to a Cobb County statement. Eveler helped carry Cobb County through the 2020 election cycle, using the new statewide voting system administered by Dominion Voting Systems, which has a nearly $107 million contract that began in July 2019. She was presented the award by Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger during the banquet on the final night of the Aug. 29 to Sept. 1 conference on Jekyll Island. Congratulations also go out to Canton Township, Michigan Clerk Michael Siegrist for winning the Michigan Association of Municipal Clerks Township Clerk of the Year award by Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson during a ceremony held in Frankenmuth.  “When I took office in 2016, I didn’t know how to be a clerk,” Siegrist told Hometown Life. “I had to learn. Outgoing clerk Terry Bennett gave me a couple key clerks’ cell phone numbers as people to call if I had issues. One clerk I reached out to was Northville Township’s Sue Hildebrand when I couldn’t figure something out, and she was great. Like they say, sometimes life gives you the test before the lesson.” Siegrist believes his passion for paying forward the help he received five years ago is a major reason he secured the award for Michigan’s top clerk in 2021. “I love to assist new clerks, just like Sue Hildebrand helped me,” Siegrist said. “What’s cool about this award is that I was nominated by four people. It’s a pretty proud moment in my career.”

New Polling Place Alert: This week Erie County, New York announced that the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site would become Buffalo’s 38th early voting location beginning with the November election. “In 1901, the Inaugural site was the setting for a ceremony that represented the continuity of our democracy,” Election Commissioner Jeremy Zellner said. “When early voting was implemented two years ago, we resolved to provide far more locations than required by law, simply given the county’s physical size and population,” Election Commissioner Ralph Mohr said. Early voting in Erie County will start on October 23 and continue through October 31. Voting hours are Noon to 9 p.m. on weekdays and Noon to 6 p.m. on weekends.

Personnel News: Cathy Woolard is the new chairwoman of the Fulton County, Georgia elections board.  Jacqueline Lawton is the newest member of the Port Royal, South Carolina municipal elections commission. Antwan Lang has resigned from the Chatham County, Georgia board of elections. William Cline is stepping down from the Stark County, Ohio board of elections after 17 years. Mark Munroe and Bob Wasko are stepping down from the Mahoning County, Ohio board of elections. Shawn Camp, interim director of the Pulaski County, Arkansas election commission has been removed. Former state Senator Eddie Joe Williams has announced his candidacy for Arkansas secretary of state. Steve Ulrich, has been demoted as director of elections in York County, Pennsylvania. Helen Spalding has been removed from the Beaufort, South Carolina elections commission. Jefferson County, Arkansas Clerk Shawndra Taggart announced her intentions to seek a third term. Clinton County Auditor Eric Van Lacker announced his run for the Democratic nomination in Iowa’s Secretary of State. State Rep. Gregg Amore has announced his candidacy for Rhode Island secretary of state.

Legislative Updates

Federal Legislation: Senate Democrats have introduced new voting rights legislation. The Freedom to Vote Act includes many provisions from the For the People Act. The revised bill would make Election Day a public holiday, ensure that every state offers same-day voter registration, set minimum federal standards on mail voting and ban partisan gerrymandering, among its provisions. The bill also includes a voter identification provision but would allow voters casting ballots in person to “present a broad set of identification cards and documents in hard copy and digital form.” The new legislation, unveiled Tuesday morning by Minnesota Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar and several co-sponsors, builds off a framework proposed by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia) who had opposed an earlier, sweeping measure from his party. Along with Manchin, the new bill’s co-sponsors are Democratic Sens. Raphael Warnock of Georgia, Jon Tester of Montana, Tim Kaine of Virginia, Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Alex Padilla of California, along with Maine independent Sen. Angus King. “The right to vote is fundamental to our Democracy and the Freedom to Vote Act is a step in the right direction towards protecting that right for every American,” Manchin said. “As elected officials, we also have an obligation to restore [people’s] faith in our Democracy, and I believe that the commonsense provisions in this bill — like flexible voter ID requirements — will do just that.” The new legislation also includes steps to prevent election subversion. The statement said it would establish “protections to insulate nonpartisan state and local officials who administer federal elections from undue partisan interference or control.” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has said the chamber will proceed to the bill as soon as next week.

Alaska:  The Juneau Assembly has committed $700,000 to convert a city warehouse into a ballot processing center. The facility will support a permanent move to holding local elections by mail. Juneau did that for the first time in 2020 because of pandemic concerns, and will again for the election that begins this week and ends Oct. 5. For now, Juneau’s election officials are relying on Anchorage for a secure facility and equipment to count ballots. City officials expect the facility to be ready for next year’s local election.

Massachusetts: After approximately a quarter of the city’s voters cast ballots in Tuesday’s preliminary municipal election, it took elections officials12 hours to tabulate results. The reason: 7,000 day-of votes received via drop boxes and mail slowed the process. It was the first time the city used the voting methods in a local election. At their meeting on Wednesday, the city council approved an ordinance that, if signed by acting Mayor Kim Janey, would provide pre-paid envelopes to voters who request to vote by mail, since postage payment was an impediment for some. Councilor Lydia Edwards estimated that it would cost at most $150,000.

North Carolina: North Carolina’s attorney general would no longer be able to settle lawsuits against the state without the approval of legislative leaders, under a bill heading to Gov. Roy Cooper. In a 58-47 party-line vote, the House gave final approval to Senate Bill 360. The measure states that, if the state’s top lawmakers are part of a lawsuit, either as defendants or interveners, it can’t be settled without their permission. The bill was drafted in response to a settlement last fall that changed the state’s absentee ballot rules, allowing a later deadline for mailed ballots and ballots to be accepted without a witness signature. Rep. Destin Hall, R-Caldwell, said during House debate that the challenge to the state’s absentee ballot rules essentially became “a friendly lawsuit” because it was filed by Democratic lawyers represented the plaintiffs, Democrats held the majority on the State Board of Elections and Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein’s office represented the state.

Virginia: Gov. Ralph Northam (D) ceremoniously signed legislation which aims to further protect the right to vote in a state with a history of disenfranchising minorities.  “Voting is the backbone of our democracy,” Governor Ralph Northam said at a ceremony in Norfolk for the Voting Rights Act of Virginia, a first of its kind effort in the South.  Flanked by the Black, female elected officials who were the architects of the legislation, he said the law is an important part of righting the state’s racist past. “Everybody, without any obstacles, should have the opportunity to vote,” Northam said.  The bill protects against changes to election rules or circumstances that could limit the voting rights of minorities via a state-level preclearance requirement. If a town or county seeks to change voting laws, they must first submit the proposed changes to the state attorney general’s office to review it against existing state and federal nondiscrimination laws. The Virginia legislation, which also makes it easier for people to sue in cases of voter suppression, was signed into law by Northam in March and it took effect in July.  The law has already been put to use since it took effect this summer. According the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, filings have been summited by 10 localities. Three were questions related to future redistricting issues and the other seven were requests for changes to local election laws that were granted with no objection. Mecklenburg County General Registrar Jason Corwin was among those who had to go through the new preclearance process when they moved his office to a new building.  “It was a fairly smooth process,” he said of the review before the AG’s office. He wasn’t sure the process was needed for his district, one that’s still majority-minority, as he said officials there strive to include minority voices whenever their election operations change.

Legal Updates

Arizona: The Arizona Supreme Court rejected an effort by the state Senate to keep secret records of its ongoing review of the 2020 election in Maricopa County that are in the possession of the contractors conducting the recount. The high court without comment rejected the appeal filed after an appeals court and trial court both ruled the documents are public records that must be released. The court also dissolved a stay on the appeals court ruling it put in place on Aug. 24 so it could review the record and decide whether to accept the appeal. The Arizona Court of Appeals had ruled that the documents sought by the watchdog group American Oversight detailing how the recount and audit are being conducted are public and must be turned over. The court said the main contractor, Florida company Cyber Ninjas, was subject to the records law because it was performing a core government function that the Senate farmed out. “Allowing the legislature to disregard the clear mandate of the (public records law) would undermine the integrity of the legislative process and discourage transparency, which contradicts the purpose of both the immunity doctrine and the (law),” acting presiding Judge Maria Elena Cruz wrote for the three-judge panel.

Kansas: U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson signed off on a deal that would see the state pay out over $1.4 million in legal fees to a group of attorneys, including the American Civil Liberties Union, stemming from a prolonged court fight over a controversial voting law favored by former Secretary of State Kris Kobach. Attorneys for the state and lawyers for Kansas residents challenging the law in two federal lawsuits agreed to the amount during negotiations. They filed a joint request Friday to have U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson sign off. The attorneys suing the Kansas secretary of state’s office over the law would receive $1.53 million to cover their fees and another $370,000 for expenses. The lawyers had sought more than $3.3 million.

Also in Kansas, this week Shawnee County District Court Judge Teresa Watson heard arguments from plaintiffs in a suit seeking to halt controversial voting laws enacted this year, saying it is substantially harming their operations and speech rights ahead of the November municipal election. Their objection centers on two election laws that took effect earlier this year amid a nationwide effort in Republican states to tighten voting laws. The groups — led by Loud Light, Kansas Appleseed and the League of Women’s Voters — filed suit over the matter in June, arguing the laws violated the Kansas Constitution. Lawyers for the groups later filed for a temporary restraining order, blocking implementation part of one of the laws — House Bill 2183 — until a fuller ruling could be made on the case. The group’s main argument stresses that their voter registration activities puts them at risk for prosecution under a provision in the bill which criminalizes impersonating an election official. Bradley Schlozman, a private attorney representing the state on the matter, noted the language of HB 2183 only applies if an individual is knowingly aiming to represent themselves as an election official. Watson said she would have a ruling on the restraining order “very shortly.”

Michigan: Attorneys are seeking $204,000 in fees for successfully defending Detroit and Michigan from a post-election lawsuit filed by lawyers aligned with former President Donald Trump. The tally filed Wednesday came two weeks after a judge said the lawyers, including Sidney Powell and L. Lin Wood, would pay a penalty for pursuing the case. The final figure will be determined later. Detroit was represented by lawyers in private practice. They’re seeking $182,000. The Michigan attorney general’s office is requesting about $22,000.

Montana:  Montana Youth Action, Forward Montana Foundation and the Montana Public Interest Research Group — are suing Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen challenging several changes to Montana’s election laws enacted by the Legislature, calling them “a cocktail of voter suppression measures that land heavily on the young.” The lawsuit, filed in Yellowstone County District Court, targets three bills passed by Republican lawmakers and signed into law by Gov. Greg Gianforte earlier this year. Two are already the subject of existing lawsuits: Senate Bill 169, which tightened voter identification requirements, including requiring that student IDs be augmented with another form of identification for in-person voting; and House Bill 176, which ended Election Day registration in Montana. House Bill 506 previously received attention for a series of last-minute changes to the bill by Republicans, who amended it to alter the process for drawing Montana’s new congressional district. Thursday’s lawsuit challenges a different aspect of that law, which prevents ballots from being mailed out to new voters in advance of their 18th birthdays. In their lawsuit, the groups argue that voter participation among young Montanans jumped substantially during the 2020 election, adding that the three plaintiffs have been actively involved in increasing turnout among voters between the ages of 18 and 29. “The laws at issue here were passed for no reason other than the professed bogeyman of voter fraud, for which legislators did not and could not produce evidence,” the lawsuit continues. “Indeed, bill sponsors could not identify any benefits of their bills that would justify the adverse impact they will have — together and separately — on the ability of Montana youth to remain active and engaged participants in democracy.”

New Jersey: State Superior Court Judge Ernest Caposela stopped ballots from being printed for two towns mired in a dispute over how many seats each one should get on the Manchester Regional Board of Education. The dispute started after 2020 census results were released in August and appeared to show that Haledon leapfrogged over North Haledon in population. Haledon filed a lawsuit, arguing for the greatest representation on the regional school board in light of the new numbers. As of now, North Haledon elects four trustees, and Haledon three. Prospect Park, which is not involved in the case, has two members. Haledon scored a small victory when Judge Ernest Caposela ordered from his Paterson bench that ballots for Haledon and North Haledon not be printed until further notice. And he ruled that the Passaic County clerk must accept new candidates from Haledon who want to run for the regional school board.

New York:  The Brooklyn chapter of the NAACP filed a lawsuit in federal court against both the New York State and New York City Boards of Elections, alleging the agencies were violating the U.S. Constitution when they prohibited groups from offering support – and refreshments – to voters waiting in lines at poll sites. Lawyers for the civil-rights organization pointed to a passage of state election law, dating back more than a century, that criminalizes the act of providing food or water to people waiting in line to vote and is known as the “Line-Warming Ban.” “The Line Warming Ban needlessly criminalizes the provision of such support,” the complaint states, arguing that it blocks entities like the Brooklyn NAACP, “from engaging in the protected expressive conduct of celebrating our democracy and the determination of voters willing to wait in long lines to exercise their right to vote.”

North Carolina: North Carolina’s highest court has ruled that felony offenders who are out of prison and registered to vote in North Carolina during a roughly 10-day period thanks to a recent order by trial judges will remain on voting rolls for now.  The state Supreme Court declined to reinstate an order last month that declared any offender no longer behind bars could register.  But the court declared that a felony offender who registered to vote because the order was enforceable at the time “are legally registered voters” until told otherwise. Those offenders can vote in this fall’s municipal elections.

Texas: A U.S. magistrate judge recommended striking down parts of Texas law that prohibit wearing political apparel within 100 feet of a polling place as unconstitutionally vague — but upholding a narrower provision that specifies that clothing bearing messages related to what’s on the ballot can be banned. The issue first arose in 2018 when Harris County resident Jillian Ostrewich wore a Houston firefighters T-shirt to a polling place and election workers told her to turn it inside out because it related to Prop B, a pay parity measure for firefighters on that ballot that year. Claiming she was unconstitutionally censored and her right to free speech infringed upon, she sued Harris County and state officials. The case puts to the test a U.S. Supreme Court ruling from June of that year in which the justices struck down a Minnesota law that banned voters from displaying “issue-oriented” apparel at the polls for being overbroad. The Texas suit was brought by Pacific Legal Foundation, the same California-based libertarian public interest law firm that won the Minnesota case.

Opinions This Week

National Opinions: Voting rights, II, III | Election security | CISA | Honest elections | Joe Manchin, II | Words matter | Federal legislation, II

Alaska: Federal election legislation;

Arizona: Ballot review

Colorado: Election threats

California: Election reform | Recall, II, III, IV, V | Poll workers | Voter fraud

Georgia: DeKalb County;

Louisiana: Election date change, II

Massachusetts: Turnout

Pennsylvania: Litigation, II | Voter fraud | Protecting the vote

Texas: Election law, II, III | Voter access | Ballot review

Virginia: Sunday voting | Election laws

West Virginia: Voter registration

Wisconsin: Ballot review

Wyoming: Runoffs, II

Upcoming Events

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.

Ranked Choice Voting Citizen Engagement Forum: Curious if there might be better alternatives to our elections system? Been hearing about Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) and want to learn more? Join us as we tackle the topic through a nonpartisan lens, with an opportunity to have your questions answered by those most familiar with RCV. Our volunteer moderated panel includes Cara McCormick, co-founder of The Committee for Ranked Choice Voting, the historic campaign that made Maine the first state in the nation to adopt ranked choice voting for its state and federal elections. When: September 28, 8pm Eastern. Where: Online.

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

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.

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.

Communications Liaison, Hillsborough County, Florida— The Supervisor of Elections administers all federal, state, county, municipal and special district elections in Hillsborough County. It’s our responsibility to process all voter registration applications received from qualified Florida residents, and also to educate Hillsborough County residents about registering to vote. We issue Voter Information Cards to all newly registered voters, and reissue those cards when there are changes to a voter’s registration information or polling place. Maintaining our voter database is a huge undertaking and one we take great care with. We hold countywide elections, as well as municipal elections for the City of Tampa, Plant City and Temple Terrace, and work with the county and municipalities periodically on reapportionment, redistricting and drawing precinct boundaries. Candidates for county, district and special district offices file and qualify for candidacy with our office. We also receive the forms and financial reports that candidates, committees and political parties are required to file. And our office verifies and certifies all petition signatures for candidates and ballot initiatives. Participates in all aspects of the communications department, engaging in a wide range of community outreach efforts to register voters and provide information about voting and elections, as well as working on event planning, marketing, media outreach and candidate services. Salary: Salary starting $44,790.  – $55,987. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Communications Manager, Sarasota County, Florida— This position of Communications Manager is responsible for the development, implementation and evaluation of communication initiatives for the Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections. These communication efforts include sharing timely and relevant elections-related information with voters, media, government agencies and internal staff through written and electronic communication mediums. This nonpartisan and nonpolitical position supports the mission and responsibilities of the supervisor of elections, provides guidance and leadership to temporary and permanent office staff regarding all communications activities. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Consultant, The Carter Center— The Democracy Program at The Carter Center works globally to support democratic elections and strengthen participatory democracy, consistent with human rights. The overarching objective is to enhance democratic governance and increase effective political participation for all, especially groups that have been historically disadvantaged or that face political, cultural, or socioeconomic barriers. This includes women, racial and ethnic minorities, indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, youth, elderly people, and other marginalized groups. This consultant position will support the U.S. Election Project within the Democracy Program including a team of Carter Center staff and a consultant team, to conduct a short-term assessment of election related issues in Arizona, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, or Michigan, focusing on the electoral/political environment and the landscape for non-partisan election observation. Key Responsibilities; In close coordination with, and assisted by relevant project staff, participate in remote meetings with a broad range of relevant stakeholders in Arizona, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, or Michigan in order to provide expert analysis and advice to Carter Center staff on electoral developments and the landscape for non-partisan election observation in the state; Together with project staff, assist in identifying and contacting key stakeholders such as political leaders, election officials, and civil society representatives to organize remote meetings to inform the assessment; Prepare written talking points and background information in advance of meetings; In consultation with other project staff, collect data to inform planning for a potential election observation mission; Conduct other necessary prep work to support the assessment; Draft a 4-6 page report on the findings of the assessment mission including analysis on key electoral and political issues in Arizona, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, or Michigan and assist in drafting a 2-page trip report for Carter Center senior management; and Remain available for consultation (phone or email) as final decisions are made by Carter Center staff regarding project implementation in Arizona, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, or Michigan. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Director of Elections, Utah Lieutenant Governor’s Office— The Lt. Governor’s Office is seeking a Director of Elections to provide administrative leadership and management to the Elections Office. The Director of Elections oversees the coordination of elections administration with county clerks and municipal recorders. These activities include election official and poll worker training, voter registration, election result tabulation and canvassing, voter outreach and filing federal reports. Report directly and regularly to the Lieutenant Governor on all Director of Election duties, including election administration, legal, legislative, public outreach, campaign finance, lobbyist regulation, budget, and staff issues. Election Administration Duties: Interact with state, federal, county, and municipal officials to ensure efficiency; provide analysis and interpretation of election and reporting requirements under the law; Interpret, clarify, explain, and apply election policy and procedures, practices, federal and state laws and regulations, etc.; Coordinate with state political parties and candidates each cycle; Coordinate with 29 counties to unify election practices and provide training; Coordinate with federal partners such as EAC, FVAP, DOJ, DHS/CISA; Oversee the research and response to voter inquiries and complaints; Coordinate with state and federal partners to keep elections safe and secure; Oversee primary and general election preparation; Oversee candidate signature verification; and Oversee initiative and referendum process. Salary: $28.70 – $55.66 Hourly. Deadline: September 23. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Early Voting Specialist, Wake County, North Carolina— Are you looking to be more involved in your community? Do you have a passion for learning? Are you ready to be a part of democracy in the making? If so, get ready to roll up your sleeves and become a part of history! The Wake County Board of Elections is currently seeking an Early Voting Specialist to join our dynamic and talented Early Voting Team. The ideal candidate will be a strong communicator who thrives in a fast paced, ever changing work environment. They will have a clear understanding of the commonly accepted instructional design models, know what is takes to be a behind the scenes designer, and have a strong visual sense and excellent project management skills. The Early Voting Specialist will also assist with planning and management of Early Voting. This includes logistics, such as identifying and inspecting potential voting sites, communicating with facility staff, scheduling election service vendors, and managing voting site support operations. In addition, they will assist in the physically demanding work of setting up Early Voting sites. What will you do as an Early Voting Specialist? Develop and design training material for election workers, including classroom presentations, manuals, quick reference guides, workbooks, training videos, and e-learning modules; Teach training classes via Zoom or in person at the Board of Elections Operations Center; Monitor and assess election law changes and incorporate the changes into Early Voting site procedures; Identify training needs and solutions, collaborate with team members on best practices, develop training assessments, and implement changes in response to the assessments; Manage the logistics of early voting training, including recruiting and training classroom instructors, scheduling classroom facilities, recruiting and supervising training assistants, and preparing training budget needs; Manage the Learning Management System through user interface design, user record management, course creation, and uploading of SCORM packages; Develop high level design documents, storyboards, audio narration scripts, status reporting, Q&A and testing plans; Schedule and design layouts for training facilities; Develop and design election forms, Precinct Official website, newsletters, assessments, and other communications; Answer calls on the Early Voting support help line, including training help line staff, managing telephone, website, and live chat support tools, and managing help line staff schedules; Listen and respond to voter complaints; Identify innovative training tools and methods to enhance the Early Voting training program; Assist with Early Voting site management, including scheduling, communication, support, logistics, database management, and site setups; and Assist with election support operations, including answering phone calls at the Precinct Official support help line and performing post-election reconciliation procedures. Salary: Hiring Range: $17.49 – $23.60. Deadline: September 19. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Election Administrator, Bell County, Texas—From being an expert on election law to understanding election machine technology to being a detail-oriented person while still seeing the big event that is an election, the Elections Administrator must take ownership of the entire election process from start to finish. This position directs the daily operations of the elections office to ensure the lawful conduct and integrity of Federal, State, County, and local elections. The Elections Administrator performs the duties and functions of the Voter Registrar for the county; performs election-related duties as may be required by federal, state, and/or local law; is responsible for the conduct of elections, to include but is not limited to: preparing ballots, ordering ballots, furnishing and maintaining election equipment and supplies. Deadline: September 16. 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.

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.

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 Program Specialist, North Carolina State Board of Elections– Will have extensive knowledge of election administration and voter registration. They will perform detailed planning and preparation and all administrative work associated with North Carolina Elections law in assuring that the voter registration program in North Carolina is carried out. Performs work in assuring that registering to vote is available through the appropriate channels to all eligible citizens and that the registration process is administered by all North Carolina county boards of elections. Work involves consulting with election program stakeholders internal to and external to the agency, and considerable analysis and interpretation of data and trends in the program area of assignment. Develops and reviews procedures, instructions, forms, and program materials for voter registration, including assisting counties in implementation, administration, and compliance of voter registration procedures, laws, and regulations. Performs work coordinating with the legal division of the State Board of Elections in providing registration forms, correspondence and processes compliant with NVRA and with General Statute 163. Performs work with the State Election Information Management System (SEIMS) infrastructure team in assuring that the application process in the SEIMS database is compliant in all 100 counties. Collaborates with the communications division to develop and maintain web content and other public documents pertaining to these areas. Collaborates with public service agencies in assuring that all are in compliance with NVRA regulations and processes. Works with development, implementation, and maintenance of online voter registration application services. Assists counties and state board of election staff with voter registration list maintenance. Supervise and work with program assistant and seasonal temporary workers to carry out program standards and objectives. Salary: $46,203 – $78,218 Annually. Deadline: Sept. 27. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

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