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Election News This Week

Primary Updates: Although were no primaries this week, there is still some follow-up from recent contests. Two candidates who finished second in House races in the Republican primary last week are asking for new elections in the two districts because of voting problems in Etowah County, Alabama acknowledged by state, local, and party officials. Secretary of State John Merrill, the state’s top election official, said that redoing the primary is not allowed under state law. Officials in Washington County, Arkansas conducted a recount this week after the winning difference in a House race was less than 10 votes. Election workers in DeKalb County, Georgia spent their holiday weekend doing a hand recount of  a county commission race. Programming errors make the initial results for the race inaccurate and also caused problems with the recount when it began. The county is considering delaying the certification of the election due to ongoing questions.  Officials in Idaho successfully completed the first-ever random post-election audit of the May 17 primary. Election officials in Buncombe County, North Carolina are getting ready to recount the vote in the state House primary where the candidates are tied. The 50-50 split followed tabulations during last week’s canvass of in-person, traditional absentee and provisional ballots. State law directs a recount now must be performed. At press time, Clackamas County, Oregon had completed the task of duplicating mail ballots so they could then be process. The county will now focus on counting military and overseas ballots and processing ballots that need voter signature resolution, elections officials said in a news statement. The ballot printing error and the process to correct it has drawn the ire of state elections officials and the scrutiny of the media. Unfortunately too, the situation has led to some to call the validity of the election into question. While the legal battle over what ballots to count and not count continues in the courts (see Legal Updates for the latest), county elections officials in Pennsylvania because the process of recounting ballots in the statewide recount of the GOP presidential primary. Some smaller counties have already completed the process by press time, but larger counties and jurisdictions will take longer to complete the task.

Threats to Democracy: Both the New York Times and Politico have concerning stories this week about plans to monitor and contest the 2022 election in November. The Times how Cleta Mitchell is working with a well-funded network of organizations on the right, including the Republican National Committee, she is recruiting election conspiracists into an organized cavalry of activists monitoring elections. Mitchell is marshaling volunteers to stake out election offices, file information requests, monitor voting, work at polling places and keep detailed records of their work. One concern, according to The New York Times,  is the group’s intent to research the backgrounds of local and state officials to determine whether each is a “friend or foe” of the movement. Mitchell says she is creating “a volunteer army of citizens” who can counter what she describes as Democratic bias in election offices. “We’re going to be watching. We’re going to take back our elections,” she said in an April interview with John Fredericks, a conservative radio host. Politico has a piece that features video recordings of Republican Party operatives meeting with grassroots activists provide an inside look at a multi-pronged strategy to target and potentially overturn votes in Democratic precincts: Install trained recruits as regular poll workers and put them in direct contact with party attorneys. The plan, as outlined by a Republican National Committee staffer in Michigan, includes utilizing rules designed to provide political balance among poll workers to install party-trained volunteers prepared to challenge voters at Democratic-majority polling places, developing a website to connect those workers to local lawyers and establishing a network of party-friendly district attorneys who could intervene to block vote counts at certain precincts. Additionally, the Arizona Mirror has an article about State Sen. Kelly Townsend (R-Apache Junction) calling on “vigilantes” to spy on people who deposit early ballots in ballot drop boxes for elections later this year, imploring them to use hidden cameras and follow voters to their cars in an effort to stamp out unproven fraud alleged by a conservative group that aims to restrict voting. “We’re going to have hidden trail cameras, we are going to have people parked out there watching you and they are going to follow you to your car and get your license plate, so don’t try it. Don’t try it anymore,” Townsend added.

Mistaken Identity: Officials in the District of Columbia are working to make sure that voters know the difference between ballot drop boxes and boxes used by the Department of Health for COVID tests. Although the same boxes are used and they are labeled differently, in some locations, like near public libraries, the boxes are very close to each other. “Now, some of these boxes are positioned very close to COVID drop boxes,” warned Nick Jacobs, a spokesman with D.C. Board of Elections. “We simply ask that voters pay careful attention to which box they are putting their ballot in, and to put it in the right box,” Jacobs said. The possibility of confusion has been considered — and planned for. “Rest assured, we have protocols in place, with the Department of Health, to ensure that anyone who mistakenly puts their ballot in the wrong box will still have their ballot counted,” Jacobs said. “All ballots will collected multiple times every day, to ensure safety, security, and election integrity,” he said.

This and That: Pima County, Arizona Administrator Jan Lesher is recommending elections workers not be subject to a county mandate requiring employees be vaccinated against COVID-19.  In Riverside County, California while elections officials and poll workers will be  masked, voters will not be required to wear a mask for in-person voting. The Shawnee County, Kansas commission has approved more than $50K to replace equipment and repair damages to the elections office that were the result of flooding. Schools in Haverhill, Massachusetts will be closed on primary day in September because city Clerk Linda L. Koutoulas was concerned redistricting would have voters wandering around school properties. Montana’s Commissioner of Political Practices Jeff Mangan has called on officials to combat mis-/disinformation. “It’s damned important,” Mangan said. “We’re losing election officials, we’re losing our volunteers, we’re losing our election judges because of misinformation.” The Miami County, Ohio board of elections will be moving from the county Courthouse to the Hobart Center for County Government once the Department of Development vacates the space. Early voting kicked off for the very first time ever in South Carolina. Across Washington, hundreds of volunteers have been knocking on doors, questioning residents and searching for evidence of voter fraud — or at least outdated voter rolls. The doorbelling has lead several county auditors and the secretary of state to issue public statements warning that the group is not authorized by any election office.

Personnel News: Several publications have recently done profiles on the secretary of state races in California, Iowa and Washington. Amy Phillips is the new Grand Junction, Colorado city clerk. Meriden, Connecticut Democratic Registrar of Voters Maureen Flynn will retire when her term expires in January 2023.

Legislative Updates

Arizona: Gov. Doug Ducey vetoed legislation which would have required county election officials to cancel the registration of anyone they determine is not qualified to vote. The move, the first of the governor this session, came amid concerns from county officials that what was in HB 2617 could lead to mischief as it would allow individuals to make unsubstantiated claims that some people on the voter registration rolls should be removed. Jennifer Marson, executive director of the Arizona Association of Counties, said that, in turn, would trigger automatic investigations.

Ojai, California: Ojai is considering becoming California’s first “general law” city to have ranked-choice voting. The City Council on May 24 discussed the possibility of making the change from district-based voting but took no action. In California, only charter cities are authorized to convert to ranked-choice voting, according to an Ojai city staff report. As a general law city, Ojai must follow the state election code requiring candidates to be elected in a traditional plurality voting system. In 2019, the Legislature passed a bill that would have given general law cities, counties and school boards the option to adopt ranked-choice voting, but Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed it. City Attorney Matthew Summers said Ojai could be sued for even asking voters to consider ranked-choice voting. “Someone might try to pull it off the ballot contending we don’t have the right,” Summers said. “Folks have filed (lawsuits) to stop somebody from even going to the voters so I can’t say that there’s no risk.”  Putting the question to voters on the November ballot would cost the city $30,000, he said.

District of Columbia: Earlier this year, Ward 2 Councilmember Brooke Pinto introduced a piece of legislation that would allow for mobile voting in the District. Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen, who oversees the committee that would take up the legislation is opposed to the plan and now Bradley Tusk, a venture capitalist and head of Tusk Philanthropies that is pushing the mobile voting option is planning a “significant, five-figure ad campaign to launch next week” pressuring Allen to at least hold a hearing on legislation aiming to let D.C. voters cast their ballots from their phones by 2024, a spokesperson for the group tells The Washington City Paper. Allen spokesperson Erik Salmi previously told the Washington Post that he wouldn’t advance the bill because “he has heard from numerous elections and cybersecurity experts, as well as residents, with serious concerns” about the wisdom of pursuing electronic voting before the technology has matured to allow it to happen securely.

Louisiana: A Senate committee advanced a bill by conservative lawmakers aimed at limiting the right to vote in Louisiana to U.S. citizens. House Bill 178, authored by Rep. Debbie Villio, R-Kenner, proposes a constitutional amendment to make it clear that in Louisiana someone must be a citizen of the United States to register to vote. Without the amendment, local governing authorities have the power to allow non-citizens the right to vote. Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin supported the bill. Some argued that the bill is a solution searching for a problem. The House had passed the bill 72-17.

Maryland: Gov. Larry Hogan (R) vetoed several elections-related bills in his final year as governor. One bill Hogan vetoed would have allowed election workers to open ballots and begin processing them up to eight business days before the first day of early voting. And for this summer’s primary only, workers also could have begun tabulating those votes — without releasing the results — before polls closed on primary day, according to an analysis of the bill. Another bill Hogan vetoed was tor a voter who failed to sign the envelope containing their absentee ballot, the elections boards would have been required to notify them and give them up to 10 days to correct the mistake by sending in a picture of their signature by email, mail or coming in person. Starting June 1, 2023, they even would have been able to text a picture of their signature to elections officials. In his veto message, Hogan said he supports the earlier canvassing timeline and allowing voters to correct their signature-less ballots. But he said he was rejecting the bill because it lacked any way to verify the signatures in that process. “[A]s our vote by mail numbers rise, the missing piece in this legislation is that balance — for even the appearance of impropriety or the opportunity for fraud can be enough to undermine citizens’ confidence in their electoral system,” he wrote.

Michigan: The House Elections and Ethics Committee recently approved a plan introduced by Republican State Rep. Ann Bollin that aims to help local communities struggling to find suitable locations to conduct elections. She says the reform has long been a priority for Michigan’s municipal clerks. Bollin, a former Brighton Township clerk, is sponsoring House Bill 6071 to expand their options. Currently, school buildings, fire stations, police stations and other publicly owned buildings must be used as polling locations. If it is not possible or convenient to use a publicly owned building, a township or city may opt to use a building owned by a non-profit entity. House Bill 6071 would expand the options to include a privately owned building such as a banquet center or a recreation clubhouse, as long as the building is not owned by a candidate for office or someone who runs a political action committee. The measure received unanimous approval from the committee last week and advances to the full House for further consideration.

Nevada: Raja Mourey, a Republican candidate for state senate, has filed a proposed ballot measure with the Nevada Secretary of State. If successful, the statutory ballot measure would require voters to present valid photo identification when voting in local and federal elections. Voters who don’t have a valid ID could request a “special identification document” with the voter’s photo and signature that could only be used for voting purposes. The ballot initiative is being supported by a political action committee dubbed R.I.S.E. Nevada – Restoring Integrity in State Elections. Signatures for statutory initiatives must be submitted to counties for verification no later than Nov. 23 in order to appear before the 2023 Legislature, which would have 40 days to approve the initiative If the Legislature approves the initiative, it becomes law. If they reject the initiative or fail to take action, the initiative goes before voters at the next general election, which would be in 2024.

New Jersey: A measure that would have allowed election officials to count early votes before the polls close on Election Day failed to advance after opposition from Republicans and a single Democrat. The bill stalled after a 20-16 vote in the upper chamber but was pulled from the agenda without the voting period being closed, a move that allows the bill to return at a future session without being reintroduced. Bills need yes votes from a majority of a chamber’s members — in this case, 21 — to succeed. The measure would allow election officials to begin tallying early in-person votes the day before an election and cleared officials to canvass mail-in ballots up to 10 days before an election. Supporters say it would allow election officials to finalize races sooner.

New York: The state Senate recently approved several election bills, though it is uncertain if the legislation will be taken up by the Assembly before the end of the session in early June. Bills passed include: S.424, which allows split shifts for election inspectors or poll clerks; S.823, which Increases compensation of election inspectors to $300 and coordinators to $350 in New York City; S.4542, which prohibits conflicts of interest among board of elections employees; S.5800, which requires mandatory training curriculum for poll workers; S.6684, which establishes minimum staffing levels for local board of elections; S.7382, which would allow the passing out of refreshments to increase attendance at polls; S.8289, which requires a public hearing prior to the appointment of election commissioners; S.8292, which requires election commissioners to meet certain qualification; S.8311, which makes commissioners full time employees of the board; and  S.8337, which creates a way to remove an election commissioner.

A measure awaiting action by state lawmakers would combine the election dates for town offices with those for state offices in what supporters call an effort to fuse voter participation. Under the proposal, the elections for town and county offices would be shifted from odd-numbered years to even-numbered years, putting them in sync with elections for state legislative seats and contests for governor, attorney general and state comptroller. The lead sponsor of the legislation, Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, D-Scarsdale, said in the justification section of the measure that New York has experienced a pattern of low voter turnout in local elections. But leaders of the state Republican and Conservative parties argue the proposal is really aimed at making it difficult for non-Democrats to get elected to local offices in a state where the GOP is at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to voter enrollment.

North Carolina: A Republican-sponsored House bill introduced last week would require the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services to send death certificate notices directly to county boards of elections. House Bill 1069 has as its primary sponsor Rep. Lee Zachary, R-Yadkin, whose district includes a portion of western Forsyth County. Another primary sponsor is Jeffrey Elmore, R-Wilkes. The one-page bill has been placed in the House Elections Law and Campaign Finance Reform committee. If recommended by that committee, it would go to House Rules and Operations. It would be effective immediately if it becomes law. Zachary said his legislative office’s research “indicated that the two biggest problems with voter rolls in North Carolina are failure to purge deceased persons and failure to remove folks who have moved.” The death certificate notifications would be sent monthly to the board of elections where the deceased person resided. The monthly list would be based on death certificates reported to DHHS during the preceding month. Upon receiving the death certificate notification, county elections boards would have 30 days to remove the deceased person from the voting rolls, along with certifying the removal with the State Board of Elections.

Ohio: The House has given the green light to a proposed constitutional amendment that, if passed by the Ohio Senate, would allow the state’s voters to cast ballots this November to determine whether to prohibit non-U.S. citizens from voting in all elections held in Ohio.  It is already illegal for non-citizens to vote in state and federal elections but it is not as clear cut for local areas. The Ohio Constitution provides home rule authority to municipalities and chartered counties. In 2020, the Ohio village of Yellow Springs adopted an ordinance allowing non-citizens to vote. At that point, Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a Republican, ruled non-citizens in that community could neither register to vote nor vote.  Backers of this proposed amendment say the concern is that a future secretary of state might view the issue differently. This proposed constitutional amendment is meant to take local control away from that situation.

Lawmakers are moving to spend $20 million to hold a special primary election on Aug. 2. In a 31-1 vote, the Senate approved the extra funding, sending it to the House for consideration. They added it to an unrelated bill awarding $422 million in federal coronavirus relief funds to townships and other local governments. Ohio is holding a second primary because delays in redistricting, the regular process of redrawing state legislative districts, resulted in new maps not being ready in time for the regular May 3 primary election, when Ohio otherwise held elections for statewide and federal offices.

Legal Updates

Alabama: A losing Republican candidate for governor has sued state officials for using electronic voting machines, saying the machines are vulnerable to manipulation and that their use violates the due process rights of voters. Plaintiff Lindy Blanchard asks the court to block Alabama from using electronic machines in the general election in November. She asked the court to require the state to count paper ballots by hand through a process spelled out in the lawsuit. The lawsuit names as defendants Secretary of State John Merrill, the state’s top election official. Also named as defendants are five officials who are members of the Alabama Electronic Voting Committee, a panel created by the Legislature to evaluate and certify voting systems. “Electronic voting machines cannot be deemed reliably secure and do not meet the constitutional and statutory mandates to guarantee a free and fair election,” the lawsuit claims.

Arizona: The Republican Party has restarted its lawsuit to end early voting, but Attorney General Mark Brnovich has dropped out of the case. The decision not to defend the early voting system came from a mutual agreement between the Republican Party of Arizona, which filed the complaint, and the Attorney General’s Office, court records show. According to the Arizona Republic, it is not clear who initiated the move to leave the lawsuit. In a filing to the Mohave County Superior Court, state Solicitor General Brunn W. Roysden III stated the Attorney General’s Office agrees to be bound by the outcome of the lawsuit, including any appeals. The state GOP moved their lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of early voting to Mohave County after the state Supreme Court last month declined to take up the matter, saying it needed to start in a lower court. A hearing is scheduled for June 3.

California: Superior Court Judge Michelle Williams Court has overturned the results of a Compton city council race that was decided by one vote following an election rigging scandal. Two-term Councilman Isaac Galvan must be replaced by his challenger, Andre Spicer, after a judge determined that four of the votes cast in the election were submitted by people who did not live in the council district that the two men were vying to represent, according to a 10-page ruling. Prosecutors alleged that Galvan conspired with primary opponent Jace Dawson to direct voters from outside the council district to cast ballots for Galvan in the June runoff against Spicer. Galvan was also accused of trying to bribe an elections official with concert tickets, according to the criminal complaint. The official immediately reported the attempt, according to Dean Logan, the county’s top elections official.

Colorado:  The federal appeals court based in Denver has agreed with a trial judge’s decision dismissing a lawsuit that claimed the 2020 election was rigged by Dominion Voting Systems, Facebook and others. Eight voters from across the country filed a lawsuit after the 2020 presidential election alleging various types of election interference and seeking $160 billion in damages. In April 2021, U.S. Magistrate Judge N. Reid Neureiter dismissed the case after finding the plaintiffs had no standing, which requires a specific injury attributable to the defendants. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit upheld Neureiter’s dismissal order on Friday, without addressing the specific claims in the lawsuit. “Accordingly, no matter how strongly plaintiffs believe that defendants violated voters’ rights in the 2020 election, they lack standing to pursue this litigation unless they identify an injury to themselves that is distinct or different from the alleged injury to other registered voters,” wrote Judge Timothy M. Tymkovich in the panel’s May 27 order.

Connecticut: The seven-year-old case in which Stamford’s former Democratic Party chief allegedly forged absentee ballots is moving toward trial. John Mallozzi is charged with 14 counts each of filing false statements and second-degree forgery in the 2015 municipal election, when Stamford voters chose candidates to fill seats on the Board of Representatives, Board of Finance and Board of Education. It came to light after a Stamford man went to vote at his polling place in District 8 on Nov. 3, 2015 but was told he’d been recorded as having already voted by absentee ballot.  When poll workers checked the man’s signature against the one on his supposed absentee ballot, they found that the handwriting was different. The incident was reported to the State Elections Enforcement Commission, which traced the man’s irregular absentee ballot, and 13 others, to Mallozzi. After a 20-month investigation, SEEC officials reported their findings to the state’s attorney in Stamford. Mallozzi was arrested in January 2019 and pleaded not guilty two months later.  The status of the case is listed as “jury trial” on the Connecticut Judicial Branch website, and the next court date is July 26.

Illinois: A lawsuit filed by three Illinois Republicans argues that the state should not count mail-in ballots that arrive after the date of an election. The suit was filed in federal court in Chicago on behalf of Rep. Michael Bost from Carbondale, a state GOP committeeperson Laura Pollastrini and Susan Sweeney who was one of the state’s Republican presidential electors in 2020. A spokesman for the Illinois State Board of Elections said that it does not comment on pending litigation. The suit asks a judge to prevent election authorities from counting mail-in ballots that arrive in the days following in-person voting, arguing that a ballot “is not a legal vote unless it is received by Election Day.” Illinois law directs local election authorities to count ballots postmarked by the date of an election and received within two weeks of the election.

Kentucky: Fayette Circuit Judge Thomas Travis ordered that ballots cast in the Lexington 4th Council District race during the recent primary election be secured in preparation for a recount. Travis set a June 10 hearing to determine when the recount should occur and which ballots will be counted. During the May 17 primary, due to an error with new paper ballots, more than 30 people voted in the wrong council district. The snafu was discovered four hours after voting started and corrected, according to Fayette County Clerk Don Blevins Jr. The unofficial results show the three candidates in the non-partisan race were separated by less than 50 votes.

Mississippi: U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves dismissed a lawsuit accusing Mississippi of using a discriminatory proof-of-citizenship requirement for some new voters under a law dating back to the Jim Crow era. The dismissal came weeks after the state repealed a 1924 law that required naturalized citizens, but not people born in the U.S., to provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote. Two groups, Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and the Mississippi Center for Justice, sued the state in 2019 on behalf of the Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance and the League of Women Voters of Mississippi. “No state in the United States other than Mississippi subjects naturalized citizens to a higher proof-of-citizenship requirement for voter registration than U.S.-born citizens,” the lawsuit said. This week, the plaintiffs and the defendants, including the secretary of state’s office, both asked U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves to dismiss the suit. He quickly granted the request.

New Jersey: Superior Court Judge Michael O’Neill upheld a decision by the Hunterdon County Board of Elections to reject Julia S. Kerr’s mail-in ballot because her signature didn’t match others on file. At 93, Kerr cast her final vote by mail in the November 2021 election just a month before her death. Because her signature on her ballot didn’t match the one on file and because she was no longer alive to verify the signature, the county board of elections rejected the ballot. “There was one on file from October of 2019, which you know was a very unsteady handwriting — that particular signature — and then the certification voters signed … has a very, very smooth and clear signature,” O’Neill said.  “The defendants point out that clearly these signatures don’t match, and I agree.” O’Neill pointed to testimony from Kerr’s grandson, Ryan, who said the signature was too neat to be his grandmother’s and that “somebody may have signed for her.” “Unfortunately, Mrs. Kerr passed away on December 5, 2021, so she wasn’t available here at the time of trial to come in and either confirm or not confirm that she intended to vote for the referendum or that that was her signature on the ballot,” O’Neill said.  “We don’t know at this point how she would have voted, but we certainly don’t know for sure at any event because the cure procedure set forth in the statute was not complied with.”

Superior Court Judge Robert Gardner refused to issue an order compelling the Essex County board of elections to make all Newark polling places handicapped accessible for the June 7 statewide primary and three city council runoffs on June 14. Newark’s top lawyer, Corporation Counsel Kenyatta Stewart, said the judge told the parties he expected the Board of Elections to fulfill its obligations to uphold the voting rights of Newark residents, and he would allow the board to do so voluntarily. If there is an accessibility issue or other problem on election day, Stewart said Gardner informed the parties that he would be the judge on duty to address them.

Pennsylvania: The U.S. Supreme Court temporarily blocked a lower court order on the counting of undated mail ballots in the Senate GOP recount. The two-sentence order — issued by Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., who oversees emergency matters arising from Pennsylvania for the court — threw a new variable into the high-stakes contest by blocking undated ballots from being counted in an unrelated election from Lehigh County last November. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the immediate impact of Alito’s order on the Senate race remains to be seen. It focused solely on the counting of votes in a contested 2021 judicial race in Lehigh County. But much like the lower court ruling that prompted Alito’s intervention Tuesday, its repercussions could reverberate widely.

While action was taking place on undated ballots in Washington, D.C., the Commonwealth Court was hearing a case brought by GOP Senate Candidate Dave McCormick to count the votes. McCormick is currently trailing by 922 votes as the state is set to begin a recount. According to elections officials, there are about 800 ballots that arrived on time, but with no date. For about 3 1/5 hours, the McCormick campaign and Dr. Oz campaign argued about whether the ballots should or should not count. The state also argued for the ballots to count, but the state GOP argued against it.  After the arguments and rebuttals, the judge adjourned without deciding.

Ohio:  A divided three-judge panel of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio ordered Ohio to hold an Aug. 2 primary using the third set of Statehouse maps approved by the Ohio Redistricting Commission, despite a rebuke of the plan by the state’s high court. That deadline will be missed, as the GOP-controlled commission did not schedule any meetings. “We recognized from the outset that choosing a remedy would be challenging,” Circuit Judge Amul Thapar said in the 2-1 majority opinion. “And between the standoff among state officials and the delay in getting the case, our options were limited,” Thapar wrote. “So we chose the best of our bad options.” Federal Judge Algenon Marbley dissented in Friday’s ruling, pointing out that the state Supreme Court reiterated this week that the third map remains unconstitutional. The best option remained the map drawn by two experts, one selected by Republicans, one by Democrats, Marbley said.

South Dakota: Judge Lawrence Piersol, of the United States District Court for the District of South Dakota ruled that the South Dakota Secretary of State’s Office is not following federal laws requiring state agencies to make it easier to register to vote. Piersol issued a wide-ranging opinion that sided with two South Dakota tribes, the Rosebud Sioux and the Oglala Sioux. The tribes brought suit in 2020, arguing that the Secretary of State’s Office was not adequately addressing federal law. The National Voter Registration Act requires state agencies to help voters register to vote when they interact with government agencies for other services. Licensing and public benefits are under the auspices of the Department of Public Safety and the Department of Social Services. Piersol found that the Secretary of State’s Office was not providing enough oversight to ensure those offices were fulfilling their responsibility under the act. Piersol also found that the Department of Public Safety was responsible for transmitting voter registrations to the county auditor, but numerous errors were stopping that process from happening. Piersol also ruled that when the Department of Public Safety contracts with other government agencies to provide licensing services, the department is still obligated to comply with federal voter registration requirements. Such so-called “issue sites” include the office in Dupree, South Dakota in the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation. “To the extent an issue site provides driver’s licenses services, it must comply with NVRA, and the state cannot avoid this responsibility because the ‘issue site’ is run by an agency other than DPS,” Piersol wrote.

The Lower Brule Sioux Tribe has filed suit over the timeframe of a redistricting map that would change the way candidates are elected to the Lyman County Commission. The lawsuit, filed May 18 in federal court, alleges that a delay leaves Native Americans unrepresented in county government for the next two years and under-represented for another two years thereafter. Historically, the commissioners in Lyman County have been elected by district, but since the 1990 census, the county has instead selected their commissioners on an at-large basis. Since the release of 2020’s census data, the Lyman County Commission seeks to revert to a district-style election, adopting a new plan where members will be elected from two multi-member districts. Despite an effective date of June 4, 2022, the county said they need more time to update voter registration software, and will run this year’s election as an at-large race. “The current at-large method of electing members of the Lyman County Board of Commissioners dilutes Native American voting strength,” the lawsuit reads. “… [In addition,] the Board’s decision to delay implementation of its new redistricting plan was adopted with a discriminatory purpose.”

Texas: The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a request from three Texas lawmakers to put off their depositions in lawsuits seeking to block redistricting legislation in that state. There were no dissents noted from the brief order, which clears the way for the depositions to go forward next month. The order came in a dispute that arose after the Texas legislature’s October 2021 adoption of new maps for congressional and state elections. Ten different lawsuits followed, filed by individual voters, civil rights groups, and the U.S. Department of Justice, alleging that the maps violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which bars racial discrimination in election policies. As part of their case before a three-judge district court, the challengers want to depose Texas legislators about the process that led to the new maps and the legislators’ motives in adopting them. The district court denied the legislators’ motion to put the depositions on hold, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit on May 20 turned down a request to postpone the depositions.

Washington: Attorney General Bob Ferguson said this week that his office won court sanctions against an attorney behind a post-2020 presidential election lawsuit alleging state officials were illegally registering non-citizens to vote, and said he will also ask bar officials to discipline the lawyer. Ferguson said the Washington Supreme Court last month ordered lawyer Virginia Shogren to pay nearly $19,000 in attorney’s fees for violating a rule against frivolous appeals. The court also directed Shogren’s client in the lawsuit, the Washington Election Integrity Coalition United, to pay about $9,500 in costs. Five of the court’s justices last month granted a request from Ferguson’s office to grant sanctions against the plaintiffs, after the state attorney general argued the lawsuit violated the rule against frivolous appeals.

Wisconsin: Dane County Circuit Judge Stephen Ehlke ruled this week that there was nothing illegal in the grants provided to local elections by the Center for Tech and Civic Life during the 2020 election cycle. “Certainly nothing in (state law) prohibits clerks from using private grant money or working with outside consultants in the performance of their duties. … The bottom line is that the (Wisconsin Elections) Commission correctly concluded that there was no probable cause to believe any Wisconsin law has been violated,” Ehlke ruled from the bench. Other courts, including the Wisconsin Supreme Court and a federal court in Washington, DC have thrown out similar cases.

Election Security Updates

State Misinformation Sheriff: The New York Times has an article this week about several states that are putting more money and effort into combating false and misleading information about elections. For instance, Connecticut plans to spend nearly $2 million on marketing to share factual information about voting, and to create its first-ever position for an expert in combating misinformation. With a salary of $150,000, the person is expected to comb fringe sites like 4chan, far-right social networks like Gettr and Rumble, and mainstream social media sites to root out early misinformation narratives about voting before they go viral, and then urge the companies to remove or flag the posts that contain false information. “We have to have situational awareness by looking into all the incoming threats to the integrity of elections,” said Scott Bates, Connecticut’s deputy secretary of the state. “Misinformation can erode people’s confidence in elections, and we view that as a critical threat to the democratic process.” Oregon, Idaho and Arizona have education and ad campaigns on the internet, TV, radio and billboards meant to spread accurate information about polling times, voter eligibility and absentee voting. Colorado has hired three cybersecurity experts to monitor sites for misinformation. California’s office of the secretary of state is searching for misinformation and working with the Department of Homeland Security and academics to look for patterns of misinformation across the internet.

Tech Thursday

CISA Update: CISA has notified election officials in more than a dozen states that use Dominion Voting machines of several vulnerabilities and mitigation measures that would aid in detection or prevention of an attempt to exploit those vulnerabilities. However, CISA has found no evidence that flaws in Dominion voting machines have ever been exploited, including in the 2020 election. According to The Washington Post, the move marks the first time CISA has run voting machine flaws through its vulnerability disclosure program, which since 2019 has examined and disclosed hundreds of vulnerabilities in commercial and industrial systems that have been identified by researchers around the world. There are nine flaws affecting versions of the machine called the Dominion Voting Systems Democracy Suite ImageCast X, according to a copy of an advisory prepared by CISA and obtained by The Washington Post. The ImageCast X allows voters to mark their candidate choices on a touch-screen and then produce a paper record, as was the case in Georgia. It can also be used as a paperless electronic voting machine. The flaws, many of which are highly technical and which mostly stem from machine design as opposed to coding errors, generally require an attacker to have physical access to the devices or other equipment used to manage the election, CISA said. “We have no evidence that these vulnerabilities have been exploited and no evidence that they have affected any election results,” said Brandon Wales, CISA’s executive director in a statement to The Post. “Of note, states’ standard election security procedures would detect exploitation of these vulnerabilities and in many cases would prevent attempts entirely. This makes it very unlikely that these vulnerabilities could affect an election.”

New Mexico: Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver announced the launch of her office’s “Rumor vs. Reality” website, a resource that offers the public accurate information about New Mexico’s voting and elections and corrects the most prevalent points of misinformation that continue to circulate in public discourse. “With the Primary Election one week away, voters should be on the lookout for misinformation that seeks to question the integrity of our elections,” said Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, the state’s Chief Elections Officer. “If the past two years are any indication, efforts will be made to question the legitimacy of this election and other elections in the future. That’s why it is so important that voters get the facts and why we’ve launched this resource.” The Secretary of State’s new misinformation fact check page is modeled off of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) “Rumor Control” web page that debunks “common misinformation and disinformation narratives and themes that relate broadly to the security of election infrastructure and related processes.”  New Mexico’s “Rumor vs Reality” web page focuses on the most prevalent misinformation that has circulated in our state and will be updated on an ongoing basis to address new issues as they arise. The website addresses questions that many voters have or may have heard about, such as “Can someone ever tell who I voted for?” (No), “Does New Mexico use paper ballots?” (Yes, in every election), “Are independent, post-election audits performed in New Mexico to ensure the accuracy of election results?” (Yes, along with a variety of other pre- and post-election safeguards).

Opinions This Week

National Opinions: Election officials, II | Voter fraud, II

Alaska: New voting system

California: Voting rights, II | Secretary of state race

Florida; Seminole County

Georgia: Voting system | Primary lessons | Election security

Kansas: Election security

Maryland: Election legislation, II

Minnesota: Election disrupters

New York: Voting rights | Ranked choice voting| Voting equipment

North Carolina: Voter ID | Ranked choice voting

Oregon: Clackamas County

Pennsylvania: Election officials | Drop boxes | Recount

South Carolina: Early voting | Get out the vote

Texas: Municipal elections

Wisconsin: Democracy

Upcoming Events

Facts in a Time of Fiction: Journalists have long been charged with sorting fact from fiction through their reporting. But what happens when readers redefine what they see as truth and what they’ll accept as fact?  New York Times writer and author Elizabeth Williamson is among journalists confronting the rampant rise and spread of conspiracy theories through her reporting and research. Her current work has focused around unraveling the targeted misinformation and lies spread after the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting in Newtown, Conn., the surviving families’ lawsuits against Infowars conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, and the election disinformation fueling the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol attack.  In this instructional program with the National Press Club Journalism Institute, Williamson will share her reporting and research process, along with insights she gained as she connected the dots on how conspiracy theories grow. Williamson, whose critically-acclaimed book “Sandy Hook: An American Tragedy and the Battle for Truth” published this spring, will describe how she threaded together more than 400 interviews, 10,000 pages of court testimony and other records, and on-the-ground reporting to trace a line from conspiracy theories around Sandy Hook to Jan. 6, 2021. Participants will learn to: Identify how misinformation and political conspiracy theories have spread; Work with sensitivity and clarity while reporting on conspiracy theories;  Pre-bunk conspiracy theories through early reporting; Use trauma-informed reporting methods while working with people suffering tragedy; and Organize reporting and deep research to craft a long-form narrative. Where: Online. When: June 10, 11:30am Eastern.

CIRCLE Growing Voters: How do we develop the next generation of voters and expand the electorate? Join the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), the nation’s leading, nonpartisan applied research institute on youth voting, as we present a new paradigm to guide the work of preparing young people for electoral participation: CIRCLE Growing Voters. Based on exclusive, rigorous research, our framework serves as a guide for every institution and community to help grow voters, with actionable recommendations for educators, organizers, policymakers, journalists, funders, families, young leaders, and more. Only by working together can we close voting gaps, expand the electorate, and support a more equitable and representative American democracy. Where: Online. When: June 14 2pm-3:30pm Eastern.

IGO Annual Conference: Join the International Association of Government Officials for their 5th Annual Conference this summer. Check back here for more details and how to register. When: June 17-24. Where: Indian Wells, California.

NASS Summer Conference: Join the National Association of Secretaries of State for their Annual Conference this summer. Check back here for more details and how to register. When: July 7-10. Where: Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

NASED Summer Conference: Twice a year, NASED members gather to discuss the latest developments in election administration.  Members of the public are welcome to attend at the non-member registration rate. When: July 18-21. Where: Madison, Wisconsin.

Election Center Annual Conference: Join the National Association of Election Officials (The Election Center) for their 37th Annual Conference this summer.  When: August 20-24. Where: Denver.

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.

Administrative Services Manager, Decatur County, Georgia— Supervises, directs, and evaluates assigned staff; develops and oversees employee work schedules to ensure adequate coverage and control; compiles and reviews timesheets; approves/processes employee concerns and problems and counsels or disciplines as appropriate; assists with or completes employee performance appraisals; directs work; acts as a liaison between employees and management; and trains staff in operations, policies, and procedures. Salary: $67,182 – $104,133. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Associate Director, Elections & Voting, Democracy Fund— Democracy Fund champions leaders and organizations that defend democracy and challenge our political system to be more open and just. We believe that experimentation, learning, and adaptation are key to the health and resilience of any system, whether it is our organization or the American political system. As grantmakers, we focus on listening and serving our grantees, who are visionaries and our collaborators. Voting is the single most significant way Americans exercise political power. The Elections & Voting Program works to ensure that all Americans, especially those who have been historically underrepresented at the polls, have the opportunity to fully participate in the democratic process and freely vote for the candidates and issues representing their communities. The Associate Director will help lead and strengthen the Elections & Voting Program’s work to create a more equitable and accessible election system and empower communities to defend voting rights when they are threatened. The Associate Director will also help coordinate this work with Democracy Fund’s other programs, with other foundations, and with election field leaders and organizations. Reporting to the Elections & Voting Program Director, the Associate Director will help manage a growing team of staff and projects across the program, with a particular focus on strengthening our grantmaking processes, internal communications, and team operations. The successful candidate will be a systems thinker and builder who can drive impact while cultivating the internal organization needed to achieve our goals. We are looking for a connector with a demonstrated track record of managing people and creating opportunities for growth, learning, and collaboration. This role will work with the Program Director and Elections & Voting team members to develop the next phase of our strategies, support learning and team growth, and contribute to shaping Democracy Fund’s strategy and position in the field. This position also supports the work of Democracy Fund Voice, a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization. Salary: Range begins at $149,040. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Communication Specialist III, King County, Washington— This position reports to the Communications Lead for the Department of Elections. The person who fills this role will play an integral role in providing accurate and reliable information to King County voters through a variety of mediums. As misinformation surrounding elections has grown, it has become more important than ever for Elections to communicate proactively, regularly, and reliably with our voters. This position will work with a team of highly qualified election professionals and will often be tasked with translating complex technical processes into information that can be delivered on a variety of platforms and easily understood by a variety of audiences. This position will work closely with the Language Services and Community Engagement team to ensure all information is delivered in Chinese, Korean, Spanish, and Vietnamese in a culturally appropriate way. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Communications Manager, Sarasota County, Florida— The Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections is recruiting for a Communications Manager to join the elections team. This is a highly collaborative position primarily responsible for the development and implementation of communications campaigns, creation and execution of election-related information and coordination of public records requests and records maintenance for the Supervisor of Elections office. This position reports to the Communications Director and helps develop and manage internal and external communications that represent the SOE’s mission and goals. Work involves independent planning and execution of projects and responsibilities. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Communications Specialist, The U.S. Election Assistance Commission— The employee and supervisor collaborate to develop the approach, timelines and general framework for projects and, within these parameters, the employee independently plans and carries out the work involved in developing, maintaining, and managing media communication, coordinating with others as appropriate, interpreting and applying policy, determining the content and format for media communication, and consulting with the supervisor on questionable content or issues. The Director of Communications assigns special projects and assignments, defining the nature of the assignment, objectives to be achieved, and resources available. The employee independently resolves most problems that arise, keeping the Director informed on unusual, sensitive or controversial matters. Completed work is reviewed for achievement of objectives and consistency with governing laws, regulations, policies, and the EAC strategic plan. Salary: $74,950 – $95,824. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Compliance Specialist Team Lead, Oregon Secretary of State’s Office— In this position, you will provide regulatory compliance oversight and enforcement of Oregon election law. You will oversee and perform tasks associated with one or more of the Elections Division’s program areas including, but not limited to: voters’ pamphlet, candidates, conduct of elections, initiative, referendum, referrals, campaign finance, and investigations.  Salary: $5,167 – $7,937. Deadline: June 12. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

County Clerk, Lane County, Oregon— Lane County is seeking a proven leader with experience in elections and real property records. The County Clerk leads a dedicated team that performs their work with accuracy and integrity. The successful candidate is someone who demonstrates a passion to serve the community, high level of attention to detail, and strong communication skills while interacting with the public, elected officials, and outside agencies. The County Clerk is responsible for planning, organizing, and conducting all regular and special elections, voter registration, property tax appeals, permanent real property records, marriage licensing, domestic partnership registrations, and archived records management while ensuring compliance with all applicable Federal, State, and Local laws. Additional duties include preparing, reviewing and analyzing data, working with a staff of 14 full-time employees, budget and financial management, and managing technology solutions that support County Clerk operations. Salary: $82,971 – $122,033. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Director of Elections, Cumberland County, North Carolina— The Elections Director works under the administrative direction of the County Board of Elections and Executive Director of the State Board of Election. The Elections Director performs professional, managerial, and administrative work for the Board of Elections and carries out all duties or responsibilities as assigned by Chapter 163 of the General Statutes of the State of North Carolina and as delegated by members of the County Board in accordance with the laws of the State of North Carolina, GS 163-35 (d) and 163-33.  Reports to the Chairman of the Cumberland County Board of Elections. Salary: $78,784.40 – $132,425.23. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Election Hardware Manager, Dallas County, Texas— Manages the lifecycle of election hardware by developing and maintaining processes, policies, systems and measurements. Manages the election hardware inventory; ensures quality control by assigning and deploying equipment; recommends, implements, and utilizes automation and tools to monitor and report on inventory; records and manages licenses, service agreements, and warranties for election hardware and related software/firmware; reviews, analyzes, and evaluates election hardware operations. Establishes and maintains an inventory of election related assets to include but not limited to ballot marking devices, ballot counters, electronic poll books, mobile networking equipment, computers/laptops, mobile devices, tablets, and related software and peripherals. Plans, monitors, and enforces the usage, tracking, and health of election hardware and software. Plans, monitors, and enforces configuration of election hardware to include installed software, security configuration, and election specific programming/configurations. Provides regular reports and analysis on asset usage and related costs. Documents and provides guidance and training on the usage, tracking, and maintenance of election hardware and related peripherals and software in coordination with vendors and election staff. Manages, trains and guides the work of staff in preparing, deploying, and supporting election hardware. Performs other duties as assigned. Salary: $5094.59- $6355.07. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Election Security Intelligence Analyst, Illinois State Board of Elections— Under administrative direction, serves as a team member identifying computer system vulnerabilities in partnership with the Illinois State Board of Elections and Department of Innovation and Technology for local election authorities and other state election partners. Identifies vulnerabilities and provides technical analysis and remediation recommendations for those affected computer systems, including forensic analysis for investigations, monitoring and reporting. Provides technical support to the Cyber Security Information Sharing Program Manager and Cyber Navigator Program Manager of the Illinois State Board of Elections Cyber Navigator Program in coordination with the Department of Innovation and Technology Security Operations Center.  Develops and recommends measures to safeguard systems before and after they are compromised.  Conducts monthly Tech Talks on election security and relevant cyber threats for local election authorities and their IT and security staff.  Develop annual cyber security training for local election authorities. Develops publications, guides, and other election security related resources for statewide distribution. Participates in the development of incident response plans, continuity of operation plans, and tabletop exercise training.  Serves on-call for emergency situations and Election Day.  Travel to attend training sessions, conferences, meetings, etc. is required. Serves as a team member identifying computer system vulnerabilities; reviews existing computer systems of local election authorities monitored by DoIT for security violations.  Document incidents as appropriate.  Perform analysis of systems for any weaknesses, technical flaws or vulnerabilities.  Identifies vulnerabilities and provides remediation recommendations for those affected computer systems, including forensic analysis for investigations, monitoring and reporting. Coordinates with regionally assigned cyber navigators to assist local election authorities information technology staff/vendor mitigate incidents or provide technical support. Monitors network traffic by utilizing intrusion detection devices and other technologies. Monitors activities such as automated notification of security breaches and automated or manual examination of logs, controls, procedures, and data.  Salary: $5,667 – $6,000 Monthly. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Election Specialist Lead, Thurston County, Washington — As a Lead Election Specialist, you will assist in the preparation and operation of County elections by coordinating or assisting with all ballot processing, hiring and training of extra help workers, and coordinating voter registration and education programs. There will be significant public contact, requiring effective communication and professional services to customers. Other responsibilities in this role would include, but are not limited to, the following: Assist the Division Manager in supervising and providing direction and training to assigned staff and employees. Assist with the review and approval of leave requests for extra help employees and monitors workloads and task distribution providing feed back to the Division Manager. In charge of communication with all districts and candidates to ensure all elected and appointed officials have taken their oath of office and that the oath of office is on file. Coordinate with other county departments for the set up and running of extra-large voting center in high volume elections, ensuring that all statutory laws are being followed. Process and provide public record requests for voter data and election data. Communicate with customers in person, by phone, and through written correspondence to provide information regarding voter registration, election dates, ballots, laws, and procedures. Implement changes required by federal and state law within areas of responsibility and documents changes in policies and procedures. Salary: $3,819 – $5,079 Monthly. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Election Specialist Trainee, Illinois State Board of Elections— Under direct supervision of the Director/ Deputy Director of Election Operations, functions in an administrative capacity in the Division of Election Operations, developing knowledge and understanding related to the operations of the division. During a training period of up to 12 months in order to qualify for the target title position of Election Specialist I, develops knowledge of election related opinions, court rulings and legislation as it applies to agency/divisional responsibilities.  Development of knowledge related to the aforementioned criteria should be applied answering questions from the public and election authorities. Consults on the preparation of publications;, each trainee is responsible for an individual submission of assigned publications.. Receives training on developing and conducting election judge training sessions. Trainees are responsible for the creation of an individual power point to be utilized in the training of election judges. Each trainee shall attend an amount of election judge training sessions equal to that of the trainers. Establishes working relationships with the election authorities; measured by feedback from county clerks in Illinois. Participates in the development and implementation of election procedures; participates in all formal training programs in the area of election procedures and operations, and divisional responsibilities. Assists in the evaluation of internal election related procedures. Salary: $2,760.00 – $3,464 monthly. Deadline: June 6.  Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Elections Business Intelligence Specialist, Tennessee Secretary of State— Summary: Assist in planning and coordinating the computer functions and responsibilities for the Elections Division which includes, but is not limited to: data processing, integrating the statewide voter registration system with county voter registration systems, improve election reporting capabilities; analyzing and resolving technical software issues (25%) for the Division of Elections and 95 county election commission offices, which includes, but is not limited to cybersecurity practices; reviewing and researching regulations, legislation, government codes, and directives relevant to the technical elections operation; including serving as the liaison to the Office of the Comptroller of the Treasury, Local Government; and performing other duties as assigned. This position is responsible for the accuracy and timely compliance and security of voter registration data, ballot review and approval, producing and analyzing election-related state and federal reports, maintaining and assist in updating elections mobile app. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Elections Manager, Cochise County, Arizona— Under limited supervision by the Director of Elections, performs professional and administrative work of a high level in the management of election administration work in planning, organizing and directing strategic and daily goals and objectives, operations and activities of the Elections Department. Performs other related work as assigned. Assists the Director of Elections in the administration and supervision of all County, special, primary and general elections with state and local jurisdictions; Manages program requirements through appropriate delegation and work supervision, organization and assignment of task duties including warehouse organization and inventory, delivery and return of election supplies to polling places, poll workers, election boards, training and pay, website, and submitting meeting agenda items; Assists with ballot creation process including proofreading all ballot styles, sending ballot proofs to candidates and jurisdictions, and creating and reviewing ballot orders; Assures accuracy of election materials and maintains chain of custody of ballots, forms, equipment, and materials; Programs, tests, and maintains all voting equipment, following Federal, State, and local requirements; Recruits, coordinates, trains, manages, supervises, and terminates seasonal or temporary staff in consultation with the Director; Develops and presents poll worker education and curriculum for online and in-person training; Assists with ballot tabulation duties including coordinating, hiring, and training the Early Boards to receive, count and prepare early ballots for tabulation, assists with oversight of receiving Boards on Election night to receive and tabulate the polling place ballots, assists with Hand Count Boards as part of the election audition process and completes necessary reports related to canvass of election and post-election audits; Assists with election night reporting, including preparing the necessary data uploads into the State’s reporting system; Assists with oversite of the departmental budget and administers office financial tasks including but not limited to, inputting requisitions, tracking expenditures and budget reconciliation, lease agreements, paying invoices, overseeing and maintains inventory for equipment and supplies and assists with annual budget preparation; Delivers effective, accurate, secure, cost-effective customer service relative to areas of responsibility. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Elections Program Engagement Manager, US Digital Response— USDR is seeking an Engagement Manager to be an early hire for our growing Elections program. As an early hire, we are looking for someone who is excited to influence the shape and structure of the program, particularly the way we build relationships with government partners. USDR partners often reach out with a complex problem knowing that USDR teams will work collaboratively to meet their needs. The Engagement Manager will be responsible for working with new and existing partners and shaping USDR projects in this space, while engaging the elections team and volunteer network to deliver on our partners’ needs. You’ll work with multiple levels of government and non-governmental organizations, interfacing with elections office stakeholders, individual engineers, support personnel, and everyone in between. You would be a good fit for this role if you’re an elections expert, a project or program manager with delivery experience, or a technologist with experience in supporting government partners. In this position, you will: Build and maintain strong, credible relationships with government partners and key stakeholders in the elections ecosystem; Create and maintain the process and infrastructure for maintaining relationships with existing partners, including building a community space for these partners; Explore new opportunities to provide impact and support to new and existing elections partners; Collaborate with government partners and USDR technologists to translate partner feedback into new features and impactful projects; Manage a portfolio of complex projects and initiatives in our Elections Program, including Poll Worker Management; and Represent USDR and the values of our Volunteer Oath in your work. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Elections Specialist, Mesa County, Colorado— As an employee in the Election Division, duties focus on a variety of work related to elections office goals, including voter registration applications, additions, changes, cancellations, and party affiliation in voter registrations. Workload, focused within the election office during an election cycle, including working with other staff to complete voter registration data entry, processing voters, and assisting the voting process of the ACP program and military/overseas voters, operation and maintenance of the election equipment, maintenance of the Address Library, voter cancelations using SCORE, and bulk print mailings. Other duties may include coordinating and organization of supplies for office and polling location in preparation for an election. Assist with election judge recruitment, assisting with scheduling and judge training. Performs daily data entry of voter registration forms, as needed. Overall, working as a team, individuals will gravitate towards and excel at certain tasks but every team member should have a solid understanding of all the tasks, which ensures redundancy and collaboration. Salary: $18.51 – $20.83 Hourly. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Elections Supervisor, Dallas County, Texas— Assists with managing the administration and operation of an election program area, to include program planning, supervising the work of others, establishing goals and objectives, developing schedules, priorities and standards for achieving goals, and coordinating and evaluating program activities. Assists management by planning, organizing, delegating and overseeing the daily operations of one or more areas of responsibility associated with the election process. Oversees the election program area to ensure staffing coverage is adequate, and productivity standards are met and are effective develops and implements goals and objectives, performance measures and techniques to evaluate programmatic activities reviews correspondence and reports from local, state and or federal agencies analyzes statistical data and prepares and maintains related reports. Researches and maintains comprehensive knowledge and understanding of applicable laws, policies and procedures to effectively communicate with staff, and acts as liaison and departmental representative to elected officials, political representatives, candidates, judges, contracting customers, vendors, general public, and or other county, state and federal representatives to resolve problems, answer questions, provide assistance and modify policies/procedures. Hires and trains supervisory and support staff, evaluates performance and initiates disciplinary actions coordinates and monitors scheduling, productivity and workloads. Assists in budget preparation and maintains related data and reports. Performs other duties as assigned. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Executive Director, Elections, The Pew Charitable Trusts— The Executive Director will guide the efforts of several interested philanthropic funders, which aim to advance evidence-based and nonpartisan solutions that improve the access to, integrity of, and trustworthiness of the U.S. election administration system. This position will lead a team of 3-4 staff to drive transformative investments, and will be accountable for developing investment recommendations, allocating resources to sourcing and due diligence, supporting fundraising, and providing leadership to drive progress and performance. The ideal candidate will have significant and distinguished work experience relevant to election administration and U.S. democracy, managing senior-level professional staff, and working with executive leadership, boards, or donors. This senior role requires a proven track record of leadership and accomplishment in designing and implementing programs aimed at solving complex and dynamic problems. The individual in this role must understand best, promising, and emerging practices and innovations in the field of election administration, and have well-honed political, strategic and analytical skills. The Executive Director must be flexible and results-oriented, with exceptional interpersonal, relationship-building and communication skills, and experience translating concepts into action, with a proven record of success in developing and implementing innovative strategies and solutions with the engagement of a broad set of stakeholders. This position will report to the Executive Vice President and Chief Program Officer. The position has a set time frame that could be extended based on the success of the program, funding sources, and board decisions on continued support. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Executive Director, National Association of Election Officials— The Election Center Board of Directors is inviting highly qualified professionals to apply for the Executive Director position. Tim Mattice, who has successfully served the Election Center for 16 years, is retiring in December 2022. The Election Center Board of Directors invites you to apply to be the next Executive Director for the Election Center – The National Association of Election Officials. The new Executive Director will be the leader of the oldest and most respected organization formed exclusively for election and voter registration officials. This is an opportunity to lead the organization into the future focusing on the strategic plan, providing service and education to members, and helping to preserve democracy. 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. Deadline: June 13. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Finance Coordinator, Sarasota County, Florida— The Finance Coordinator is a professional, administrative position mainly responsible for the oversight and management of the Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections budget and finance activities. Work involves independent planning and execution of projects and responsibilities; demands long hours during election cycles. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Initiative Internship Program, Arizona Secretary of State’s Office—The Arizona Secretary of State’s Office is offering a paid Initiative Internship Program working with the Elections Division for 6 weeks (June 27 to August 8, 2022), for students who want to learn about election administration and support the initiative review process leading up to the 2022 election. An intern with the Elections Division, will learn about the application of state law through the initiative process. Interns will contribute to the team by assisting with the processing of initiative petitions. There will be in-person as well as remote processing requirements, and an intern must be available for both. Students or recent graduates interested in public service and witnessing democracy in action are encouraged to apply. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Information Technology Security Analyst, Illinois State Board of Elections— The IT Security Analyst reports directly to the Manager of Cyber Operations and Infrastructure. Supports the administration, implementation, review, and improvement of endpoint, network, hardware, application, and data security practices. Implements, supports and monitors the agency’s information security applications, including email security, web security, endpoint security software, firewalls, intrusion prevention applications, data loss prevention, etc. Monitors system dashboards and logs for threat indicators. Analyzes data and performs necessary incident response procedures. Conducts network, system and application vulnerability assessments. Analyzes agency threat surface and makes recommendations to management to harden agency systems. Evaluates agency processes and implements and/or makes recommendations to enhance security. Reviews information received concerning threat events from end users, supervisory personnel, other federal, state, county and local agencies and governmental entities involved in the exchange of data with the State Board of Elections (SBE), external entities such as the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC), Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EI-ISAC), trusted cybersecurity vendors, law enforcement agencies, and public information sources. Consults with SBE staff on security issues. Provides a high level of customer service to agency staff, state, county, and local election officials. Ensures service desk queues and incidents are handled in an appropriate and timely manner. Salary: $6,264 – $8,917 Monthly. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

LAN Administrator, King County Elections— King County Department of Elections (KCE) is searching for an energetic and resourceful professional who likes to “get stuff done.” The LAN Administrator – Journey position in the Elections Department combines an exciting environment with the opportunity to cultivate talents and apply a variety of skills. The ideal candidate will thrive in an innovative, fast-paced environment and will not hesitate to roll up both sleeves, work hard, have fun, and get the job done. This position is responsible for the build and support of laptops, desktops, and all other Elections auxiliary technology equipment. Duties include providing workstation provisioning, imaging, and support for Office 365. This position will also resolve software and hardware problems for end users locally and remotely; maintain end user hardware and software and the inventory of such; and be primary back-up for account setup, administration and management. This position reports to the Information Technology Division Director. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Multistate Project Manager, Election Reformers Network— The specialist will assist our Vice President of Programs in building and maintaining relationships with state-level stakeholders. Key responsibilities will include: Preparing analysis of state election administration structures and laws, and of political landscape for reform; Self-directed communication and coalition-building with election officials, nonprofit organizations, and other actors from across the ideological spectrum; Tracking and maintaining relationships across multiple states; Clearly communicating and distilling complicated information to interested audiences; Scheduling remote conference calls and video calls across multiple time zones; Providing input on ERN reports, op-eds and other publications. This role offers a great opportunity to be a part of the solution to the country’s pressing democracy challenges. ERN is committed to developing election solutions that can gain support from a wide range of political perspectives; for that reason it is essential that the candidate be open-minded, non-dogmatic, and skilled at understanding and working with a wide range of people and perspectives. The specialist will work remotely, most likely on a half-time basis, though the time frame is open to discussion. The specialist will report to the Executive Director (based in Newton, MA) and Vice President of Programs (based in Santa Fe, New Mexico). Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Nonpartisan Elections Observer, The Carter Center— The Carter Center is guided by a fundamental commitment to promote human rights, alleviate human suffering, enhance freedom and democracy, and improve health conditions. The Center seeks a highly qualified, motivated and energetic consultant to the Center’s US Elections Project. The Democracy Program at The Carter Center works globally to support democratic elections and strengthen participatory democracy, consistent with human rights. Beginning in 2020, The Carter Center began efforts to support good elections in the U.S. There are multiple key aspects to this project, contributing to electoral reform, promoting candidate codes of conduct, tracking disinformation and dangerous speech, and establishing nonpartisan observation efforts. The Carter Center plans to advance possible nonpartisan observation efforts in two key states: Arizona and Michigan. These states were selected following state assessments completed on multiple states. Nonpartisan observation efforts implemented and/or supported by The Carter Center will differ from existing partisan poll watchers and election protection groups. The goal of this observation is to provide credible and transparent information on the conduct of election in each state through public reports. The Carter Center is seeking Observation Coordinators to lead efforts in Arizona and Michigan to establish and support nonpartisan observation efforts. Working with Carter Center staff and consultants, the Observer Coordinators will work to meet with new and existing stakeholders to build an observation effort and determine the best possibility for nonpartisan observation in each state. The work will be conducted in two Phases. In Phase I, the Coordinators will focus on partnership and network building. The second phase will focus more deeply on the logistics of observer deployment and project implementation based on the plans and partnerships developed in Phase I. Start date: As soon as possible, with potential travel around the state. Location: Michigan or Arizona. Length of assignment: This project is in two phases. Phase 1 will be for 3 months with possibility of extension into Phase 2 which will last up to 9 months. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Program Manager III (Director of Election Reform and Management), Maryland State Board of Elections— The Director of the Election Reform and Management Division manages and supports the State’s implementation of the Help America Vote Act, Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, and other federal election laws, develops and implements efforts to improve election administration, and oversees the duties assigned to the Division. The position also manages the State’s provisional voting program conducted by the local boards of elections and the agency’s election judge training program and supports the State’s mail-in voting program. The Division oversees an audit program of the local boards of elections and statewide training and education programs for election officials. Salary: $66,516 – $108,929 /year. Deadline: June 6. 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.

Research Associate, Data Analysis, 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; 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.

Senior Software Engineer, Ballotpedia— Ballotpedia seeks a full-time, 100% remote Senior Software Engineer to join its Tech team. Our Senior Software Engineer will provide technical leadership to a group of web developers and data engineers and will be able to advise on best practices, champion code quality, assist in the professional development of team members, and scope out new opportunities for the organization. At a high level, you will develop a holistic view of Ballotpedia’s architecture, infrastructure and software design and develop the ability to guide the team accordingly. Reporting to the Director of Technology Operations and in collaboration with organization leadership, you will help define requirements and inform priorities around software development at the organization across many products. As a Senior Software Engineer, you will also implement these software solutions and contribute your own code to further Ballotpedia’s mission of making high-quality political data and unbiased encyclopedic content available to the American public. This is a full-stack role that may include various aspects of development, design, programming, architecture, testing, and tooling. This role also includes higher-level decision-making related to technology used at the company, as well as leadership of the other web developers. Salary: $100,000-$120,000. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Training Coordinator, Sarasota County, Florida— This position is primarily responsible for curriculum development and training of election poll workers. Additional responsibilities include assisting in the selection of and communication with poll workers; procuring polling locations, including ensuring their suitability and accessibility, and developing and training other elections staff. 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 Supervisor (Republican), Lucas County, Ohio— Reports to the Directors.  Voter Services Supervisor is charged with managing and evaluating staff in accordance with the standards established by the Lucas County Board of Elections including training of said staff (shared responsibility with Democrat). Responsible for the accurate and timely data entry of all registration information including, but not limited to, new registrations, address changes, deletions, corrections and name changes in the voter registration system (both local and state); Responsible for supervision of all absentee by mail operations including but not limited to, processing absentee applications and assembling/mailing absentee ballot packets to voters as prescribed by law;  Responsible for processing of all returned absentee ballots; Responsible for supervising inspection and counting all absentee ballots;  Responsible for preparing absentee ballots for tabulation and the balancing of said tabulation as prescribed by law. Assisting in the processing and reviewing of the validity and sufficiency of all candidates, initiative and referendum petitions; Responsible for adhering to all statutory deadlines regarding campaign finance, registration, absentee voting and local options; Responsible for maintaining the supervision of the switchboard operations; Responsible for administrating the processing of the NCOA and Duplicate Lists; Responsible for maintaining confidentiality and business integrity. Responsible for providing the Directors with periodic written status reports regarding work processed and still outstanding in a format established by the Directors; Responsible for ensuring that a sufficient number of staff are logged into the phone queues at all times. Performs all other duties as assigned, by the Directors, the Board of elections, and/or as prescribed by law. Responsible for daily supervision of operations within the absentee department by mail and in person voting. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Web Developer, Ballotpedia— Ballotpedia is seeking a full-time, senior full-stack Web Developer to join our organization. This is a remote position. Ballotpedia’s Tech team supports the rest of the staff in making high-quality political data and unbiased encyclopedic content available to the American public by improving many aspects of Ballotpedia’s web presence and the behind-the-scenes tools used by staff. This is a full-stack role that may include various aspects of engineering, development, design, programming, architecture, testing, and tooling. We are looking for someone with at least two years of career experience in full-stack web development who can demonstrate abilities across the stack. Salary: $65,000-$85,000. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

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