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June 9, 2022

June 9, 2022

In Focus This Week

Combating insider threats     
New guidance from CISA helps state and local officials with the latest threats

By M. Mindy Moretti
Electionline.org

From a problem poll worker in Los Angeles County in 2020 to a rogue county clerk in Colorado, election insider threats are not new but they have also not been widespread.

However, earlier this month a report in Politico revealed that those isolated incidents of insider threats could become much more widespread in the future as political parties seek to install more of their supporters as poll workers and election workers overseeing everything from Election Day voting to ballot processing.

Although not in direct response to any one issue, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) recently released the Election Infrastructure Insider Threat Mitigation Guide to help state and local elections officials deal with insider threats.

The guide defines the type of threats which include both intentional and unintentional threats and then helps elections officials build an insider threat mitigation program to combat those threats.

“Whether from nation state actors, cyber criminals or insider threats, election officials are in the best position to manage risks to their systems and infrastructure. CISA’s recently published Election Infrastructure Insider Threat Mitigation Guide provides election officials with the planning factors to empower them to deter, detect, and prevent harm from potential insider threats,” said former Washington Secretary of State and CISA’s Senior Election Security Lead Kim Wyman.

Wyman said it is important to examine the roles within election administration and understanding and limiting what harm may be incited by a malicious actor.

“Proper chain of custody, role-based access controls, and a commitment to transparency are key features of the election process and why voters can have confidence that their election officials could detect and prevent risks from insider threats,” Wyman said.

Securing elections isn’t new. Election officials have always taken steps to secure their election processes from insider threats and other risks. From handling ballots in teams of two, to robust chain-of-custody procedures, to the presence of observers during voting and counting, many long standing core election practices have been designed with insider threat mitigation in mind.

However, after 2020, the push to secure elections has taken on a renewed vigor. Recently in Colorado, legislation recently signed into law by Gov. Jared Polis specifically targets insider threats. It codifies a curriculum for a certification program for county clerks as well as making it a felony to tamper with voting equipment or knowingly publish confidential information about the system. It also requires key card access and video surveillance for voting systems.

The Insider Threat Mitigation Guide notes that election infrastructure stakeholders can implement several proactive and preventive measures to reduce the risk and impact of insider threat activity that wouldn’t necessarily rely on legislation like in Colorado. While each aspect is individually important, they are most effective when implemented together to create a comprehensive, resilient election administration environment. Key elements of election infrastructure insider threat mitigation programs include: establishing robust standard operating procedures (SOPs), managing physical and digital access control, deploying zero trust security principles, and implementing chain of custody processes

Wyman noted that the new guide seeks to help election officials of all resource levels to improve their insider threat mitigation practices and includes many recommendations that could be implemented at little or no-cost.

“While every election office is different, some of the guidance could be put into practice with nothing but a little staff-time and elbow grease – like updating your poll worker code of conduct, looking for gaps in your chain-of-custody procedures, or calling your system administrators to verify proper access controls for system users in your office,” Wyman said.

 

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2022 Primary Updates

2022 Mini-Super Tuesday
With 7 primaries, June 7 was about as super as it will get this year

By M. Mindy Moretti
Electionline.org

Tuesday June 7 was as close to a Super Tuesday as the 2022 election cycle is going to get with seven primaries— California, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota.

While Iowa saw near-record midterm primary turnout, low turnout was the recurring theme for many of the states on Tuesday. Low turnout often means fewer issues and that certainly seemed to be the case this week with no major problems.

There were pockets of issues though such as confusion over redistricting, tabulation equipment malfunctioning and once again blurry barcodes.

Here’s a look at what happened on Tuesday:

California: While some blamed it on voter fatigue, whatever the reason was, turnout was quite low in The Golden State on Tuesday with it hovering just around 15% in Los Angeles County. Low turnout meant a quieter than normal primary day in the San Diego County registrar of voters office. Jim Aiken, the site manager of the SDSU vote center, has been working Election Day for decades. He said he’s not seeing a lot of voters, but he is seeing a lot of people walking in and registering to vote for the first time. “It’s actually a wonderful experience for old guys like me to see someone who turned 18 the day before walk in and say, ‘My mom said I can come in and vote,’ and we say: ‘She was right,'” he said. Registrar in the Sacramento area saw mixed amounts of turnout on Tuesday. While Placer County registrar Ryan Ronco said “it’s really impossible” to tell how this year might compare to 2018, he noted the county received a high number of vote-by-mail ballots despite not getting a sizable polling place turnout. “My guess is that the turnout percentages will eventually be close (either a little over or a little under) the 2018 gubernatorial primary numbers,” Ronco said via email. “The major difference will be in the way people decided to participate.” This was the first midterm election in California where very voter received a ballot in the mail and that appears to be the dominate way voters chose to cast their ballots. Election workers in San Joaquin County, already reeling from the unexpected death of Registrar of Voters Heather Ditty, were forced to remake ballots  after blurry barcodes meant the ballots could not be processed.  The problem stemmed from a printing problem with the portrait layout of this year’s ballots from state-certified printer K&H Printers, one of the few state-certified printers that can handle printing ballots for elections. San Joaquin County appears to be the only county in California to be experiencing the blurry barcode issue. A group of election observers in Shasta County confronted Clerk-Recorder Cathy Darling Allen during the ballot counting process because the doors to the office were not sealed. Allen told Action News Now that there is no law or election guideline that says any doors must be sealed. “We’re trying our best to do what we can to engender trust and be as transparent as possible,” said Allen. “There are people who have read and consumed bad information online and they’ve just decided that they know better.” Elections officials were on the ballot in a number of counties and statewide on Tuesday. Incumbent Shasta County Clerk-Recorder Cathy Darling Allen  has about a  41-point lead in the race. In Nevada County Natalie Adona is leading the clerk-recorder race with more than 60% of the votes. In San Luis Obispo County, incumbent Elaina Cano was leading the county clerk-recorder race. Incumbent Santa Barbara County Clerk-Recorder Joe Holland was re-elected with about 81% of the vote. Longtime San Mateo County Clerk-Recorder March Church was re-elected. The race for Humboldt County clerk-recorder appears headed to a runoff election between Tiffany Hunt Nielsen and Juan Pablo Cervantes. In Kern County Aimee Espinoza was leading the clerk-recorder race with just over 60% of the vote. And while ballots are still being counted statewide, incumbent Secretary of State Shirley Weber (D) appears poised to win her first full term as secretary of state.

Iowa: Prior to the primary Iowa officials spent time stressing the security of the elections. The Iowa National Guard, US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency were among those working with the secretary of state’s office to ensure the primary was secure. “Paper ballots, you can’t hack a paper ballot,” Secretary of State Paul Pate said. “The pre and post-election audits, voter ID’s at the polls and on absentee ballot requests.” There are “bi-partisan teams of poll workers [who] will be handling both the polling site and the absentee. Those are your friends and neighbors.” Additionally, Pate and his team launched a webpage to help debunk election myths. Redistricting caused confusion for some voters in Polk County. Polk County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections Jamie Fitzgerald said his office worked diligently in partnership with the secretary of state’s office to ensure voters were well-notified of any precinct changes months prior to Tuesday’s primary election. Despite his and his colleagues efforts, Fitzgerald said these big changes weren’t clear to all Iowa voters.  “There is probably a case in Iowa where someone went to the wrong location at the wrong time,” Fitzgerald said. “We had a lot of confusion, a lot of anger at the polling sites at times where people didn’t want to declare a party. They wanted to participate in both the Democrat and Republican primaries. Under Iowa law, you have to pick one or the other. And so sometimes they picked one and they wanted to come back and pick another one. So it just doesn’t work that way unfortunately under Iowa law,” Fitzgerald said.  Unofficial results were delayed in Marshall County after some equipment jammed while tabulating ballots. In addition to redistricting, Scott County also added five early voting sites since 2010 which added some work behind the scenes. In Page County, issues with voting machines had Auditor Melissa Wellhausen requesting to perform administrative recounts. Despite changes to Iowa election laws, turnout for the 2022 reached its highest point since 1994. In the race for secretary of state, incumbent Pate (R) will face Linn County Auditor Joel Miller (D).

Mississippi: Secretary of State Michael Watson said no statewide issues were reported to his office during the June 7 primary elections but he did receive a handful of reports about precincts opening late due to miscommunication among election officials.  Watson said call volume to the state’s Election Hotline remained steady throughout the day, with most calls relating to voter registration status or polling place locations. But the secretary said the cybersecurity team detected no abnormal activity on its websites or the Statewide Election Management System (SEMS). Watson spent much of the day visiting polling places. He noted that turnout was very low and blamed that on a variety of factors. Number one, we’re in the middle of the year, June,” Watson said. “Folks are out of town.” His office encouraged people who wouldn’t be in town to “make a plan” to vote absentee, but absentee voting has also seen low numbers. Another reason for low turnout, according to Watson: voter apathy and concerns over integrity. “There’s a lot of things going on in the country,” he told reporters. “People don’t have a lot of trust in the government. Coming on the heels of 2020, some people have a doubt whether their vote counts.”  Watson said his office has tried to encourage voting by reassuring people of election integrity in the state. One polling place in Adams County lost power, but voting was not affected. This was the first election that voters were allowed to use a mobile ID as proof of voter ID. Weeks after hundreds of extension cords were reported missing at the Hinds County Election Commission headquarters, officials were hopeful that Tuesday’s primaries will go off without a hitch. “Everything is ready. Everything is prepared. Poll managers are picking up bags now as we speak,” said Election Commission Chair Shirley Varnado.

Montana: It was the first “polling place election” in two years in the Treasure State and in the days leading up the primary elections officials emphasized election security. Experienced election judges didn’t coming back. Some counties increased their law enforcement presence at voting and counting sites. At least one has added cameras at a ballot drop-off site and is keeping its ballot counting machines at the county office, rather than distribute them to precincts. “Everybody’s, I think, a little bit on edge this year,” said Amy Reese, clerk and recorder in Lewis and Clark County. Officials there are hoping to have more deputies patrolling near polling places since the sheriff’s office doesn’t have enough staff to provide security at the polls. In Cascade County, with more than 72% of voters casting a ballot by mail, it was smooth sailing at the Montana ExpoPark Exhibition Hall, which serves as a vote center. In Missoula County, one race for a precinct committeeman was missing from the Republican primary ballots in one precinct. “Every race in an election matters, and we unfortunately made a mistake by not catching that this one race was missing from these ballots,” Elections Administrator Bradley Seaman said in a news release. “We are working with the Montana Secretary of State and our County Attorney’s Office for additional guidance and to see what remedies are available. We’ll also work to further refine our proofing process to minimize the chances of this mistake happening again.” Ravalli County experienced a phone issue on Tuesday. People who made calls from Verizon cellphones to county offices kept getting disconnected. “They’ve been recalling everyone,” Ravalli County Elections Administrator Regina Plettenberg said, “so, if they (elections workers) have a dropped call, they’ve been seeing the caller ID, and they’ve been chasing them.” The administrator said if “we missed you we apologize. We have done our best.” Lincoln County has had to resort to hand counting all the ballots for the primary election because the ballots were cut too short and will not work in the automatic counting machines. This will delay the election results. Lincoln County is hand counting all the ballots for the primary election because the ballots were cut too short and will not work in the automatic counting machines. “This is a very, very tedious, monotonous process. It takes a lot of you know, concentration and focus. And I don’t you know, I would rather take it slow and steady and be accurate 100% of the time rather than trying to push it and stretch it out until six o’clock in the morning and end up with shoddy results,” Lincoln County Elections Administrator Paula Buff said.

New Jersey: It was very quiet in New Jersey on primary day. Some counties had as few as three races on the ballot, the top slot being given to the U.S. House of Representatives. There were some early morning issues in Gloucester County, when voting machines were problematic while booting up, but election mechanics were able to resolve the issue quickly. It didn’t cause much of a delay, as there weren’t people clamoring to get in to vote.  In Monmouth County, 82-year-old Ann P. Ciaccio went to court after she was told she could not vote in the Republican primary because she is registered as a Libertarian.  Records show that Ciaccio registered as a member of the Libertarian Party in August 2020 while applying for identification at the Motor Vehicles Commission. Ciaccio said she had no recollection of registering as a Libertarian and never intended to affiliate with that party.  She testified that she was not seeking to perpetrate any fraud, but rather to protect her right to vote. Superior Court Judge Mara Zazzali-Hogan allowed Ciaccio to vote by provisional ballot, and finding her testimony to be credible,” ordered her provisional ballot to be counted and that her party affiliation “revert to her prior registration as a Republican.” “The right to vote would be empty indeed if it did not include the right of choice for whom to vote,” Zazzali-Hogan said. In Bergen County, the presence of a county committee on the ballot required the creation of 1,276 different ballot styles because each political party and local election district has its own specific ballot. Bergen County Clerk John S. Hogan said 20 employees, from the other divisions within the office, were temporarily assigned to assist the Elections Division, along with the hiring of 9 interns.  “Our mission of getting these ballots out to the requested voter was completed on time and I applaud my staff for their fine efforts,” stated  Hogan. Hogan reported “historically high” vote-by-mail requests for the 2022 primary. Hogan stated that between 2021 and 2022 the total number of VBM ballots requested by voters for the Primary Election “has increased by a whopping 38%–from 56,500 to 78,006!”

New Mexico: The largest issue that seemed to face voter and elections officials in the Land of Enchantment was the impacts of wildfires on early voters and first responders. In the days and weeks leading up to the election, the secretary of state’s office put out contingency plans for early voting. “It’s the start of another important election season here in New Mexico but, for the many residents who have been affected by the wildfires, it’s anything but a normal one,” said Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver back in early May. “Though the situation with the fires is rapidly evolving, my Office and election administrators throughout the state have already deployed plans to help communities vote and are in the process of developing further contingencies to ensure all voter needs continue to be met.” Tuesday’s primary was the first community event in Mora County since the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon fires forced many residents from their homes. Voter Tara Bartlett told The Source casting her ballot on Tuesday during the primary was important, not only to give her a sense of normalcy but because she wants leadership on the local level to be responsive to the post-fire recovery. Heavy winds in the afternoon forced poll workers to close their doors to maintain air quality at the polling site. Turnout for the 2022 primaries varied. In Bernalillo County, it topped out around 23%. “It’s more than it was in 2018, but until we get up in the range of 30% and 40%, to me it’s low voter turnout,” Bernalillo County Clerk Linda Stover said. “A lot of people say ‘I’m not going to vote in the primary and will just wait until November,’ but by that time, they’ve lost their chance to pick somebody.” Alternatively, turnout in Dona Ana County was below 2018 despite the fact that this was the first primary during which minor party and unaffiliated voters could register with one of New Mexico’s three major parties and vote early or on election day. In the November race for secretary of state, incumbent Maggie Toulouse Oliver will face Republican Audrey Trujillo and Libertarian Mayna Erika Myers.

South Dakota: With many people taking advantage of early voting in the Mount Rushmore State, the 2022 primary day went pretty smoothly. There was some concern that redistricting may cause issues for voters, but few if any problems materialized. South Dakota Secretary of State Steve Barnett and said turnout was steady statewide. Officials in Minnehaha County spent the day processing and counting about 4,200 absentee ballots. Also in Minnehaha County, Democratic voters in one precinct were handed the wrong ballots and officials in the elections office had to sort that out during processing.  In Pennington County, Auditor Cindy Mohler noted that absentee voting was up from 2016 and 2018.  “I think more people are getting used to coming in and doing that,” said Mohler. “I think they like the convenience of, you know, having the six weeks to come in when it’s convenient for them rather than just voting on election day.”

 

Election News This Week

Reining in Recounts: Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams is calling out losing candidates in the May primary that are filing petitions in circuit court requesting an official recount of the vote, including two who lost by 36 percentage points and more than 2,000 votes. Adams described several of these recount requests as “frivolous,” saying he will support new legislation in the 2023 session to only allow recount requests from candidates who came within 1 percentage point of the winner. Under a new law passed in 2021 — responding to a GOP candidate who sought a recanvas despite losing by 20 percentage points — the threshold margin of loss for a candidate to request a recanvas is less than 1 percentage point. No such threshold margin exists under Kentucky law for a candidate to request a recount — a more labor-intensive process that requires a judge to physically conduct a recount of ballot totals, at the petitioners’ expense. Adams told The Courier Journal current law doesn’t prevent similar abuse in hopeless recount requests. “For the recounts, we didn’t really contemplate we would have people who lost by landslides, demanding recounts, wasting everyone’s time and abusing the process with frivolous litigation,” Adams said. Adams said he would support legislation in next year’s session of the Kentucky General Assembly to use the same 1% threshold eligibility for recounts and require candidates to go through the recanvas process first.

Honoring a Legend: Princeton’s Board of Trustees has approved naming a university building for Laura Wooten, who was recognized as the longest serving election poll worker in the United States, in honor of her outstanding service to the nation and to humanity. Wooten was a longtime resident of Princeton, New Jersey, and worked in Campus Dining for more than 27 years. She died in March 2019 at the age of 98. President Christopher L. Eisgruber said: “I am grateful to the Naming Committee for this inspiring recommendation, and I am delighted that Princeton will honor Laura Wooten for her extraordinary contributions to our nation and the democratic process. The addition of Laura Wooten’s name to the tapestry of our campus will recognize Princeton’s history, the breadth of our community, and the positive impact that one remarkable person can have through lifelong dedication to public service and civic values.” Wooten volunteered at local, primary and general election polls in New Jersey for 79 years. Last summer, Gov. Phil Murphy signed “Laura Wooten’s Law,” citing her as the longest serving poll worker in the country. The legislation focuses on middle school curriculum guidelines to ensure that students study the values and principles underlying the American system of constitutional democracy, the function of government and the role of a citizen in a democratic society.

This and That: In Colorado, a new ballot drop box at a sports complex will serve voters from both Arapahoe and Douglas counties. Cook County, Illinois is rolling out e-poll books for the first time this election cycle. The City of Salem, Massachusetts must now provide election materials in English and in Spanish. Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan have reached an agreement to use two campus buildings as early student voting locations for the 2022 election. Kandiyohi County, Minnesota Auditor Mark Thompson said the county will no longer be offering ballot drop boxes for elections and that voters can just hand ballots to staff in the office. Advocates in New York City are calling on the board of elections to open a polling place at Riker’s Island. A North Dakota civic engagement group is crunching numbers, creating maps and compiling data that measures the cost of voting for those living in tribal areas with limited polling sites. The Oklahoma County Election Board says over 65,000 voter ID cards notifying residents of new polling places have been returned undeliverable  After years of often heated debate, the Shelby County, Tennessee commission approved a multi-million dollar plan to buy new voting machines. County clerks in Utah are fighting back about distrust in elections and allegations of voter fraud. Candidates for secretary of state in Vermont recently met for a debate.

Personnel News: Former U.S. District Judge William Duffey will become the chairman of the Georgia State Election Board St. Landry Parish, Louisiana Registrar of Voters Cheryl Milburn is retiring. Dave Wondolwski is resigning from the Cuyahoga County, Ohio board of elections. DeeAnn Cook is retiring as the Barron County, Wisconsin clerk after 17 years on the job. Don Millis has been appointed to the Wisconsin Election Commission. Milwaukee Journal-Constitution reporter Patrick Marley who has extensively covered elections administration for the paper will be joining The Washington Post in the newly created position of democracy reporter for the Upper Midwest. Marley will focus on how state and local officials navigate pressures on the administration of elections, while tracking legislative and legal battles over voting rules and access to the polls.

In Memoriam: San Joaquin County, California Registrar of Voters Heather Ditty died suddenly this week just days before the California primary election. She was 50. “On behalf of San Joaquin County and my fellow supervisors, I am deeply saddened to announce that San Joaquin County Registrar of Voters, Heather Ditty, passed away on Saturday morning due to unforeseen health complications,” San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors Chairman Chuck Winn said in a statement. “Even though Heather had been with our county family for only six months, she had a profound impact on her staff and our Elections Office. She truly cared about elections and dedicated her life to being a public servant.” The statement added: “Countless former colleagues and current staff have shared an outpouring of admiration saying she was kind, funny, outspoken and a true friend and mentor. She gave opportunities to so many people both personally and professionally. It is a great loss to San Joaquin County and she will be tremendously missed.” Ditty previously worked in Sacramento County before coming to San Joaquin County.  “Our Sacramento County Election family was devastated to hear about the passing of Heather Ditty,” the county said in a statement. “She was an important part of our office in Sacramento for many years and we were so happy and proud of her promotion into the Registrar position in San Joaquin County. She will be greatly missed as an election official, but more so, as a person.”

Glenn Webster, member of the U.S. Virgin Islands Board of Elections has died. Webster was initially elected to the board of elections in November 2012 and began his tenure in January 2013, he was then re-elected to serve two more terms with his last election win in 2020. “We extend our appreciation for his public service to our community. Glenn made sure his voice was heard and his decisions were ‘his own’ and he stood by them fervently,” the USVI board of elections said in a statement.

Legislative Updates

Federal Legislation: U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams (D-Georgia) has introduced a bill that would give states $20 billion over a decade to help hire poll workers, expand early voting access and take other steps to strengthen local election administration. The “Sustaining Our Democracy Act” would create a ‘‘Democracy Advancement and Innovation Program’’ that would dole out money for elections offices to “promote innovation to improve efficiency and smooth functioning in the administration of elections for Federal office” like upgrading voting equipment, boosting cybersecurity capabilities and increasing access to the ballot. The bill’s lead co-sponsors include Rep. Carolyn Bourdeaux (D-Lawrenceville) and Reps. Colin Allred (D-Tx.), GeorgiaTerri Sewell (D-Al.), and Marc Veasey (D-Tx.). The legislation also explicitly prevents money from being used for “activities that intimidate, threaten, or coerce voters, poll workers, or election administrators” and specifically mentioning provisions that appeared in Georgia’s 98-page SB 202 and other laws, like bans on giving out food or water to voters in line or sections that could remove local elections officials.

U.S. Rep. Alex Mooney (R-West Virginia) has introduced a bill that would override Executive Order 14019, issued last year by the Biden administration with the goal of promoting access to voting. The executive order requires the heads of federal agencies to develop strategic plans for how each agency will help increase voter registration and participation. The plans are to be submitted to the White House for review. According to the executive order, voter registration plans should include ways to provide information on how to register to vote, request absentee ballots, and how to vote in upcoming elections; ways to streamline access to state and local online voter registration systems, including using the federal vote.gov website; distributing vote-by-mail forms and voter registration applications; and working with third-party organizations to provide various voter registration services at federal agencies. “The federal government has no business forcing itself into the West Virginia’s voter registration process,” Mooney said in a statement. “I am proud to introduce this bill in Congress to return sole authority on this issue to the states, where it belongs.”

Arizona: Gov. Doug Ducey signed several elections-related bills into law including a bill authorizing county election officials to count mail ballots on-site, but no counties will be required to allow it.  Anyone wanting to put their mail ballot into a tabulator and watch it be counted will have to show identification as if they were voting in person.  Those who prefer to skip the line, drop off their ballot and leave can continue to do so. Those ballots will continue to be counted at election offices after officials have verified that the signature on the envelope matches the signatures on file. Meanwhile, Ducey also signed a bill that seeks to get the U.S. Election Assistance Commission to modify the federal voter registration form so that it requires Arizona’s documentary proof of citizenship. Arizona is required to accept the federal registration form, but anyone who does not provide proof of citizenship is only allowed to vote for president, U.S. Senate and House.  The Republican governor also signed a bill making it a felony to knowingly help someone vote in Arizona if they’re registered in another state, such as by forwarding a mail ballot.

Colorado: Gov. Jared Polis has signed two pieces of election legislation into law. SB22-153, which requires new security measures for election systems, and HB22-1273, which makes it a crime to threaten election officials or publish their personal information online to harass them. “We want to make sure that every vote is accurately counted,” Polis said at the signing ceremony. “And we also want to make sure that those that oversee elections themselves don’t have to worry about their about their physical safety.” The election security law is specifically aimed at “insider threats,” such as election workers “embracing conspiracies,” Secretary of State Jena Griswold said. It includes making it a felony to tamper with voting equipment or knowingly publish confidential information about the system. It also requires key card access and video surveillance for voting systems. The law also requires training for election workers, a move specifically hailed by the Colorado County Clerks Association as bolstering voter confidence in how elections are conducted. The group, which is comprised of Democrat and Republican clerks, backed both bills.

Delaware: A bill that would allow Delaware voters to register on Election Day passed in the Delaware House of Representatives this week. Delaware currently cuts off voter registration for an election four Saturdays prior to Election Day, but House Bill 25 would give voters an opportunity at the polls with specific forms of identification. HB25 spells out acceptable IDs as a valid government photo ID, or a document displaying the name and address of the person wishing to vote, including a utility bill, bank statement, government check, or paycheck, all of which must be issued within 60 days of the registration date. “Currently, we have an arbitrary deadline several weeks before an election to register to vote which disenfranchises potential voters. Upon missing this deadline, they are unable to cast ballots, even if they meet all other eligibility requirements,” said Rep. Sherry Dorsey Walker (D-Wilmington) “This is an outdated and unfair practice. Election Day registration has existed in several states for decades and is proven to safely and effectively increase voter turnout. It is time for Delaware to be a leader in our nation, join other states, take this important step toward removing voting barriers and finally enfranchising our constituents.”

Massachusetts: Mail-in ballots and early voting would become permanent features of the state’s political landscape under a compromise version of a voting overhaul bill unveiled Wednesday at the Statehouse. The bill would also increase ballot access for voters with disabilities and service members overseas; make sure eligible voters who are incarcerated are able to request a mail ballot and vote; and takes steps to modernize the state’s election administration process, according to lawmakers. The legislation — a compromise version of separate bills approved earlier by House and Senate lawmakers — now goes back to both chambers for debate. The Senate could take up the measure as early as Thursday. The final bill does not include any provisions that would allow individuals to both register and vote on Election Day, despite efforts by the Senate to offer multiple compromise approaches

New York: The Legislature has approved the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of New York. Senate Bill S1046E would make it easier to sue over discriminatory voting policies and require localities with a history of civil right violations to get approval before changing election rules. Under the bill, certain areas, school boards, or local election boards would no longer be able to make changes — like removing people from voter rolls, reducing voting hours or the cutting number of polling sites — without approval from the state attorney general’s office or courts. The legislation would make lawsuits over voter intimidation and suppression easier by laying out an expedited process for New Yorkers or the attorney general to sue over voting violations, including new bans on voter intimidation, deception and obstruction. A spokesperson for Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, said she will review the legislation. This year, Hochul has called for this type of state-level Voting Rights Act to protect voters of different races and languages.

A bill proposing to move local elections to even-numbered years did not move forward in the Legislature this year. The bill had  aimed to change local elections for county executives, county legislators and town supervisors to even-numbered years to coincide with state and national elections. NYS Assemblymember Amy Paulin, D-Scarsdale and Sen. James Skoufis, D-Cornwall, both sponsored the bill, saying it would increase voter participation and decrease confusion. “It’s accurate we’d have more people voting if we put local elections in even years, but many people, Republicans and Democrats, say it doesn’t give the same depth … and people are going to be deprived of that debate of what’s happening locally,” Paulin told Spectrum. “We’re going to wait. I’m advocating for hearings so we can really wrap our arms around it.”

Pennsylvania: A controversial bill that eliminates residency requirements for partisan poll watchers to observe voting and ballot counting passed the state Senate. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-Franklin County, won passage by a nearly 30-19 party-line vote. It now goes to the GOP-controlled House for consideration. A spokeswoman for Gov. Tom Wolf said he is strongly opposed to the measure. The bill also increases the number of poll watchers a candidate can have at a precinct from two to three, which Mastriano said adds another layer of observation and transparency to ensure election laws are being followed. In addition, it permits poll watchers to be inside the space as ballots are being counted but they cannot interfere with that process. The bill also would require poll watchers to have clear line of sight within six feet as mail-in and absentee ballots are being prepped to be counted, and would increase penalties on election officials who impede or intimidate a poll watcher performing their duty.

A House panel advanced a bill barring county officials from soliciting or accepting non-government funding for elections. The Republican-authored Senate bill now appears poised for a repeat in the House of a debate this spring when state election officials and Democratic legislators urged lawmakers to ensure money is available to help counties fund elections. The House State Government Committee reported out Sen. Lisa Baker’s, R-Luzerne, legislation with a 14-10 vote along party lines on Tuesday.

Rhode Island:  Governor Dan McKee signed into law the ‘Let RI Vote Act,’ legislation that “expands voter access while ensuring the integrity of Rhode Island elections”. “There is nothing more fundamentally American than the right to vote – it provides every Rhode Islander the opportunity to have a say in how they would like to see their state, and country, shaped,” said Governor McKee. “The Let RI Vote Act makes voting easier, safer, and more secure, and making it easier to give Rhode Islanders a voice in their government should always be our top priority. I thank the bill sponsors, legislators, and advocates who saw to it that this bill got across the finish line.”? The legislation (2022-H 7100A, 2022-S 2007A) makes mail voting easier by allowing online mail ballot applications, and permitting any voter to use a mail ballot or an emergency mail ballot without needing an excuse for why they can’t visit their polling location on Election Day. It also drops the requirement that mail ballots be either signed by two witnesses or notarized. Instead, voters’ signatures will be verified using their registration records using a four-tiered verification process. The bill requires every municipality to maintain at least one drop box where voters can deposit their ballots securely through the close of polls on Election Day. Additionally, the act allows nursing home residents to opt in to automatically receive applications for mail ballots for every subsequent election.

Legal Updates

Alabama: The Campaign Legal Center, Washington D.C.-based civil law group is suing Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill over access to voter registration records. The group filed a lawsuit on behalf of Greater Birmingham Ministries to seek lists of purged voters, as well as Alabamians denied the right to vote due to felony convictions under the National Voter Registration Act. The lawsuit asks the court to declare that Merrill is in violation of the NVRA and to order him to provide those records without cost to the small Birmingham-based nonprofit. The CLC says the state is required to provide electronic copies of registration records that accurately reflect the current official lists of eligible voters free of cost. Greater Birmingham Ministries, which assists with voters registration and restoration of rights, says it needs the lists to better inform those who can legally vote but may be unaware of their rights to do so.

Alaska: The Alaska State Commission for Human Rights is suing the lieutenant governor and the Division of Elections over what it says is a lack of sufficient accommodations for visually impaired voters in the U.S. House primary race — the state’s first all-mail election. In a complaint filed in state Superior Court in Anchorage, plaintiff Robert Corbisier, executive director of the Alaska State Commission for Human Rights, alleges that the ballots that were mailed to every registered voter in the state for the special primary election “do not provide an opportunity to visually impaired voters to vote privately, secretly and independently.” The lawsuit names Lt. Gov. Kevin Meyer — who oversees elections in Alaska — and Division of Elections director Gail Fenumiai as defendants. Meyer’s office declined to comment on the lawsuit. The Division of Elections deferred comment to the Department of Law. The commission is asking for the certification of election results to be delayed until “visually impaired Alaska voters are given full and fair opportunity” to vote. On Wednesday, Anchorage Superior Court Judge Una Gandbhir granted a motion for expedited consideration of the request.

Arizona: Mohave County Superior Court Judge Lee Jantzen has ruled that there’s nothing unconstitutional about Arizona’s early voting law. Jantzen boiled down the essence of the case in his four-page ruling to this: “Is the Arizona Legislature prohibited by the Arizona Constitution from enacting voting laws that include no-excuse mail-in voting? The answer is no.” He noted that the no-excuses mail-in voting that lawmakers approved in 1991 provides protections for secrecy. For example, the ballot return envelopes are designed in a way to ensure the voter’s choices are not visible. In addition, the envelopes are “tamper evident” so election workers can notice if someone has tried to open the ballot envelope. Jantzen denied the Republican Party’s case as well as its request for a preliminary injunction that would have blocked almost all early voting for the Nov. 8 general election. That would have required millions of Arizona voters to obtain their ballot at the polls and cast it there. The lawsuit did not seek any change for the upcoming Aug. 2 primary election. Ballots were already printed for that election and early voting begins July 6.

In a new legal filing, an attorney for Secretary of State Katie Hobbs is asking a judge to toss out a lawsuit over the Elections Procedures Manual.  Attorney General Mark Brnovich sued the secretary of state, demanding changes to the manual that tells local elected officials what they can and cannot due during elections.  Attorney Roopali Desai says Hobbs has complied with the state law while drafting the manual, but Brnovich waited more than four months to sue after his deadline to approve the changes.  Desai claims there is nothing in the statute that gives the attorney general final say on specific provisions in the manual and that would give Brnovich unilateral power.  Furthermore, she said if the changes he wants are implemented, it would cost Maricopa County alone $420,000 to reprint ballot envelopes.  The judge set a June 10 hearing.

A gubernatorial candidate and a state lawmaker want the courts to stop Arizona from using electronic voting machines for the upcoming midterm elections. Kari Lake and Rep. Mark Finchem, both Republicans, announced they’re seeking a preliminary injunction for the state not to use “unsecure black box electronic voting machines” in November. The injunction is in connection to a lawsuit that was filed in April calling on a jury trial, so using an electronic voting system to count ballots would be unconstitutional. The pair claim the machines are not “reliably secure” and don’t meet the “constitutional and statutory mandates to guarantee a free and fair election.” Finchem said in a statement the machines are untrustworthy since companies refuse to make their systems and software open to the public and, therefore, violate the Fourteenth Amendment. Lake and Finchem claim the machines have “glaring cybersecurity vulnerabilities,” including allowing for possible remote access, unmonitored network communications and containing secret content. However, a report found on the Arizona Senate’s partisan review of the 2020 election found zero evidence that voting tabulation machines were connected to the internet or the information was compromised. It also found no major problems in the election in Maricopa County.

California: Local Nevada County lawyer and former candidate for Clerk-Recorder Barry Pruett filed a petition for a writ of mandate hearing against Clerk-Recorder/Registrar of Voters Greg Diaz yesterday. The matter was heard in court this morning and dismissed after Pruett withdrew the petition to avoid having it denied by the Court. Pruett alleged candidate Natalie Adona, the current Assistant Clerk-Recorder and candidate to succeed Diaz, did not pay the required filing fee, because the line item didn’t appear on her campaign committee finance filing. In court, Nevada County’s attorneys provided proof Adona paid her filing fee. Pruett was given the option by the judge to withdraw his petition or to have it denied. He withdrew the petition, the court dismissed the case.

Colorado: District Judge Matthew Barrett has ruled that a Mesa County grand jury had enough probable cause to investigate and indict Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters and her chief deputy, Belinda Knisley, in March on multiple felony and misdemeanor charges. In responding to a motion from Peters’ and Knisley’s attorneys asking Barrett to review the case to see if there were reasonable grounds to investigate and indict, the judge revealed numerous aspects of that investigation, something that is somewhat unprecedented because grand jury probes are highly secret. In it, Barrett wrote that, over the course of five days, the grand jury heard testimony from numerous witnesses and saw about 60 exhibits. “The acts and/or omissions of Knisley and Peters, as public officials, constituted the crimes of violation of a duty, failure to comply with the requirements of the Secretary of State; and also for Peters, first-degree misconduct,” Barrett concluded in his review. “The record supports a finding of probable cause for these allegations.”

Four agencies have filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Colorado Springs seeking to force changing the city’s elections from April to November. Citizens Project, Colorado Latinos Vote, the League of Women Voters of the Pikes Peak Region and the Black/Latino Leadership Coalition filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Denver on June 1. The group is represented by the Election Law Clinic at Harvard Law School. The lawsuit argues that Colorado Springs is “nearly alone” among Colorado cities and towns to hold its city election in April of odd-numbered years, noting that only three of the state’s 25 most populous cities and towns do so — Colorado Springs, Fort Collins and Grand Junction. “The timing of Colorado Springs’ elections for City Council and Mayor massively disadvantages Hispanic and Black residents,” the lawsuit notes. “Only about 16% of the City’s non-white registered voters participate in these April off-year elections. In contrast, the turnout rate for white registered voters is around 32%. This racial disparity dwarfs those often seen in Voting Rights Act cases.”

Florida: A lawsuit filed by voting rights advocates Black Voters Matter has been defeated in court. The Florida Supreme Court rejected the request to draw different congressional maps than those approved in the previous court effort, meaning the maps offered up by Gov. Ron DeSantis will be the ones used during the 2022 elections. The injunction requested in a Florida district court, to stay the map supported by DeSantis and use a different one drawn by a Harvard professor, was denied. Additionally, the Black Voters Matter request that a judge provide a “constitutional writ” was also denied. The Florida Supreme Court’s decision to preserve the previous map was based on what they said was a lack of jurisdiction. “Here Petitioners ask this Court to intervene in the First District Court of Appeal’s ongoing consideration of an appeal of an order imposing a temporary injunction,” the court wrote. “At this time, this Court does not have jurisdiction over that matter.” Additionally, the court said that they did not know whether the First District’s decision would “provide an appropriate basis for this Court’s exercise of discretionary review—meaning that we cannot say that it is likely that there is any jurisdiction to protect.”

Georgia: A unanimous panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that voting rights organizations cannot challenge a decision by Georgia election officials to provide absentee ballot applications and voting-related information to residents of Gwinnett County in English only. Rejecting arguments made during a September hearing, the panel found that the Gwinnett County Board of Elections had no duty to provide Spanish speakers in the state’s second-most populous county with Spanish translations of voting materials before the 2020 presidential primary election. The panel ruled that Georgia is not a “covered jurisdiction” under Section 203(b) of the Voting Rights Act. While Section 203(c) of the law requires Gwinnett County officials to provide bilingual voting materials, it does not require the county to translate materials supplied by the state. In a 50-page opinion, a three-judge panel of the appeals court disagreed with a Georgia federal judge’s finding that the organizations lacked legal standing but nonetheless upheld the October 2020 decision dismissing the case on the merits. “203(c) only applies to Gwinnett County when it ‘provides’ voting materials, i.e., when it furnishes or supplies the materials. Nothing in the statute requires Gwinnett County to translate voting materials provided by another entity,” U.S. Circuit Judge Barbara Lagoa, wrote on behalf of the panel. “While § 203(c) requires Gwinnett County to provide its voting materials in both English and Spanish, it does not require Gwinnett County to translate voting materials provided by [Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger],” the ruling states. “And plaintiffs failed to plead facts to support its conclusory allegations that the Gwinnett County Board of Elections provides English-only voting materials, specifically absentee ballot applications, on its website.”

Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger testified last week before a Fulton County special grand jury charged with investigating whether former President Donald Trump and his allies attempted to illegally coerce officials to declare him the winner of the 2020 election. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis initiated the investigation following the public release of a recorded January 2021 phone call between Raffensperger and state election officials in which Trump urged the state elections chief to find enough votes to overturn Democrat Joe Biden’s 2020 election in Georgia. Raffensperger’s testimony began in the morning and wrapped up after 2 p.m. But while he briefly spoke to the media at the start of the day, he avoided the large media contingent waiting outside when he left the courthouse.  The special grand jury rules prohibit prosecutors and jurors from publicly discussing the proceedings, although witnesses can choose to speak if they want, said former longtime Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter. Porter said it appears that the secretary of state doesn’t want to come across as a witness who is just willingly volunteering to appear in court, even behind closed doors. The day prior to the testimony, Raffensperger spoke to media outlets about how he continued to follow the law despite the overtures from Trump and others.

Louisiana: Chief District Judge Shelly D. Dick has ruled that the Louisiana legislature must redraw its recently approved Congressional District maps to include another majority-minority district. Like the map used for the last decade, the new map included five of six U.S. Congressional districts that leaned heavily Republican even though roughly a third of Louisiana’s population is Black. Both the old and new maps have only one majority-minority district and it includes parts of New Orleans and Baton Rouge.

Michigan: The Sheriff of Barry County is suing Michigan’s Attorney General, Secretary of State, the Michigan State Police, individual troopers and others, according to a court document filed last week. The lawsuit, filed by attorney Stefanie Lambert on behalf of Sheriff Dar Leaf, alleges these parties have interfered with Leaf’s investigation into claims of voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election. Leaf challenged the validity of the election results, an accusation that was shut down quickly by a federal judge for lack of evidence. That ruling read, “Applications invite the Court to make speculative leaps towards a hazy and nebulous inference that there has been numerous instances of election fraud and that Defendants are destroying the evidence. There is simply nothing of record to infer as much, much less conclude that irreparable injury will occur before the defendants can be heard.”

Nevada: In a last-chance appeal before the Nevada Supreme Court, opponents of a proposed ballot question calling for adopting open primaries and ranked-choice voting in Nevada elections argued the initiative is too broad and should not be allowed to proceed to the ballot. Though the initiative backers say they have gathered enough signatures to qualify the petition for the November ballot, justices on Nevada’s highest court could essentially strike the measure down if they side with Nathan Helton, a Democratic Party-aligned Churchill County voter who filed the lawsuit opposing the initiative.  If approved by a majority of voters in 2022 and 2024, the initiative would allow voters to participate in primary elections regardless of party affiliation, and in the general election, voters would be able to rank the top five candidates from the primary by order of preference. Proponents say those changes would empower Nevada’s growing share of nonpartisan voters, who make up nearly a third of the state’s registered voters and are currently unable to vote for partisan offices in primary elections. Attorneys representing Helton and Nevada Voters First, the group backing the so-called “Better Voting Nevada” initiative, made their final pitches to the court in oral arguments before the justices — just 21 days before the signature submittal deadline.

Pennsylvania: Commonwealth Court Judge Renee Cohn Jubelirer counties to count ballots that arrived in time, but did not have date on them. Jubelirer ordered counties to keep the undated ballots separate from other ballots and to count them separately. The ballots in question are roughly 880 mail-in ballots that lack a handwritten date on the envelope. State law requires a voter to write a date next to their signature on the outside of their mail-in ballot return envelopes. A handwritten date on a ballot envelope plays no role in determining whether a voter is eligible or whether a ballot is cast on time. GOP Senate Candidate David McCormick sued the state to count the ballots after the 3rd Circuit ruled in a 2021 case that undated ballots should be counted. In an emergency appeal, the U.S. Supreme Court temporarily blocked the counting of the 2021 ballots. The Supreme Court’s action — called an administrative stay — freezes the matter until the court can give the case further consideration.

Virginia: A three-judge panel dismissed a federal lawsuit that sought to force all 100 members of Virginia’s Republican-controlled House of Delegates to face an unscheduled election this year. The panel ruled that Paul Goldman, an attorney and longtime Democratic Party activist, lacked standing to pursue the lawsuit he filed last June. Goldman had argued that House members elected for two-year terms in November 2021 must run again in 2022 under newly redrawn maps that properly align legislative districts with population shifts. The 2021 elections should have been the first held under constitutionally required redistricting based on the 2020 census. But because census results were delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the state held elections under the old legislative boundaries; new maps weren’t finalized until December. Goldman argued that deprived Virginians of their constitutional voting rights, violating the “one man, one vote” principle outlined by the U.S. Supreme Court. The judges ruled Goldman did not have standing as a voter or a potential candidate and granted Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares’ motion to dismiss the lawsuit. Following that ruling, Jeff Thomas, a Virginia author has filed a new federal lawsuit seeking a new election.

Opinions This Week

National Opinions: Ranked choice voting | Cybersecurity, II | Election deniers | Voting laws | Election funding

Arizona: Voting rights

California: Ranked choice voting

Colorado: Summit County

District of Columbia: Turnout

Florida: St. John’s County | David Stafford

Georgia: Faith in elections | Recount

Kansas: Youth vote

Nevada: Democracy

New Jersey: Same day registration

Oregon: Accountability

Pennsylvania: Drop boxes | List maintenance

South Carolina: Early voting

South Dakota: Democracy

Tennessee: Early voting

Virginia: Ranked choice voting

Washington: Election integrity | Voter data

West Virginia: Election security

Wyoming: Disinformation

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.

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.

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.

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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