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Election News This Week

Paperwork Part I: Elections officials across America are drowning in virtual paperwork following the 2020 election. An article from NBC News highlights the issue of public records requests that are overwhelming some elections offices, especially those smaller offices that don’t necessarily have a staff member dedicated to fulfilling such requests. Officials in five states—Arizona, Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Virginia—told NBC News that the number of asks, which include requests for voter rolls, images of ballots and technical information about voting machines, has surged in the last year despite overwhelming evidence that U.S. elections are fair and free. “Every other day there’s a new public records request on something from 2020 or some process,” said Wesley Wilcox, the supervisor of elections in Marion County, Florida. “I spend the vast majority of my day either just providing accurate information, fighting myths and rumors, responding to public records requests.” All but one of the officials interviewed for this article said the time-consuming requests are stretching their limited resources and that they take up a significant amount of time.

Paperwork Part II: Route 50, a publication that focuses on state and local governments, has an interesting article this week about how supply change issues with paper could impact the 2022 elections. We’ve already seen that to some extent in Texas with issues surrounding enough paper to print new voter registration forms to accommodate language from new laws. “It’s difficult to know exactly what the impact will be because we are not sure at what point these supply deficits will be filled,” Democracy Fund’s Tammy Patrick told Route Fifty. “We have a situation where we have this high-quality ballot paper stock that we need for things ranging from voter registration forms, envelopes, provisional ballot forms, applications for ballots and even something as simple as a voter identification card,” she said, adding that U.S. elections are “still deeply rooted in the use of paper.”

 

Celebrating the 26th Amendment: The National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) presented the 2021 Margaret Chase Smith American Democracy Award for political courage posthumously to U.S. Senator Jennings Randolph. Throughout his distinguished career, Senator Randolph demonstrated tireless determination to successfully pass the 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, granting 18, 19, and 20-year-old American citizens the right to vote.  “Senator Randolph was a champion for young people’s suffrage. His relentless dedication was the perfect example of selfless action in the realm of public service that this award is meant to honor,” said Kyle Ardoin, NASS President and Louisiana Secretary of State. “The members of NASS are tremendously proud to recognize him for his important work and historic legacy.” Senator Randolph was nominated for the award by West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner. “West Virginia is honored to call Senator Jennings Randolph one of our own. Randolph once said, ‘I believe that our young people possess a great social conscience, are perplexed by the injustices which exist in the world and are anxious to rectify these ills.’ Senator Randolph’s confidence in the youth of our nation paired with his sheer tenacity is what turned his efforts into reality. He is an in­spiration to me and a true American statesman,” said Warner. During the ceremony held at the West Virginia State Capitol the award was virtual­ly accepted by Senator Randolph’s two sons, Mr. Jennings “Jay” Randolph, Jr., and Mr. Frank Randolph. The audience was made up of over 200 student leaders from 21 Jennings Randolph Award-winning West Virginia high schools recognized for registering at least 75 percent of eligible students to vote. Additionally, the ceremony honored the 50th anniversary of Ms. Ella Mae Thompson Haddix’s voter registration, the first 18-year-old in America registered to vote. At the time, Haddix was a student at West Virginia’s Davis & Elkins College and was escorted to register by Senator Randolph.

Secretary of State: Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos (D) has announced that he will not be seeking re-election in 2022 and plans to retire at the end of his term. “While I have enjoyed this job every day, I am looking forward to a new chapter next January at the conclusion of my current term,” Condos said. During his 12-year tenure, Condos has overseen the implementation of same day registration, automatic voter registration, online voter registration, ADA accessible voting, enhanced cybersecurity, universal vote-by-mail, ballot drop boxes, and ballot curing. “The position of Secretary of State is critically important in the protection of citizens’ voting rights and upholding our democracy,” Condos said. “It should not be viewed as merely a stepping-stone for higher office.” Although he’s leaving the office far more advanced than he found it, he is concerned about the future. “Our Democracy is in dire straits right now, and I really believe that we have to take steps to re-take and reset the democratic principles that we have always operated under,” Condos said.

New Report:  A new report from Nonprofit VOTE, based on data from a 2021 Urban Institute survey, sheds new light on the prevalence of voter engagement across America’s nonprofit sector, and its relation to racial equity work and the communities served by nonprofits. The report, entitled “America’s Nonprofits Get Out the Vote,” represents the first-of-its-kind analysis of voter engagement, including voter registration and get-out-the-vote work, across the nonprofit sector as a whole. “Finding out that 20% of America’s nonprofits do voter engagement work is an affirmation of what we have always believed – that nonprofits across the nation understand their vital role inbuilding democracy,” says Brian Miller, Executive Director of Nonprofit VOTE. “But the fact that the share of nonprofits doing voter engagement work climbs dramatically for nonprofits serving or led by communities of color shows that these nonprofits see the crucial link to racial equity and fostering a more inclusive democracy.” The new report shows clear trends  that suggest a key driver in motivating nonprofits is the connection between democracy building and racial equity. Among nonprofits primarily serving Black or Hispanic communities, communities historically underrepresented in our democracy, 34-35% do voter engagement work. In addition to the community served, who is leading the organization matters. “For those looking for a definitive connection between democracy building and diversity, equity and inclusion work, this report acts like a roadmap to guide you directly to the kinds of nonprofit organizations having the biggest impact,” says Lindsay Torrico, Vice President of Policy and Advocacy at United Way Worldwide. “We see the results as a mandate to nonprofits eager to create a more inclusive democracy, as well as the philanthropic community who can help fund and expand their efforts.”

Personnel News: Outgoing Virginia Elections Commissioner Chris Piper has found a new role as chief operation officer at The Elections Group. Monroe County Supervisor of Elections Joyce Griffin has announced she will not seek re-election. Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey has announced she’s running for Congress. Mesa County, Colorado Clerk Tina Peters has announced her candidacy for secretary of state. Dodge County, Nebraska Clerk Fred Mytty will not seek re-election. Marine City, Michigan Clerk Kristen Baxter is stepping down. Mark A. Robbins has been appointed the interim executive director of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. Randolph County, Missouri Clerk Will Ellis has announced his resignation effective March1. Walworth County, Wisconsin Clerk Kim Bushey has announced her retirement effective April2. She was first elected in 1996. Marcus Lyon is the new North Adams, Massachusetts city clerk. Grosse Point Woods City, Michigan Clerk Lisa Hathaway has resigned. Julie Haertsch has been appointed the new York County, Pennsylvania director of voter registration and elections. Rep. Terrie Wood (R-Darien) has announced her candidacy for Connecticut secretary of state.

In Memoriam: Longtime Alexandria, Virginia Registrar Anna Leider has died after a battle with cancer. She was 62. Leider retired in 2021 after managing more than 40 elections for the city. Leider was remembered as an adept manager of elections and a passionate baseball fan. “Anna was brilliant, kind, and had a wonderful smile,” former Mayor Allison Silberberg wrote on Facebook. “Her enthusiasm for life was contagious. A few years ago, I ran into her at the start of a Nats game. I distinctly remember how she was all decked out in Nats gear, ready for the game. Later, she cherished that our team won the World Series.” Although she was a big baseball fan, when she was 16 she entered a national essay contest for 14-18 year olds sponsored by the National Football League which asked students to describe “The NFL’s Role in American History.” Her essay, “Why is Football so American won her a $10,000 NFL college scholarship and tickets to Super Bowl X. Leider graduated with a B.A. from Amherst College in Massachusetts and an MBA from New York University. Jack Powers, Secretary of the Alexandria Electoral Board said, “Anna Leider was the General Registrar when I was appointed to the Electoral Board in March of 2015. I immediately knew I was in the presence of an intelligent, resourceful, and compassionate leader. She knew the details of election laws and practices extremely well. She was able to communicate with Alexandria’s voters, elected and appointed officials, as well as her staff and the Board so we all understood what are often arcane legal matters and practices. The Alexandria Electoral Board, as well as our community, has lost one of its best.”

Election Security Updates

Colorado: Following high-profile security/protocol breaches, Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold has announced that the state is adopting new election security requirements. The new rules restrict access to the voting systems, with new requirements for account access and cutting in half the number of people who can get inside voting systems. The rules are said to be temporary but will be effective immediately. The directives include:

• Password and User Account Security: Creates various additional requirements for passwords and user accounts for voting system equipment.
• Acceptable Use Policy: Requires signing of the Department of State’s “acceptable use” policy for voting system equipment for individuals who will have access to that equipment. This is comparable to our acceptable use policy for the statewide voter registration database (SCORE), which has been in place for several years.
• Hard Drive Imaging: Prohibits the creation of images of the hard drives of the voting system equipment and disclosure of such images without prior approval by the Department of State.
• Trusted Build Procedures: Addresses procedures that county clerks must follow during a trusted build, including that evidence of a successful background check must be disclosed to the Department of State for all individuals who will be present during the trusted build. In addition, the county clerk must ensure that the trusted build is conducted under video surveillance.
• Seal Requirements: Counties must continuously comply with seal requirements and may not allow any unattended voting system component to remain unsealed at any point after trusted build has been installed on the component.
• Access to Secures Areas and Voting Systems: Any individual who is prohibited from having physical contact with any voting equipment under section 1-5-607(1), C.R.S. may not access a room with voting equipment unless accompanied by one or more individuals with authorized access. This means that in counties with a population over 100,000, elected officials may not enter a room with voting equipment alone. Prior to the temporary rules, only physically accessing equipment was restricted.
• Access to Election Management Systems: Counties may grant administrative privileges to no more than four individual users, which is a decrease from 10 previously authorized, further access permission is approved by the Department of State. Counties must identify the employees with administrative privileges in the security plan filed with the Department of State.

“Every Colorado voter, Republican, Democrat, and Unaffiliated alike, deserves accessible and secure elections. As Secretary of State, I will always protect the integrity of our election system,” said Griswold. “These rules address emerging security risks and will reinforce Colorado’s national leadership in election security.”

Legislative Updates

Federal Funding: Thirty-three Democratic senators urged President Biden to include $5 billion for grants to state and local governments to improve election security in his budget proposal for next year. “Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of our democracy, and we know that you share our commitment to ensuring our elections are well funded so that all Americans can make their voices heard at the ballot box,” wrote the senators led by Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat who chairs the Senate rules and administration committee, which has oversight over federal elections. “We must continue to help both state and local election officials modernize their voting equipment, improve the administration of elections, and strengthen cybersecurity for election systems,” the letter said in urging Biden to include the funding in his upcoming fiscal year 2023 budget proposal. According to The Washington Post, the vagaries of Senate rules mean any action this year would have to be bipartisan, and Republicans appear to be highly skeptical of any new election spending. Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.), who helped engineer a $380 million federal investment in elections in 2018, said there was simply too much federal money left unspent by the states to consider additional rounds of funding. According to the federal Election Assistance Commission, roughly $435 million in election security funding remains unused in state accounts. That funding, however, cannot generally be used to cover increased operating costs; in most cases, states are holding it in reserve for planned voting machine upgrades. The $400 million in 2020 covid emergency aid, meanwhile, is largely spent and cannot be used for this year’s election in any case. “I’m just not looking to be able to send the states more money for election stuff when they already have it,” Lankford told The Post. Congress could pass a new omnibus appropriations bill as soon as next month, spending more than $1 trillion to keep government agencies funded through September. But that deal is unlikely to include significant money to help beleaguered state and local election officials, lawmakers said this month.

Arizona: The Arizona Republic has a great primer about the 100-plus elections-related bills that have been introduced in the Legislature. It’s a subscriber-only article, but well worth the read if you have a subscription and honestly, if you follow elections closely, it may be time to subscribe to this particular publication. According to the paper, about 140 bills of nearly 1,700 bills submitted at the Legislature this year deal with some aspect of elections. Some of the bills by Republican and Democratic legislators make only technical changes to voting or the election system. About two dozen are progressive ideas supported by Democrats that don’t stand a chance in the GOP-dominated Legislature. The remaining proposals address issues of security in elections and who is allowed to vote. Many have raised concerns about voter suppression and practical governance of elections. Eighteen lawmakers are listed as prime sponsors of the 100-plus bills, but just five are responsible for more than half. Legislative rules require a committee hearing on each bill by Feb. 18 — House bills in House committees, Senate bills in Senate committees. Bills that fail that first step likely won’t progress for the year. If the bills pass the full House and Senate, the next important date for them is March 25. That’s when bills must again be heard in committee, but House bills must be heard in Senate committees and vice-versa.

The Senate Government Committee has approved Senate Bill 1573 which would overhaul the way counties conduct post-election hand count audits of ballots. After every election, counties must conduct a hand count of ballots from 2% of its precincts and 1% of the early ballots cast to ensure they match up with the tallies from the machines used to tabulate ballots. Counties can base their hand counts on voting centers instead of precincts if that’s how they conduct their elections. The audits are conducted by members of county political party organizations. The bill would make other significant changes to the post-election audits. Hand counts would take on a greater significance because counties would be barred from conducting their official election canvasses until the audits were completed. Counties would have to count at least 5% of precincts’ ballots instead of 2%. They currently have the option of counting more than 2% of precincts, but aren’t required to do so.

California: Cheers to AB2037. Existing law prohibits an establishment where the primary purpose is the sale and dispensation of alcoholic beverages from being used as a polling place. This bill would delete that prohibition. The following language would remain: A polling place may not be connected by a door, window, or other opening with any place where any alcoholic beverage is sold or dispensed while the polls are open.

 

 

Colorado: A bill that would prohibit people from open-carrying firearms within a close proximity of polling places passed its first committee test this week. House Bill 22-1086, otherwise known as the Vote Without Fear Act, would ban open carry of firearms within 100 feet of polling places, drop-off ballot boxes and vote counting centers. The bill does offer some exceptions for police officers acting within the scope of their authority, as well as private property owners who live within 100 feet of these locations. The bill passed its first committee hearing on Monday, with votes split along party lines. It will continue through the legislative process. If passed, it would go into effect immediately. Anyone open carrying a firearm could face a $1,000 fine and up to 364 days in jail.

Connecticut: Democratic legislative leaders may expedite a bill in the next several weeks to allow expanded absentee ballot voting in this year’s elections, mirroring temporary policies adopted during the past two years as a result of the COVID pandemic.  “Voting is the fundamental right underlying our entire democracy,” majority Democrats said in a joint statement Wednesday. “While other states are restricting voting rights, we will take action to ensure that everyone that was able to vote before COVID will continue to be able to vote this year as COVID persists.” Connecticut’s constitution does not allow early voting and restricts absentee ballot voting to a handful of specific excuses, like active duty military service, religious beliefs, or sickness.  The details of the proposal were not yet finalized this week, however House Speaker Matt Ritter said it may resemble a bill passed last year by the House but not adopted by the Senate. The legislation would have expanded the statutory definition of sickness so voters could more easily qualify for an absentee ballot.

Georgia: A bill up for consideration in the Legislature would treat paper ballots as public records. Initially a bipartisan effort, the idea is now being met with resistance. Opponents fear the legislation would enable endless “audits” driven by losing candidates who will never accept defeat, turning any ambiguity or mistake into the next stolen election claim. The bill’s backers say it would allow the public to verify elections, identify errors, detect counting mistakes and hold election officials accountable. Under the legislation, original paper ballots generated by voting touchscreens could be inspected by the public, but to avoid tampering, they could only be handled by election workers, who could hold or display them. Individuals or organizations who request ballot inspections would be responsible for their costs, which could reach tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars to hire additional election staff for a countywide review. An examination of a single precinct or a specific batch of ballots would be less expensive. Local election officials opposing the measure say ballot inspections would burden election workers and do more harm than good. Under current state law, original ballots can only be unsealed by a court order.

Idaho: The House State Affairs Committee has approved a bill prohibiting “ballot harvesting” and another tightening the timeline for unaffiliated voters to joint a political party before an election. The committee sent both bills to the full House with “do pass” recommendations on party-line votes, after hearing opponents testify that both amounted to voter suppression.  The first bill from Rep. Mike Moyle, a Republican from Star, would make it a crime to take mail-in ballots to the post office for anyone who is not a person’s household member. The second bill from Rep. Doug Okuniewicz, a Republican from Hayden, would require unaffiliated voters to join a political party before the candidate filing period closes if they want to vote in a closed primary election. This year, that would mean Idaho’s roughly 310,000 unaffiliated voters would have to affiliate by March 11 if they want to vote in the closed May 17 primary. Current state law allows unaffiliated voters to make that decision at the polling place on Election Day.

Indiana: The Senate’s elections committee turned aside a proposal that aimed to tighten the state law on the increasingly popular practice of voting by mail. The committee voted unanimously to strip the provisions from a bill that was approved last month along party lines by the Republican-dominated House. The proposal would have required voters who requested mail-in ballots to swear under possible penalty of perjury that they wouldn’t be able to vote in person at any time during the 28 days before Election Day. Sen. Greg Walker, of R-Columbus, said he believed the proposed restrictions would cause “valid confusion” among some people who would want to vote by mail. “I don’t see any evidence that it provides us any more security or accountability in the election process,” Walker said. The bill would now leave unchanged Indiana’s current mail-in voting limits allowing people to vote by mail if they fall into one of several categories, including being 65 or older, confined to their homes, scheduled to work throughout the 12 hours Election Day polling sites are open or being absent from their home counties on Election Day.

Iowa: Election officials would have additional time to mail absentee ballots to voters under a bill that advanced this week in the Iowa House of Representatives. Before last year’s election law changes, county auditors could start mailing absentee ballots 29 days before Election Day. Under current law, they can start mailing absentee ballots 20 days before Election Day. Rep. Dennis Bush, R-Cleghorn, sponsored a bill that would allow county election officials to start mailing ballots three business days before that. Clayton County Auditor Jennifer Garms is president of the Iowa State Association of County Auditors, which supports the change. She said there are some security concerns when election officials are trying to mail ballots and handle in-person early voting at the same time in a shortened timeframe. “We do not have a lot of office space,” Garms said. “So we usually end up having to move our ballots to a different office or put them in cages and move them out of the building entirely. We don’t want to have those ballots leave our offices, period.”

Iowa would see new absentee ballot voter identification requirements, statewide recount procedures and restrictions on private money funding elections under a proposal zooming through the Iowa House and Senate. House Study Bill 719 comes just one year after Republicans passed a wide-ranging election reform bill that shortened absentee voting windows, restricted ballot drop-boxes and introduced a new penalty for auditor misconduct. Subcommittees in the House and Senate approved the bill Wednesday, and the House State Government Committee passed it. Sen. Roby Smith, leader of the bill in the Senate, said he expects the bill to move through the Senate State Government Committee on Thursday. Under the bill, Iowa voters would need to write their driver’s license number or voter PIN on the outside of an absentee ballot’s affidavit envelope. The ballot would be considered a defect if the ID number on the outside of the envelope did not match the number on the absentee ballot. State and county commissioners of elections would be barred from accepting or using any private money to conduct an election under the Senate proposal. Instead, they would rely wholly on public funds, appropriated from the state or federal government. The bill sets out a new statewide standard for recounts, including allowing larger recount boards for larger counties and permitting a candidate to request whether the count is done by a machine or by hand.

Kansas: A bill under consideration in the House would require hand counting of 10% of county precincts whenever a federal, statewide or legislative race was decided by a margin of 1% or less of votes on election night. The proposed reform would be applied in even-numbered election years on top of a 2018 requirement auditing occur in 1% of precincts in each county in randomly selected races for county, state and federal offices. In addition, House Bill 2570 would require new process-and-procedure audits of four randomly selected counties in odd-numbered years following a federal election. The secretary of state’s office and election reform organizations are backing the legislation. Clay Barker, deputy assistant secretary of state, said process audits would test voting machine accuracy, review the list of registered voters and in-person early voters, examine reasons for rejecting provisional ballots and look at signature verification materials. He said Secretary of State Scott Schwab’s office worked with the Kansas County Clerks and Election Officials Association to make certain reforms in the bill were attainable.

House Bill 2585, would require all advance voting ballots be returned by 7 p.m. on Election Day.

Kentucky: Sen. Reggie Thomas, D-Lexington, has filed legislation to expand and ease voter access for Kentuckians on Election Day. Senate Bill (SB) 159 seeks to extend Election Day polling hours to 7:00 P.M. to give eligible voters more time at the polls to cast their ballot. SB 159 allows for automatic voter registration at the department of motor vehicles when applying for a driver’s license unless declined by the applicant. It would also permit those who are not yet registered the ability to register and vote on Election Day. Lastly, SB 159 expands mail-in voting by allowing “convenience to voter” as a reason to vote absentee. Additionally, it adds in-person absentee voting beginning 12 working days prior to the election. SB 159 will be considered if the General Assembly decides to hear the bill during the 2022 Regular Session.

Minnesota: Sponsored by Rep. Liz Boldon (DFL-Rochester), HF3024, as amended, would create an option for voters to join an absentee voter registration list that would automatically provide an absentee ballot prior to each election and it would expand early voting. It has no Senate companion. Currently, the approximately 26,000 Minnesotans who have signed up for the permanent absentee ballot list are sent an application before each election. Upon its return, a ballot is then mailed. Per the bill, absentee ballots must be mailed: at least 46 days before each regularly scheduled primary or general election for federal, state, county, city, or school board office; at least 46 days before each special primary or special election to fill a federal, state, county, city, or school board vacancy; and at least 30 days before a town general election held in March. Additionally, the bill would expand from seven to 30 days when early voting would be permitted prior to Election Day.

Mississippi: Mississippi House Republicans seemed poised to approve a bill last week that would purge voter rolls and give the secretary of state the power to audit election results without public oversight. House Bill 1510 had come out of the elections committee where Rep. Dan Eubanks, R-Walls, a  far-right members of the legislature, is the vice chair. House Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, had saved the bill for deadline day, a time when controversial legislation is often introduced. Rep. Brent Powell, R-Brandon, offered a strike-all amendment stripping the bill of almost all its controversial language. Minutes later, House Minority Leader Robert Johnson, D-Natchez, offered his own amendment to make it harder for election officials to remove people from voter rolls. Powell supported the amendment without argument. After virtually no debate, the House, a Republican supermajority, voted with the Democrats to approve a largely watered-down version of the original bill.

Both chambers of the state Legislature have passed bills aimed at ensuring noncitizens can’t register to vote in Mississippi, even though state law already prevents them from doing so. Both House Bill 1510 and Senate Bill 2606 would allow Mississippi’s election management system to cross-reference voter registration information with state driver’s license system at the Mississippi Department of Public Safety to see if a noncitizen is registering to vote. According to the legislation, if a person is flagged by the state system as potentially being a noncitizen, that person’s name will be checked with the federal immigration database. If both the federal and state database flag the person who registered to vote as a noncitizen, county clerks would send that person a card in the mail notifying them that they will have 30 days to submit proof they are a U.S. citizen. Under the House version, if a person fails to submit proof within 30 days, they will be purged from the voter roll. Under the Senate version, if a person doesn’t present proof of citizenship within 30 days, their voter registration status will be marked as “pending for the next two federal elections. If a pending voter does not submit citizenship proof within the 30-day timeframe and still attempts to vote, they would be forced to cast an affidavit ballot during the election. The flagged voter would then have a few days to present citizenship information to their county clerk’s office for the affidavit vote to count.

Missouri: House Bill 1878 and House Joint Resolution 94 are the latest pieces of voter identification legislation to reach the House Elections and Elected Officials Committee. The bill, which is identical to one passed by the House last year, is largely an attempt to put back in place strict voter identification requirements which were overturned by the state Supreme Court in 2020. The resolution would further shore up the bill’s constitutionality by putting in place a constitutional amendment which “requires voters to provide a valid government-issued photo identification,” according to the bill summary. It does leave the possibility for a provisional ballot to be filed.

 

New Jersey: For more than a decade, a New Jersey law requiring the state’s counties to use voting machines that can create a paper record of every vote cast has gone unenforced because of the amount of money it would cost counties. That may soon change. A new bill — sponsored by Sens. Linda Greenstein (D-Middlesex) and Jim Beach (D-Camden) — would alter the rule by requiring counties to purchase machines that create a paper trail when older machines age out. The bill would allow the New Jersey secretary of state to waive the requirement for machines used in an election before the bill’s effective date, which comes on the first day of the third month following its passage. The proposal would bar the secretary of state from issuing such waivers for machines purchased or leased after that date.

New Mexico: A Democrat-backed bill to expand voting access in New Mexico advanced toward a Senate floor vote. A legislative panel endorsed the bill on a 6-5 vote, clearing the way for debate on the Senate floor. Lawmakers have until Feb. 17 to approve legislation during a rapid-fire 30-day legislative session. The bill as recently amended would make Election Day a holiday for public schools, provide convicted felons with the opportunity to register to vote as they exit prison and distribute mail-in ballots year-after-year to people who prefer them. Currently absentee ballots are available by request only for each election. The initiative also would expand the availability of monitored ballot drop boxes and expand voting options in Native American communities where requested. After stalling in the Senate when Republicans used a parliamentary procedure to block a vote on Senate Bill 8, the House has resurrected parts of the bill by grafting it onto separate election legislation. Democrats blended parts of three elections bills, including Senate Bill 8 into one measure, Senate Bill 144. The House Judiciary Committee adopted amendments combining all three bills into one 160-page measure and sent it to the House floor

Oklahoma: State lawmakers shot down several bills in committee that would have changed the way elections are held in Oklahoma. The bills included HB3234, that would have required elections outside of major state-wide election dates to receive 40 percent voter participation to be considered valid, HB3233 that would have required candidates to declare a party affiliation when filing to run for office, even in non-partisan races. HB4151 by Rep Regina Goodwin, D-Tulsa would have clarified when a person convicted of a felony could once again vote. It failed 4-to-3.

One bill that did advance are HB3046 preventing private money from being donated to help conduct elections.

The Oklahoma Senate Rules Committee unanimously agreed to move a resolution that would give voters a chance to voice their views on voter identification.  Senate Joint Resolution 48 would ask voters whether they are in favor of requiring identification for all methods of voting, including mail-in voting and absentee, as part of the Oklahoma Constitution. “Putting voter identification requirements that currently are only in statute into the state constitution safeguards the integrity of our election process for generations to come,” said Senate Pro Tempore Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, the resolution’s sponsor. “Adding voter ID requirements to the constitution also can aid in increasing voter turnout by assuring Oklahomans their votes will be counted and that our elections will continue to be safe and secure.” The Legislature still would decide what identification is needed, Treat said. Voters currently are required to show either a voter ID card or some form of government-issued ID. The bill now will go to the full Senate for consideration.

Oregon: The House Rules Committee will take up a measure that would allow elections workers to have their home address removed from some public records. House Bill 4144 came at the request of Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan, who says it’s in response to a rise in threats against local public elections officials around the country. “Part of defending our democracy is protecting the dedicated professionals who administer elections in all 36 counties in Oregon,” Fagan said in a letter to state lawmakers in support of the measure. The bill would also increases penalties against people who are convicted of harassing an elections worker. The extra penalties would apply if the harassment takes place either during the worker’s official duties or in response to an action taken during their official duties.

House Bill 4147, which Democratic lawmakers introduced January, would allow people in prisons to register to vote and vote by mail—as is standard across Oregon—with their ballot counted in the last county they called home before their sentencing. The bill mirrors a proposal that died in committee last year after representatives from Oregon Department of Corrections argued the law would hamper mailroom operations inside the state prison system. Oregon Republicans quickly decried this year’s bill as more evidence of “Democrats’ shameful pro-criminal agenda.”   The prison-voting bill now seems to have little chance of advancing before the end of Oregon’s 35-day session, which began February 1. Hannah Kurowski, a spokesperson for Oregon’s House Democratic Caucus, wouldn’t discuss HB 4147 except to say that it likely won’t get a committee hearing this year.

The House has approved a bill that will expand which residents of the state can register online to vote. Oregonians with DMV-issued identification can currently register to vote online, but House Bill 4133 A would allow those without such ID to still register without having to submit a paper form. Voters without a DMV-issued ID or driver license are currently required to register using a paper form by providing the last four digits of their Social Security Number and a signature. Democrats argue that the paper forms need manual data entry, which can introduce errors into voter rolls and cost about $4.72 per registration. Under the new bill, voters without ID could do the same process online by entering the last four of their SSN and uploading an image of their signature via a secure online portal. HB 4133 A passed the House in a vote of 33-23, moving to the Senate for consideration.

South Carolina: A bill that would establish no-excuse early voting is moving forward in the South Carolina House. A panel of representatives made tweaks to the proposal, sponsored by House Speaker Jay Lucas and backed by about 50 other Republican House members, that would make early in-person voting permanent for two weeks before an election. Some of those changes include removing a rule that required polling places in each county be at least 10 miles apart, instead letting local election officials choose voting locations while considering geography, population and accessibility. Lawmakers also changed a requirement that people applying for an absentee mail-in ballot provide an identification number from a photo ID. Instead, voters could use the last four digits of their Social Security number.

South Dakota: The Senate State Affairs Committee has advanced a bill that would prohibit the use of private funding for election administration. The measure, introduced by Sen. Casey Crabtree (R-Madison) ended up passing 8-1 with all eight Republicans supporting it and the lone Democrat opposing it. In South Dakota, Crabtree said there was nearly $380,000 donated and used in 35 counties. “While there is no evidence of improper activity with the dollars in South Dakota, it brings to the forefront a policy debate,” Crabtree said. “Whether private dollars should or should not be used to conduct elections.” Crabtree said only public dollars should be used for polling locations and vote tabulation centers. SB 122 will move onto the Senate floor.

 

Tennessee: Tennessee lawmakers passed a ban against instant runoff voting in elections, a move that seeks to end a long-running legal dispute between state election officials and the city of Memphis. Voters there still haven’t used the method since voting in 2008 to adopt it for city elections. The state House and Senate, where Republicans hold supermajorities, cast votes on the same day for the proposal outlawing instant runoff voting, which is also known as ranked choice voting. Tennessee Elections Coordinator Mark Goins has ruled that the approach isn’t allowed under state law. For years, the issue has been tied up in administrative challenges against the state and lawsuits. If Republican Gov. Bill Lee signs the bill, the lawsuits could be quickly rendered moot. The legislative push also marks the latest tussle between Republican state officials and left-leaning cities, including majority-Black Memphis.

Utah: Vote by mail and voter registration drives would be banned under a new bill in the Utah Legislature, H.B. 37. The legislation would also require paper ballots in most cases and require video monitoring of ballot counting. It also eliminates an option to prove your identity at polling locations without having a photo ID, like a combination of utility bill and car registration. Rep. Phil Lyman, R-Blanding, is sponsoring the bill. The legislation is facing pushback from Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson and voting rights groups. House Speaker Brad Wilson, R-Kaysville, said he hasn’t read the legislation yet, but it seems like people really like to vote by mail. “I have a hard time seeing us completely getting rid of it,” he said. “It’s a good time to have a conversation about vote by mail in the sense that — how well is it working? … What could we be doing better?”

The Utah House Government Operations Standing Committee passed a comprehensive election bill that would require 24-hour surveillance at ballot drop boxes and a voter registration audit.  House Bill 313, sponsored by Rep. Jon Hawkins, R-Pleasant Grove, also would require voters who mail in their ballots to include a copy of voter identification in the return envelopes. The annual audit would be conducted by the lieutenant governor’s office, which oversees state elections, and kept online for 22 months.  Ballots would be printed in Utah and no outside funding sources could help pay for costs related to an election. The bill also requires a drop box in every municipality or reservation. Two election workers would have to be present when the ballots are collected from the drop box. f the bill passes, a one-time allocation of $500,000 would be required, according to legislation.

Virginia: On a bipartisan vote, the = Senate passed a measure to allow voters to decide if people convicted of felonies should have their voting rights automatically restored once they are released.  The proposed constitutional amendment was approved by the Virginia General Assembly last year when Democrats had majorities in both chambers, but a second vote was needed this year to put a referendum on the ballot in November. Despite the chamber’s 25-15 vote, there likely won’t be a voter referendum on the proposal after the measure was rejected by a Republican-controlled House of Delegates subcommittee last week.  The push for a ballot referendum on felon voting rights had received bipartisan support in Virginia, with one House Republican sponsoring his version of the proposal. That bill was killed in subcommittee on the same day the Democratic proposal was tabled.

Washington: A bill that would exempt voter information on ballot return envelopes, ballot declarations and signature correction forms from public disclosure passed 69-26 out of the state House of Representatives. Currently, images of election ballot return envelopes can be requested by members of the public under public records laws. Those images contain voter signatures, phone numbers and emails. This bill, however, would protect that personal information from being disclosed. Rep. Mike Volz, R-Spokane, a bill sponsor, said people expect their signatures to be exempted from public disclosure. Requests for envelopes in the past have only concerned individual envelopes, Spokane County Auditor Vicky Dalton said, but this year counties received requests for entire files of all their collected return envelopes. Dalton said she wasn’t sure why so many large requests came in this year, and she can’t ask requesters why they want records. “That’s when it became apparent that there was additional protection that really needed to be formalized,” Dalton told The Spokesman-Review in January.

Guns and other weapons would be prohibited at ballot counting sites and school board meetings across the state, under a bill approved by the House. The measure, which passed the Democratic-led chamber on a party line 57-41 vote, also bans openly carried firearms at local government meetings and election-related facilities like county election offices, though people who have concealed pistol licenses would be allowed to carry their concealed weapon. The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration.

A measure backed by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee that would have made it a crime for elected officials and candidates for office to incite lawlessness by making false statements about elections appears to have died in the state Legislature. The bill, SB 5843, failed to get a vote in the state Senate before a key cut-off deadline this week. The bill would have made it a gross misdemeanor for candidates and elected officials to knowingly make false statements about the legitimacy of an election, if those statements were intended to incite lawlessness and, in fact, resulted in individuals or a group damaging property or harming others. The prime sponsor of the measure, Democratic state Sen. David Frockt, said the proposal didn’t have the votes to pass. “We have to respect that the bill in its current form did not have enough support to advance despite the care we took in its drafting through our consultation with leading First Amendment scholars,” Frockt said in a statement.

West Virginia: Members of a House of Delegates committee sent a bill to a subcommittee Tuesday that could tie the hands of future elections officials if another pandemic hits during an election season. The House Judiciary Committee sent House Bill 4293 to a subcommittee after discussing the bill Tuesday. HB 4293 would prohibit individuals and county and state elections officials from mailing absentee ballot applications to any voter who did not request an application. The bill would make sending an unsolicited absentee ballot application a felony, impose a fine of a minimum of $5,000 and a sentence to prison for at least one year.

 

Wisconsin: Wisconsin’s Republican lawmakers are backing a series of bills to set new election administration policies, one of which would give a Republican-controlled committee oversight of election funds. The measure would require any plans for federal election money to get approval from the Legislature’s Finance Committee. Currently, the Wisconsin Elections Commission allocates those funds based on federal guidance. Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu – R-Oostburg – the bill’s lead sponsor, said the bill would ensure the state maintains control of election administration. “SB 941 ensures the people of Wisconsin, through their elected representatives,” said LeMahieu, “can review, amend or block any efforts by the Executive Branch of the federal government to interfere with Wisconsin elections administration.” The bill also would require state agencies to submit new federal election guidance to legislative leadership, and would bar those agencies from implementing the policies until they receive the go-ahead from a legislative rules committee.

Wyoming: An effort to implement runoff elections in Wyoming is again before the state legislature. According to bill text, if no primary candidate for a statewide or federal office receives at least 50% of the vote, a runoff election would be held with the top two vote-getters. Instead of being held in August, primaries would be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in May in general election years. If a runoff were necessary, it would take place in August. A similar proposal was narrowly defeated in the Senate in 2021. With Republican victories all but assured in most offices in the general election in Wyoming, bill sponsor Chip Neiman (R-Hewlitt) told Wyoming Public Media that races are really decided in the primaries. However, he added, “To me this legislation is non-partisan. … It’s the desire to forward a candidate that has [not just] a plurality, but a majority of the votes to send them along into a general election.”

A bill that would allow election officials to begin processing absentee ballots before 7 p.m. on Election Day is heading to the House floor. House Bill 52, “Timeline to prepare and process absentee ballots,” was approved Wednesday by the House Corporations, Elections and Political Subdivisions Committee. After a record number of absentee ballots were cast in the 2020 election, county clerks approached the committee with a request to make the process move more smoothly.

Legal Updates

North Carolina: The North Carolina Supreme Court heard oral arguments this week in a lawsuit that alleges amendments to the North Carolina Constitution mandating photo voter identification and lowering the maximum possible income tax rate and approved by voters in November 2018 should be voided. The state NAACP, the lawsuit plaintiff, says that the Republican-controlled legislature lacked authority to create the referendums because federal courts had declared nearly 30 districts used in 2016 elections were unlawful racial gerrymanders Legislators elected in 2016, however, were allowed to remain in their elected positions until the next General Assembly elections in 2018. Districts covering well over 100 of the 170 General Assembly seats were redrawn by then. A trial judge agreed in early 2019 that the General Assembly had exceeded its authority to place the referendums on the ballot and struck down the amendments. A split state Court of Appeals panel overturned that ruling in 2020, however, saying such a standard would allow anyone to challenge any conventional legislation approved by a majority of lawmakers, causing chaos and confusion. Kym Hunter, an attorney representing the NAACP, said her client is seeking narrow relief — the declaration that legislators lost the ability to propose referendums to the constitution, which are effectively impossible to remove if approved. “The relief plaintiff seeks striking two constitutional amendments is unprecedented and wrong,” Martin Warf, a lawyer representing top legislative leaders  said, adding that “the General Assembly never lost its authority to act, and its acts are not subject to an institutional attack.” Six of the seven justices hearing the case asked questions during arguments. A ruling may not be known for months.

Pennsylvania: Judge Mary Hannah Leavitt of the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court has set a March 15 expiration date for the state’s vote-by-mail law that passed with bipartisan support in 2019. The March 15 date is one week after the State Supreme Court hears arguments on the appeal on March 8. Their ruling is the one that will ultimately decide the fate of mail-in voting. Leavitt says the mid-March date will help county boards of elections notify voters of any change in the law, as the May 17 primary looms. The state Supreme Court an step in at any time and put that date, March 15, on hold.

 

Tennessee: A group of Memphis political activists has sued Tennessee’s elections coordinator because of his efforts to stop instant runoff voting, which Shelby County voters approved 14 years ago. The plaintiffs filed their complaint Feb. 7 in Davidson County Chancery Court in support of the voting method that enables voters to rank candidates in elections, also called rank choice voting. This is their fourth filing to reverse decisions against instant runoff voting by Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins, a former state representative. Instant ranked voting “promotes good government and less ideologically fractious candidates need to compete not only for a vote but also for rankings that might not be the first ranking in order to secure victory,” the lawsuit states. “This encourages candidates to communicate with and appeal to a broader swath of voters than they might otherwise.” The group claims instant runoff voting also saves governments and candidates money by eliminating runoff elections if no candidate receives a majority of the votes. In addition, the group contends the method gives a better opportunity to lesser-known candidates who are not funded as well and might be “dismissed” by voters as “throwing away their vote.” Thus, it could make elections more competitive and increase voter participation, the filing claims.

Texas: Federal District Judge Xavier Rodriguez has ruled that a new Texas law that keeps local election officials from encouraging voters to request mail-in ballots most likely violates the First Amendment. Rodriquez temporarily blocked the state from enforcing the rule against Harris County’s election administrator until the rest of a lawsuit plays out. Although the scope of Rodriguez’s preliminary injunction is limited, the judge dealt the first legal blow to new elections restrictions and voting changes Republican lawmakers enacted last year. The injunction applies to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and local county prosecutors in Harris, Travis and Williamson counties. The state is expected to appeal the ruling. The lawsuit was brought by Harris County election administrator Isabel Longoria and Cathy Morgan, a volunteer deputy registrar who is appointed to help register voters in Travis and Williamson counties. According to The Texas Tribune, Rodriguez took particular issue with the lack of a clear definition for what constitutes soliciting when talking to voters, even those 65 and older who automatically qualify to vote by mail under the state’s strict rules. “It has a chilling effect,” Rodriguez said while questioning a state attorney during a hearing Friday morning. “They don’t know when they’re going to run afoul of this vague [law].”

Utah: The Navajo Nation is suing San Juan County over the new map that determines county commission district boundaries in elections held from 2022 through 2030. The tribal government, along with its human rights commission and five tribal members, claim the five-member county commission violated the Voting Rights Act by approving a district map that packs Native American voters into a single district. The map approved by the commission in December deprives Native American voters from “equal opportunity to elect candidates of their choice in the other four districts despite them constituting almost 40% of the county’s total population,” according to the Feb. 10 news release that announced the lawsuit. The action by the commission adds to the history of racism and voter suppression that members of the Navajo Nation face in the county and in municipalities, the complaint states. The complaint was filed on Feb. 10 by the Navajo Nation Department of Justice along with several civil rights groups in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico. Along with the county government, the lawsuit names Commissioners John Beckstead, Terri Fortner, Steve Lanier, Michael Sullivan and GloJean Todacheene and County Clerk Tanya Shelby as defendants.

Wisconsin: In a 4-3 ruling, the Wisconsin Supreme Court has ruled that it will allow a lower court decision to go into effect that will ban the use of ballot drop boxes for the April election. Drop boxes can still be used for next week’s primaries. Two suburban Milwaukee men last year sued to block the use of ballot drop boxes. A Waukesha County judge in January agreed with them and ruled they could not be used. An appeals court quickly stepped in and ruled the drop boxes could be used in the February primary because it was happening so soon. The state Supreme Court took over the case soon afterward and kept in place the ruling that allowed the use of drop boxes for February. The state Elections Commission and others asked the high court to extend that policy until at least April. The justices declined to do that on Friday, saying they would let the lower court ruling go into effect that bars the use of drop boxes for that election and ones after it. The justices’ ruling is not the last word in the case. It is expected to decide the case in the coming weeks or months, and that ruling will determine the ultimate fate of drop boxes. The majority in the decision consisted of the four justices who were elected with the support of Republicans. The three justices elected with backing from Democrats were in dissent. Writing for the dissenters, Justice Ann Walsh Bradley contended the order could give voters and clerks whiplash as the rules on ballot boxes change.  “Once again, a majority of this court makes it more difficult to vote,” she wrote. “With apparent disregard for the confusion it is causing, the majority provides next to no notice to municipal clerks, changing procedures at the eleventh hour and applying different procedures from those that applied to the primary in the very same election cycle.”

Racine County District Attorney Patricia Hanson announced that she will not be seeking charges against members of the Wisconsin Election Commission for the WEC’s decision to keep special voting deputies out of nursing homes in 2020 at the height of the pandemic. Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling had recommended the members of the WEC be charged with election fraud. The sheriff’s recommendation of charges in October was met immediately with “strenuous disagreement” from the commission, which said in a statement that it had acted “in a thoughtful, public, and hours-long discussion at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic” with a bipartisan vote that ensured those in nursing homes were able to vote by mail.

Opinions This Week

National Opinions: Voting machines | Secretary of state races | U.S. Supreme Court, II, III | Election administration | Voter suppression | Voting rights, II, III | States’ rights | Democracy | ERIC | Secretary of state races

Alaska: Ranked choice voting, II

Arizona: Voting age

California: Recall reform, II

Colorado: Mesa County clerk; Secretary of state;

Florida: Vote by mail | Polling places | Language access | Ranked choice voting | 2024

Idaho: Same day registration

Kentucky; Polling places

Louisiana: ERIC

Maine: Threats

Massachusetts: Same day registration | Voting rights, II

Minnesota: Election administration

Missouri: Election legislation

Montana: Voting rights

New Jersey: Uniform voting system

Ohio: College voters

Pennsylvania: Vote by mail

South Carolina: Election legislation | Equipment

Tennessee: Ranked choice voting

Texas: Voter fraud | New voting law

Utah: Vote by mail

Virginia; Ranked choice voting | Voting rights

Wyoming: Hand counts

Upcoming Events

 Is The Loss of Local Journalism Endangering American Democracy?: Join us for a conversation with leaders in the field of journalism as they speak about how to revive local news media Local journalism has long been a pillar of American democracy. However, newsrooms across the country have shuttered leaving many communities without local news outlets. There is a movement to help revive local media, but is it too little too late? Many Americans have already changed their habits and tune into national news media and social media to get their news. How can Americans again regain trust in local media outlets to strengthen American democracy? This panel is part of the Defending American Democracy series with support from The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. When: Feb. 18, 12pm Eastern. Where: Online.

NASED Winter Conference: The NASED Board voted unanimously to cancel its in-person conference scheduled for the end of January and hold the conference virtually over four days, February 24-25 and March 3-4.  This is not a decision that we made lightly and it was not an easy one to make, but ultimately, we think it is the best one for our members and other conference attendees.  We hope to see you in person in July in Madison, Wisconsin. When: February 24-25 and March 3-4.

NASS Winter Conference: When: Feb. 28 to March 2. Where: Online.

The Voting Information Project & Florida Counties: The Voting Information Project (VIP) has partnered with Florida county election offices since 2012 to amplify their official information. As we head into the 2022 cycle, we are excited to introduce VIP and our free voting information lookup tools, the impact of the election data we publish, and additional ways we can support the great work the counties do. We invite the supervisors and staff of Florida county elections offices to join us for a webinar. When: March 10, 11am Eastern. Where: Online.

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.

Account Management Specialist, EI-ISAC— The EI-ISAC is looking for an ambitious teammate who is passionate about making a difference in the realm of cybersecurity for (SLTT) election offices. The ideal candidate will be comfortable building relationships with the election community to support and advance the mission of “confidence in a connected world.” What You’ll Do: Support the development and execution of the EI-ISAC strategy and mission; Assist election officials to determine security needs and how they integrate with election technology; Facilitate communications between election officials and IT professionals; Provide exceptional service to all members and be able to explain the concepts and services that can protect their technology via email, phone calls, and WebEx meetings/conferences; Ensure ongoing customer satisfaction and retention; Assist with the scheduling and running of member meetings and webinars; Responsible for the onboarding process of new members; Research, record, track, and report on member prospects and qualified leads to the team and management; Assist with data cleanup, reporting, and any ongoing projects; Update metrics for EI-ISAC reports and presentations; Represent the EI-ISAC in a professional and courteous manner; and Other tasks and responsibilities as assigned. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Campaign Finance Lead (Compliance Specialist 3), Oregon Secretary of State’s Office— In this role, you will provide regulatory compliance oversight and enforcement of Oregon election law. As the Campaign Finance Lead, you will work under the direction of the Elections Program Manager. You will guide and perform tasks associated with day-to-day operations of the Campaign Finance program’s internal and external services. This is accomplished in part by, but not limited to: Serving as subject matter expert and point-person for programs related to campaign finance and campaign finance investigations; Drafting, reviewing, and updating program related policies, administrative rules, directives, and procedure manuals to meet both state and federal constitutional and statutory mandates; Guiding the routine work related to issuing proposed penalty notices, final orders, and other related documents for violations of campaign finance regulations; Reviewing, assessing, processing, and managing election law complaints related to campaign finance; Creating, updating, and maintaining procedures and standards for investigations, and provide direction to staff on those procedures and standards; and Serving as program related subject matter expert for electronic applications and systems including the Oregon Elections System for Tracking and Reporting (ORESTAR) and case management databases. Salary: $5,167 – $7,937 /per month. Deadline: Feb. 21. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Deputy Director (Republican), Muskingum County, Ohio– The Deputy Director of the Board of Elections is a highly responsible administrative management position, involving the performance in both administering and managing daily operations and elections in the county. In conjunction with the Director to ensure all law requirements, goals and objectives are accomplished, the Deputy Director performs work of considerable difficulty planning, directing, coordinating and controlling overall operations of the Board of Elections. Hours of operation will vary during election cycles including evenings, weekends and holidays. Must be adaptable and must be able to perform in stressful environment, emergency situations and extensive work hours. Computer skills are required. Serves at the pleasure of the Members of the Board and the Ohio Secretary of State. Deadline: March 3. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Deputy Director, Registration & Elections, Decatur County, Georgia— The purpose of this classification is to assist in the planning, directing, and oversight of operations and staff involved in voter registration and elections processes for the County, conducting elections, and ensuring compliance with local, state and federal election and voter registration laws, rules, and regulations. Salary: $74,961 – $116,190. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Director (Republican), Fulton County, Ohio– To serve as Director of the Fulton County Board of Elections, in the administration of fair, honest and accurate elections. The Director works directly with the Deputy Director and is responsible for the preparation and conduct of all elections held throughout Fulton County: oversees all operations involved in the election process in accordance with Title 35 of the Ohio Revised Code; and shall be responsible for the following as outlined in Secretary of State Directive 2022-06. Applicants must be affiliated with the Republican Party. Must be a Fulton County resident/elector (voter) within 30 days of employment. Will be responsible for preparing and conducting any and all elections held in the county. Administrative and interpersonal skills in dealing with staff, voters, elected officials, candidates and media are critical. Fulton County, Ohio serves a registered voter population of approximately 30,000 voters. Salary: $56,370 Deadline: March 7 Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Director of Elections, Pima County, Arizona— The Director of Elections leads a department comprised of multiple complex and technical units responsible for the successful conduct of elections in Pima County with over 650,000 registered voters. The role is primarily strategic, operations, and leadership-focused, requiring experience and expertise in the field of conducting elections, elections policy, leading and managing employees to success. Under administrative direction of the County Administrator or designee, this position plans, organizes, supervises and manages the activities of the Pima County Elections Division in compliance with applicable laws, ordinances, rules and regulations. This classification is in the unclassified service and is exempt from the Pima County Merit System Rules. Salary: $125,000 – $160,638 DOE• Relocation Assistance up to $10,000 available. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Director of Elections/General Registrar, Virginia Beach, Virginia— The Virginia Beach Electoral Board is currently seeking a progressive leader with a demonstrated history of collaboration, negotiation and communication amongst diverse stakeholder groups.  The successful candidate will think strategically and be able to navigate dynamic political environments, facilitating compromise and cooperation when needed.  Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Plan and direct the operations and activities of the voter registration office; Provide leadership and supervision to paid staff and volunteers on all election procedures; Develop plans to encourage the registration of eligible voters; Oversee the registration process including eligibility determination and denial notification process in accordance with State Board of Election Guidelines; Manage the departmental budget; Plan and provide oversight of educational programs; Oversee maintenance of all official records; Ensure adequate space(s) to facilitate voting process; Ensure election equipment is maintained and readily accessible to voters; Assist with ballot design’ Carry out provisions enumerated in §24.2-114, Code of Virginia, and ensure compliance with the entirety of Title 24.2.; and Communicate election requirements, processes, and results to election observers and stakeholders, including the press. Salary: $136,982. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Election Analyst, Arizona Secretary of State’s Office— The Elections Division of the Office of the Arizona Secretary of State is seeking a dedicated employee to serve as an Election Analyst. Their main focus will be to fulfill public records requests submitted to the Elections Division. They will report to the Senior Elections Policy Manager. Responsible for receiving, reviewing, and fulfilling public records requests and litigation discovery requests. This process includes the following tasks: tracking requests; communicating with the requester on topics such as fulfillment guidelines, costs, and updates on progress; coordinate collection and organization of responsive records by working with IT, elections, and other staff members; and reviewing and preparing documents for delivery. Responsible for records retention and document storage. Ensure Elections Division stores minimum hard copy documents consistent with the retention schedule; ensures that electronic records are properly maintained. Maintains records retention schedule, Iron Mountain storage, and schedules proper records destruction. Conducts ballot measure Town Halls. Organizing these events includes: scheduling venues; scheduling interpreters as needed (sign language, Spanish); conducting publicity and outreach; ensuring pro and con groups are represented; preparing and delivering presentation. Produces statewide Publicity Pamphlet by working with the vendor on layout, printing and proofing; coordinate the development of the household mailing list; ensuring pamphlets printed for English, Spanish, large print, and ADA; and ensure electronic version of pamphlet is appropriately distributed. Assist with voter registration quarterly reports, list maintenance, and other projects as assigned. Assist with customer service via phones and emails to voters, election officials, and the general public regarding elections and voter registration. Other duties as assigned as related to the position. Salary: Salary: $18.00 – $22.20. Deadline: Feb. 28. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Election Program Coordinator—Absentee, Buncombe County, North Carolina— An employee in this position is responsible for the management of all aspects of conducting absentee by mail voting. This employee will lead a team who will perform the administrative duties of absentee by mail voting. An employee in this position is also responsible for the administrative work in creating all written materials needed for training election workers and conducts all election worker training, as well as the management of a support team. Work requires that all materials meet the guidelines of election law and department standards. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Election Technician, Thurston County, Washington– The position of Election Technician produces maps to update and maintain accurate taxing district boundaries.  Also uses mapping data to develop and maintain address-based voter street/levy database and takes a leading role in the planning and coordination of the technical aspects of the election process. Additional responsibilities may include, but would not be limited to, the following: Plans, organizes, and supervises the work of assigned temporary staff.  Recommends selection, provides training, and evaluates performance.  Trains staff in the accurate use of election machines and proper use of all election supplies. Programming for elections using advanced software for ballot printing, ballot sorting, ballot tabulation, accessible voting units, and election results reporting.Plans and conducts logic and accuracy tests; responsible for and maintains back-up procedures in case of emergency conditions. Performs formal ballot tabulating tasks at the ballot processing center on election day. Directs on-the-spot activities.  Coordinates and trains staff on ballot processing to ensure we follow federal, state, and county election laws. Coordinates the preparation and distribution of ballots for voters; mails all ballot material to voters, both domestic and overseas.  Plans and coordinates the vote-by-mail election process. Acts as purchasing agent for the Election Division.  Plans, purchases, and maintains sufficient inventory for all election activities. Handles special projects for the division.  (Example: requests for proposal purchases, vendor contracts, etc.) Salary: 4,210.00 – $5,600.00 Monthly. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Elections Administrator, Bell County, Texas— Bell County, Texas, is seeking an experienced professional with a proven track record in a public sector setting to serve as the new Elections Administrator. While elections experience and experience in the public sector is preferred, it is not required. From being or becoming 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. This position requires an Associate’s degree in Business Administration or a related field supplemented by four years of experience in administration with an additional two years of supervisory experience. The person selected for this position must be a current registered voter in the State of Texas or be eligible to register to vote in the State of Texas upon hire, and must be able to work extended hours during election cycles. A valid Texas driver’s license is required or must be obtained within 90 days of employment along with an acceptable driving history. Salary: $75,000 to $100,000. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Elections Manager-Ballot Processing, Boulder County, Colorado— This position will be accountable for overseeing administrative, legal and technical areas and will have a vast amount of project and management responsibilities. This position is accountable for managing our Ballot Processing operations, including ballot receipt, signature verification, ballot sorting, extraction, inspection and duplication. This position is responsible for implementing and continually identifying enhancements in the suite of technology solutions utilized throughout Ballot Processing. This position coordinates and plays an active role in ballot accounting and data reconciliation. Additionally, this position will identify and implement process improvement and efficiency opportunities and supervise up to 3 full time staff. The ideal candidate will have a finesse and passion for making data-driven decisions and will implement a strong data program for Ballot Processing. We are an “all hands-on deck” team, and this position will be expected to execute any and all tasks to ensure our team meets or exceeds all deliverables. The ideal candidate must have the ability and desire to serve the public and Boulder County and maintain compliance with election statute and rule. This person should have experience in supervision and motivating and leading employees (full-time and temporary) to success. Other skills include creation and implementation of ideas and processes that are forward thinking; be self-motivated, team oriented and an excellent communicator in both verbal and written form. The ideal candidate is committed to continuous learning (organizational level and self-development) and has project management skills (able to set clear goals, prioritize tasks, manage time efficiently, and effectively work with others for completion). Additionally, must demonstrate ability to supervise and lead teams in providing excellent service and project results within statute driven deadlines. In addition to teamwork and team leadership, this person will also act as an individual contributor on a variety of projects. This position is expected to build strong working relationships with team members, vendors and stakeholders and be committed to Boulder County and Clerk and Recorder guiding values, including equity and inclusion. Salary: $66,072.00 – $95,184.00 Annually. Deadline: Feb. 20. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Elections Manager-Voter Services, Boulder County, Colorado— This position will be accountable for overseeing administrative, legal and technical areas and will have a vast amount of project and management responsibilities. This position is accountable for our Vote Centers, including site identification, contracting, accessibility, operations, and reconciliation and Election Judge activities, including recruiting, hiring, training, and placement. This position coordinates and oversees Ballot Drop-off site planning, including identifying and contracting of new locations as well as accessibility and contingency planning. Additionally, this position will create, support and oversee a variety of voter service and outreach programs and supervise up to 3 full time staff. The ideal candidate will have a finesse and passion for making data-driven decisions and will implement a strong data program for Voter Services. We are an “all hands-on deck” team, and this position will be expected to execute any and all tasks to ensure our team meets or exceeds all deliverables. The ideal candidate must have the ability and desire to serve the public and Boulder County and maintain compliance with election statute and rule. This person should have experience in supervision and motivating and leading employees (full-time and temporary) to success. Other skills include creation and implementation of ideas and processes that are forward thinking; be self-motivated, team oriented and an excellent communicator in both verbal and written form. The ideal candidate is committed to continuous learning (organizational level and self-development) and has project management skills (able to set clear goals, prioritize tasks, manage time efficiently, and effectively work with others for completion). Additionally, must demonstrate ability to supervise and lead teams in providing excellent service and project results within statute driven deadlines. In addition to teamwork and team leadership, this person will also act as an individual contributor on a variety of projects. This position is expected to build strong working relationships with team members, vendors and stakeholders and be committed to Boulder County and Clerk and Recorder guiding values, including equity and inclusion. Salary: $66,072.00 – $95,184.00 Annually. Deadline: February 20. Application: For the complete listing and to apply, click here.

Elections Program Manager, CIS— The primary purpose of this position is to coordinate EI-ISAC operations and projects and to represent the EI-ISAC in public forums regarding election infrastructure issues. The Elections Program Manager will work with the EI-ISAC Director to build and maintain relationships in the elections community and develop tools, products, and initiatives that meet the security needs of election officials. This position will oversee a team of Elections Analysts and Stakeholder outreach staff. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Elections Specialist, Pierce County, Washington— As an Elections Specialist, you will have the ability to immediately contribute to the team’s success. You will be guided through the process with coaching-focused managerial support, a team that wants you to be successful in your role, and an organizational culture that encourages continuous learning and professional development. Core Daily Responsibilities: Coordinates and participates in the activities of a specialty in the Elections Division; determines work schedules and methods to expediting work-flow; issues instructions; and monitors work for accuracy and compliance to procedures and policies in specialty area assigned. Coordinates, organizes, and documents all legal aspects of an assigned specialty required to hold elections. Performs quality control work including proofreading, grammar, and spelling.  Designs and produces reports. Coordinates and oversees the preparation and distribution of election supplies to the voting centers. Salary: $31.42 – $39.73 Hourly.  Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Executive Director, U.S. Election Assistance Commission— The Executive Director has overall Commission-wide responsibility for implementing, through its operating divisions and offices, the management and administrative policies and decisions of the Commissioners. The Executive Director serves as a key management advisor to the Commissioners. The Executive Director is responsible for ensuring the agency meets its mission defined in HAVA. The Executive Director’s responsibilities include: Ensuring that EAC administrative activities comply with governing statutes and regulations in support of the effective and efficient accomplishment of EAC’s mission. Understanding HAVA and other election laws, regulations, and legal decisions pertinent to the EAC mission to assist with agency oversight. Maintaining good relationships with the U.S. Congress and the various EAC oversight committees and governing bodies of elections, including, state legislatures, city/county officials, and EAC FACA boards. Ability to establish program/policy goals and the structure and processes necessary to implement the organization’s strategic vision and mission, to ensure that programs and policies are being implemented and adjusted as necessary, that the appropriate results are being achieved, and that a process for continually assessing the quality of the program activities is in place. Providing periodic assessment of the administrative efficiency and managerial effectiveness of the EAC through strategic planning including: program reviews, reviews of programmatic goals and outcomes, and resource utilization in achieving results. Consulting with and advising Divisions and Offices on general management and operating practices affecting their substantive program areas. Developing solutions to potential and existing barriers that may limit or impede goal achievement. Planning, assigning, and appraising work products to assure high levels of performance. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Executive Director, Deliver My Vote— Deliver My Vote (DMV) and Deliver My Vote Education Fund (DMVEF) are partner organizations dedicated to voting, voting access, and voting rights specifically as it relates to voters’ ability to vote from home. DMV is a non-profit, non-partisan 501(c)4 organization, dedicated to increasing voter turnout within traditionally disenfranchised communities. DMV’s programs are anchored in helping to facilitate the delivery of a voters’ ballot to their doorstep. Through community organizing campaigns, DMV provides tools and resources to help voters cast ballots from home, taking control of their vote, regardless of life’s obstacles. DMVEF is a non-profit, non-partisan 501(c)3 organization to educate the American public on laws and policies that make voting more accessible for eligible voters. DMVEF provides tools and voter education resources to help eligible voters update voter registration, help interested voters take control of their ballot through absentee voting, and support voters in making specific plans to vote. Salary for this position is highly competitive and is commensurate with experience. Benefits include health, dental and vision, and a 401k with match. Deliver My Vote is headquartered in Washington, DC with Board members and staff working in collaboration from around the country. All work is currently remote. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Grant and Contract Specialist, Washington Secretary of State’s Office— This position will report to the deputy director of elections and is responsible for assisting the deputy in the management of administering federal grant funds, including Help America Vote Act (HAVA) grant funds.  It also plays a key role in the elections division by performing research analysis and managing retention of grant records with regard to HAVA grants. This position belongs to the “HAVA Elections Security Grant” project and is tentatively scheduled to last through 12/20/2024. Tasks include: Makes recommendations based on analysis of funding needs for grant applications; Establishes grant guidelines; Issues notice of grant openings; Processes grant payments Reviews and determines eligibility against grant application criteria; Establishes program income codes in a manner that will track required reporting requirements; Reviews draft contracts and contract amendments for completeness and compliance with procedures; Applies consistent interpretation of laws, rules, policies and procedures; Communicates effectively with county departments and staff to facilitate and ensure adherence to policies and procedures; Evaluates budget and fiscal system performance, making adjustments as necessary; Coordinates the establishment of fiscal goals, audits of financial documents and the preparation and maintenance of fiscal reports; Prepares related applications for funding; Develops internal controls to ensure that all known expenses are accounted for; Prepares and develops budgets for the various program income codes; Works with staff responsible for carrying out grant duties to ensure that funding is available, allowable and allocable to the federal grant; Assists counties in applying for grant applications; Provides technical assistance to counties when necessary; Monitors grant progress with each county auditor on each grant; Tracks grant agreements to ensure compliance with scope of work, period of performance and funding levels; Monitors budgets and related fiscal reports to ensure grant audit compliance, adherence to county, state and federal regulations, allowable costs, adequate budgetary constraints/controls maintenance, timely report submission, and compliance with generally accepted accounting practices and procedures; Possesses knowledge with Office of Management and Budget (OMB) circulars, the Help America Vote Act and other laws passed by congress concerning grants management; Develops contractual language for grant agreements; Prepares for Inspector General Audits; Reads and analyzes awarding agency audit findings and make adjustments when necessary; Tracks and analyzes expenditures against budgeted or allotted forecasts and make adjustments when necessary; Review all contracts for adherence with contract terms and conditions; Tracks grant balances and take proper action when grants expire; Complies with proper internal controls in accordance with the Uniform Administrative Requirements; Tracks all equipment purchased with HAVA funds; Prepares and maintains financial report to the federal awarding agency; Prepares and provides status of accounts, both actual and projected, along with analysis and recommendations relative to activity costs and revenues; Coordinates visits by federal and/or State auditors; Monitors activity related to the grant; Reviews processes and procedures to ensure that adequate internal controls are in place; Develops internal controls to protect against fraud, waste and abuse when necessary; Prepares and provides status of grants, both actual and projected, along with analysis and recommendations relative to activity costs and revenues; Processes A-19 reimbursement requests in a timely manner; Works closely with Payroll to ensure that employees charging time to federal grants are in compliance with OMB circulars; Develops a means to track expenditures against appropriate awards. Salary: $3,446 – $4,627 Monthly. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Mail Ballot Administrator, City and County of Denver, Colorado— The City and County of Denver’s Election Division is seeking an accomplished elections professional to serve as the Mail Ballot Administrator and provide administrative and strategic direction for the functional area of Mail Ballot Administration. The Mail Ballot Administrator oversees and acts as the technical expert in all aspects of the mail ballot processing rooms including ballot receiving, ballot verification, and mail ballot extraction in accordance with statutory and Secretary of State rule requirements. Refines and coordinates all operating policies and procedures relating to mail ballot processing. The Mail Ballot Administrator is responsible for training and supervising (50 to 70+) election judges and leads for all mail ballot processing rooms. Creates and oversees the development of all mail ballot materials; acts as the primary point of contact with the ballot production vendor and coordinates production, mailing and receiving of mail ballots; coordinates the post-election process including Canvass preparation, provisional ballots, and poll book processing; cooperates with local, state, and national partners to continually develop best practices; acts as a liaison for the Denver Elections Division to the United States Postal Service and acts as a subject matter expert for postal policy as it relates to non-profit and election mail; oversees quality assurance measures to ensure processes and procedures are tested to evaluate for potential improvement and accuracy; manages continuous improvement initiatives. Salary: $61,263-$101,084. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Manager Election Administrator, Clark County, Nevada— Clark County Elections is seeking qualified candidates to apply for the Manager Election Administration position. This position manages the operational use of the election management system (EMS) as well as the initiation of all ballot information used to generate sample ballots, mail ballots, and ballot definition for the electronic voting system. Manages the vote tabulation process. Serves as the primary liaison with County centralized IT related to technology functions and applications in the Election department.  Directs a variety of analytical and interdepartmental coordination activities; performs project management; directs specified operational functions through subordinate supervisors; oversees and performs managerial, operational and other analysis in support of departmental programs and activities.  The incumbent must exercise independent judgment and discretion in determining the optimal strategy for resource utilization and in providing support to operating and user staff. Salary: $40.40 – $62.60 Hourly. Deadline: Feb. 18. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Michigan Regional Services Manager, Hart InterCivic— Hart InterCivic is looking for a Michigan-based Regional Services Manager. A Hart Michigan Service Manager is a highly motivated “self-starter” who responds to all customer requests ranging from training requests, to phone support requests, to onsite repair of voting equipment requests, to delivery and acceptance of new devices. This individual is the customer’s first line of support. The position requires residency in the State of Michigan. The Service Manager handles all Return Material Authorization (RMA) requests for internal and external customers for all Hart InterCivic Verity products within his/her region and provides on-site customer support and troubleshooting as needed. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Program Coordinator, MIT Election Data & Science Lab— PROGRAM COORDINATOR, Political Science, to coordinate and perform day-to-day operational activities and project planning for the MIT Election Data and Science Lab, a research project that encourages a scientific approach to improving elections in the U.S. The lab’s activities include the conduct of its own research, coordinating the research of others, and fostering a larger community of allied researchers around the country. Will oversee the lab’s budget and reconcile accounts; plan seminar series/workshops; and work as part of a team on a wide range of projects, special initiatives, and events. Responsibilities include developing, implementing, and monitoring the lab’s research projects; overseeing budgets related to grants received by the lab; coordinating seminars, conferences, and workshops; remaining aware of the progress of the lab’s projects and helping to problem-solve bottlenecks; representing the lab at special events and committee meetings; preparing correspondence in response to internal/external inquiries; composing, editing, and proofreading lab materials; helping to track progress on lab achievements and communicating them to funders; making vendor and purchasing suggestions/decisions; developing documentation/reporting for stakeholders; developing and maintaining website content; and performing other dues as necessary. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Program Manager, California Voter Foundation— CVF seeks an experienced and accomplished part time program manager who is passionate about voting rights and advocacy, election reform, support for election officials, and nonpartisan expertise. This position will be instrumental in supporting the day to day operations of CVF, managing communications, and supporting important programmatic initiatives. Candidates must be eager to work in a fast-paced, collaborative environment and be able to balance and prioritize competing demands. This is a remote, part-time position, with the potential to transition to a full-time position, who reports to the president of CVF. Responsibilities: Manage communications and outreach with a network of diverse leaders and stakeholders from all sectors across many time zones; Coordinate projects and research related to election funding, curtailing mis- and disinformation and legal and law enforcement protections for election officials; Support grant writing and research fundraising opportunities; Write news releases, social media posts, meeting agendas, and meeting notes; Respond to emails in a timely and professional manner; Help manage CVF social media accounts: Twitter and Facebook; Schedule meetings and plan webinar events; Attend webinars and monitor election news and events; and Support other CVF projects as needed. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Project Lead, CEIR— CEIR seeks a qualified Project Lead to guide the Election Official Legal Defense Network (EOLDN) and drive program outreach. As Project Lead, your primary goals will be to: 1) Ensure election administrators’ requests for legal help are addressed promptly and matched with lawyers appropriately, 2) Maximize the number of election administrators who know about EOLDN, and 3) Liaise with lawyers, law firms, and legal organizations to recruit lawyers to the Network and provide value to Network lawyers (e.g., by offering CLEs). EOLDN is a project of CEIR and was designed in response to the threats to and attacks on election officials and provides those public servants with the advice and protection they need. EOLDN will be a crucial resource for election officials both this year and in the years to come. We need to spread the word quickly and ensure we are prepared to respond to what will likely be a high demand for EOLDN’s services. The Project Lead will report to the Chief of Staff and guide the EOLDN team to drive the program’s success. Domestic travel will be required for this role. Salary: $65,000-$100,000. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Research Association, CEIR— The Research Associate will work under the direction of the Research Director and in collaboration with other colleagues to support CEIR’s research initiatives. These initiatives include matters pertaining to voter registration, voter access, election integrity and security, and election administration policy. As an integral member of the research team, the Research Associate will support CEIR’s mission by developing and conducting surveys and studies, analyzing data, and contributing to research reports and other written materials for CEIR’s diverse audience of election officials, policymakers, the media, and key stakeholders. Primary Responsibilities: Collect and clean data, analyze data using statistical software, visualize findings, and develop presentations on results for internal and external audiences; Brief members of the leadership and research teams on research results, including through graphs, charts, and other data visualization tools; Synthesize findings and help draft reports, issue briefs, and other written products for publication; As a member of the research team, help assess where CEIR’s work can have the biggest impact, identify growth opportunities, and develop research proposals; Assist with all research activities, including project design, data collection and analysis, and dissemination of findings; Develop deep expertise on issues relevant to CEIR’s mission, including policies affecting election administration and voter access; Monitor trends, research, and publications in the election space to inform CEIR’s research portfolio; Promote a team culture of high performance and continuous improvement that values learning, quality, collaboration, positivity, and transparency; and Maintain effective communication with team members and participate in regular team meetings. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Senior Programmer Analyst, Clark County, Nevada— This position provides project and program leadership to professional and technical staff; performs applications systems design, modification and programming of a routine to complex nature in support of County administrative and business services for multiple computer platform applications. Provides lead direction, training and work review to a programming project team; organized and assigns work, sets priorities, and follows-up and controls project status to ensure coordination and completion of assigned work. Provides input into selection, evaluation, disciplinary and other personnel matters. Gathers and analyzes information regarding customer systems and requirements and develops or modifies automated systems to fulfill these needs. Conducts feasibility studies and develops system, time, equipment and cost requirements. Using computer generated techniques, simulates hardware and software problems, tests and evaluates alternative solutions, and recommends and implements appropriate applications design. Develops program logic and processing steps; codes programs in varied languages. Plans and develops test data to validate new or modified programs; designs input and output forms and documents. Troubleshoots hardware and software problems, as needed, for customers, other agencies and information systems personnel. Writes program documentation and customer procedures and instructions and assists user departments and staff in implementing new or modified programs and applications; tracks and evaluates project and systems progress. Writes utility programs to support and validate adopted systems and programs. Confers with customer department staff regarding assigned functional program areas. Maintains records and prepares periodic and special reports of work performed. Maintains current knowledge of technology and new computer customer applications. Contributes to the efficiency and effectiveness of the unit’s service to its customers by offering suggestions and directing or participating as an active member of a work team. Uses standard office equipment in the course of the work; may drive a personal or County motor vehicle or be able to arrange for appropriate transportation in order to travel between various job sites depending upon departments and/or projects assigned. This is an open and continuous recruitment, scheduling dates will vary depending on when the application was received and reviewed by Human Resources. This examination will establish an Open Competitive Eligibility list to fill current and/or future vacancies that may occur within the next six (6) months or may be extended as needed by Human Resources. Human Resources reserves the right to call only the most qualified applicants to the selection process. Salary: $32.07 – $49.74 Hourly. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Voter Education & Outreach Specialist, Washington Secretary of State’s Office— This position reports to the Voting Information Services Manager of the Elections Division and works collaboratively to provide outreach and educational services. This position leads onsite customer service to candidates during annual peaks, voters’ pamphlet training for internal staff, organization of printed materials for proofing, fulfillment of outreach materials to stakeholders, and coordinates the printing and distribution of the state Voters’ Pamphlet. The passage of new legislation (ESHB 2421) increases the business needs to be met by the Secretary of State’s Office. Each May and June, the office must preview and process candidate’s statements to be printed in local county primary pamphlets as well as the processing necessary July through October for the state general election pamphlet. The Voting Information Services (VIS) team promotes accessible, fair, and accurate elections. Through educational programs and service excellence, we help eligible Washington residents register to vote, file for office, and cast an informed ballot. VIS exercises visionary leadership to publish the state Voters’ Pamphlet. The team provides voters and candidates with essential tools and training, digestible data and auditing reports, outreach programs and publications. VIS also advises County Auditors in interpretations of federal and state election law to uphold the integrity of election administration throughout the state. These objectives are accomplished through official communications, collaboration with stakeholders, and educational publications including the state Voters’ Pamphlet. The VIS program also acts as liaison for the Office of the Secretary of State. Salary: $55,524 – $74,604. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Voter Services Manager, Charleston County, South Carolina— This is a managerial position that provides supervision in the daily operation and management of the front of the office, in-person absentee voting, and candidate filing.  Supervises both permanent and temporary employees during in-person absentee voting for elections. Responsible for management of each satellite absentee location, as well as hiring/training absentee poll workers. Supervises the daily operations of the In-Person Absentee Voting division and oversees the work production and quantity and quality of work completed.  Supervises election planning and scheduling and develops and implements policies and procedures. Supervises, trains, and evaluates the in-person absentee voting specialists and temporary staff. Performs supervisory responsibility including work assignments, working hours, and training. Evaluates performance of staff. Coordinates Satellite Voting Unit use in municipal, statewide, and special elections. Supervises the selection of in-person absentee voting sites and prepares correspondence sent to each potential location.   Supervises the preparation of supplies and materials for each in-person absentee voting site. Supervises the selection of in-person absentee voting poll workers and off-site managers. Corresponds with in-person absentee voting poll workers. Develops and maintains training materials for in-person absentee voting poll workers. Manages the daily digital imaging of voter applications, boxing, storage, and archiving of in-person absentee voting records in accordance with statutory requirements. Supervises the preparation and execution of daily statistical reports during the in-person absentee voting period.  Tracks statistical data for each election.  Prepares materials responsive to open records requests related to in-person absentee voting. Research and resolve questions, problems, or inquiries from staff, citizens, and stakeholders. Provides oversight for candidate filing, petition management, and any inquiries of potential candidates. Oversees failsafe voting on Election Day at our office. Salary: $48,722 – $66,276 Annually, Deadline: May 1. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

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