electionline Weekly

electionline Daily News Email

What’s the best part of waking up? electionline Daily News in your inbox of course so be sure to sign up for your daily dose.

Each morning you’ll receive the top headlines of the day, plus a listing of states featured in that day’s news round up.

To sign up, simply visit our site and provide us with your email and you’ll begin receiving the news in your inbox each morning.

We Google so you don’t  have to!

Primary Updates

Six more states hold primaries
Despite the national spotlight, a pretty typical election day

By M. Mindy Moretti

Six more states held primaries this week — Arizona, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio and Washington — and although there were some isolated problems, overall it was a relatively smooth election day.

Given the role some of Tuesday’s states played in the 2020 election, there were a lot of eyes on the process and what they saw, despite some of the rhetoric and headlines, was a fairly typical election day that happened to include some typical problems—ballot shortages, lines, gas leaks and reporting problems—and some atypical problems—a brawl, a voter threatening to shoot voting equipment and historically low turnout.

Here’s a closer look at some of what happened on Tuesday:

Arizona: All eyes were on Arizona on Tuesday and there was certainly some newsworthy issues in a handful of Arizona’s 15 counties, from a long-time observers opinion, it was a pretty typical election day.  The biggest issues of the day were in Pinal County where numerous vote centers ran out of ballots due to unexpectedly high in-person turnout. The shortage of in-person ballots came on the heels of an issue with early voting ballots. “We’re all human. We’ve all screwed up. There’s nothing sinister. It wasn’t as if we said, ‘Hey, this is only going to impact a Republican, or this is only going to impact a Democrat.’ This was widespread, it was equal opportunity, it was just simply a mistake,” Pinal County Attorney Kent Volkmer said. Pinal County wasn’t alone in running out of ballots although they got most of the headlines for it. In Pima County, which was rolling out e-poll books and vote centers for the first time, several sites ran out of ballots due to higher than expected in-person turnout. Pima County Administrator Jan Lesher told the Board of Supervisors during their meeting Tuesday that the e-poll book roll out was going smoothly. “What I’m hearing this morning is that everything has been working efficiently, and people were able to check-in,” Lesher said. Lesher noted that there were some small hiccups early on with some delays in setting up, and that two ballot-on-demand printers were not working properly, but said they were quickly replaced. In Maricopa County, county attorney Rachel Mitchell was forced to send a cease-and-desist letter to a GOP candidate who was encouraging voters to steal the pens from polling places because she claimed the pens could lead to “ghost votes” by bleeding through the paper. In other pen-related news Maricopa officials were forced to tamp down conspiracy theories about smudged ink. County Recorder Stephen Richer said he was aware of ink smearing on some ballots in one location. But no ballots were rejected or spoiled, he said.  “I am not aware of anyone who has been turned down,” he told The Arizona Republic  Tuesday. “I am not aware of anyone who has not been able to vote.” Mohave County’s new results reporting process slowed things down a bit this year which got some members of the media antsy. “No election is 100% perfect. Our staff and volunteers can be proud of their accomplishment. We’re going to be busy properly documenting everything over the next few days and then, we’ll concentrate on the upcoming general election in November,” County Elections Director Allen Tempert  said in the news release. “I’m confident that we’ll have a fair and well-run fall election in Mohave County.” And in the race for secretary of state, while ballots are still being tallied it appears that Democrat Adrian Fontes will face Republican Mark Finchman.

Kansas: Spurred on by the first post-Roe vote on abortion, turnout in Kansas’ primary  was “crazy high” on Tuesday.  In Sedgwick County, voters stood in long, hot lines to cast their ballots. “We did know this was going to be a heavy, well-attended election. We did expect those lines and we did see some lines today. But we are very excited that a lot of people came out to have their voice heard and get their vote cast,” Sedgwick County Election Commissioner Angela Caudillo said. Several voters experienced medical emergencies while waiting in line and firefighters passed out water to voters at at least one polling place. Also in Sedgwick County, officials said election workers made the wrong decision in telling voters at a polling location in Maize that they’d have to vote somewhere else. In Dickinson County, almost all precincts ran out of paper ballots that could be read by a vote machine. The precincts had to request more paper ballots, and the ones they received cannot be read by the vote tally machines meaning several hundred ballots needed to be counted by hand. “It’s too bad we don’t have a turn out like this for every election…” County Clerk Jeanne Livingston said. In-person voting on primary day and early mail voting were both high in Shawnee County. “I think it’s going to end up being numbers right on the button of about 55 percent voter turnout,” Shawnee County Election Commissioner Andrew Howell said, “…which is just huge for a primary. We’ve never seen anything like it for a primary that I’m aware of.” Election night was a bit different in Harvey County this year after County Clerk Rick Piepho switched things up a bit and moved ballot counting to the community room of the courthouse which provided more room for new equipment and election observers. And in the race for secretary of state, incumbent Secretary of State Scott Schwab (R) will face Democrat Jeanna Repass who ran unopposed.

Michigan: Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson held a press conference Tuesday night thanking election officials and workers for what most considered a mostly smooth primary election day. “I’m thankful to the more than 1,600 township, city and county clerks of Michigan, as well as their staff members and the thousands of election workers who signed up to serve and once again made Michigan’s elections among the most safe and secure in the nation,” said Benson at an evening press conference in Detroit. “Polling places statewide operated smoothly today, as did absentee ballot counting boards, many of which continue to count citizens’ votes as we speak, thanks to the efforts and integrity of our state’s election officials and workers.” Even with the smoothest election, there are still pockets of problems. Probably the biggest issue on Tuesday was delayed results reporting in 65 of the states 83 counties due to modem issues. Officials in Wayne County said AT&T’s decision to retire its 3G services was partially responsible for the delay. A gas leak at a polling place in Coldwater Township forced the evacuation of a polling place for about 20 minutes. A timing mark printed on the back of some ballots in Lapeer County was defective and caused them to be rejected by the ballot machine. New ballots were printed and delivered to voting precincts that had issues with their counting machines. An unattended backpack at a polling place in Linden forced a polling place to relocate while police investigated. In Detroit, one GOP poll challenger had to be removed from a ballot processing site because he was harassing and agitating election workers. Dan Baxter, chief operating officer for the Detroit Election Department’s absentee ballots and special projects division, said the incident didn’t disrupt counting. It was the only such confrontation inside the center. Tuesday’s primary was also the first time Arabic speaking voters in Dearborn and Hamtramck were able to cast their ballots in their native language. Burr Oak Township Clerk Jackie Wells was barred from administering the election by the state after it was reported that she issued absentee ballots instead of absentee ballot applications.

Missouri: Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft deemed Tuesday’s primary in the Show Me State a success. “Foremost, I want to thank our poll workers across the state – thousands of them – who showed up and made it possible for the people of Missouri to vote,” Ashcroft said. “And I want to thank our election authorities and the people of Missouri who made their voices heard.” Of the roughly 4.2 million registered voters, unofficial totals show about 24.3% cast a ballot. Turnout was lower than expected in Greene County where Clerk Shane Schoeller suspected Tuesday’s high temperatures may have kept people home. And perhaps it was the heat that sent things off the rails a bit in St. Louis County. There was a real donnybrook at one polling place in St. Louis County that had police breaking up a brawl that included around 40 people. In addition to the brawl poll workers at another polling place reported two candidates tried to run each other over in the parking lot, at another polling place a voter threatened to kill a candidate and at still another site, poll workers reported a campaign worker refusing to let voters into a polling place.  “This is unusual,” said Rick Stream, the Republican St. Louis County Board of Elections Director. “We don’t normally have stuff like this.” Stream said all of the incidents took place outside of polling places and did not interfere with voting. Police responded to each incident but no arrests were made.  In Nodaway County, a bipartisan team of election judges had to manually count, and in some cases re-mark ballots cast in one of the county’s largest precincts after errant marks on the ballots delayed counting on election night. County Clerk Melinda Patton told The Forum on Tuesday that initials marked by election judges on some ballots cast at the First Christian Church in Maryville inadvertently made the ballots unreadable by the tabulation machine.

Ohio: Due to redistricting and ongoing legal battles, Ohio was forced to split it’s primaries with one that was held in May and an August election. In the weeks and days leading up to the primary, elections officials had worried about getting enough poll workers and what overall turnout would be. While most counties reported getting the number of poll workers they needed, their concerns about turnout weren’t unfounded. According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Tuesday’s election saw the lowest voter participation in a statewide primary dating back to at least the 1960s. For Tuesday’s election, just 631,000 people cast ballots to pick Republican and Democratic state legislative candidates and state party central committee members. Most counties had turnout percentages in the single digits, although some, like Columbiana County and Ashland County, did reach double digits.  Having two separate primaries probably didn’t help turnouts in other counties that didn’t have contested races, said Shannon Johnson, director of Ashland’s board of elections. “And tax money could have been used in a better way. If they had approved district maps in May, we wouldn’t have had to spend this money with just a single primary,” she said. Secretary of State Frank LaRose said he hopes lessons can be learned from this year for future elections. “It’s unfortunate that this has had to happen,” LaRose said. “The biggest thing is folks need to listen to our elections officials. Myself and our county boards of elections have been saying for months that we needed to get this finalized so we can do what we do best and that is to run elections.” In Lucas County resident Robert B. Hughes was charged with Inducing Panic/Threaten Violence after he became disruptive at a polling place and threated to shoot a voting machine.

Washington: In the days leading up to Washington’s vote-by-mail primary officials had been concerned about factions of the Republican party surveilling ballot drop boxes and perhaps intimidating voters. There were no reported issues with that on primary day and is typical of this long-time vote-by-mail state, there really weren’t any reported issues at all on Tuesday. The biggest news of the day, from our perspective, is the results of the jungle primary for secretary of state. Incumbent Secretary of State Steve Hobbs (D) won handedly with 41% over a field of seven challengers. Nonpartisan candidate Julie Anderson and Republicans Keith Wagoner and Bob Hagglund followed distantly with each capturing about 12% of the vote.

Election News This Week

Threats to Democracy: A task force launched by the Justice Department last year to investigate threats against election workers looked at more than 1,000 contacts “reported as hostile or harassing” and said about 11% of those “met the threshold for a federal criminal investigation.” The findings were presented at a briefing with US Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite and a bipartisan group of about 750 election officials and workers from across the country as they prepare for the midterm elections. The Election Threats Task Force, which was created last year to address an increasing number of election workers’ concerns over ongoing threats against them, also found that in instances where a source of reported contact was identified, “in 50% of the matters, the source contacted the victim on multiple occasions.” Aside from the 11% of the contacts that merited a federal investigation, “the remaining reported contacts did not provide a predication for a federal criminal investigation,” the Justice Department said in a news release announcing the findings on Monday. “While many of the contacts were often hostile, harassing, and abusive towards election officials, they did not include a threat of unlawful violence.” The task force has brought four federal criminal cases so far, the Justice Department said, and plans to bring more cases in the near future. Elections officials also testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee this week that the FBI’s process for receiving reports of violent threats or harassment against election officials s not built to handle the volume of reports, leaving the Justice Department with an incomplete picture of the problem’s scope as the midterms. “A common refrain I hear from my members is that nobody is going to take this seriously until something bad happens, and we are all braced for the worst,” Amy Cohen, the executive director of the National Association of State Election Directors (NASED), testified. In addition to this week’s DOJ briefing, there were stories from several states about the impacts ongoing threats are having on elections workers. In North Carolina, threats, intimidation and legal action from election skeptics are putting a strain on election workers. In Bucks County, Pennsylvania, the county board of elections recently received an envelope bearing an expletive-laden message and containing an unknown suspicious substance. An initial investigation determined the mysterious substance was not hazardous but did contain insect parts. Former Washoe County, Nevada Registrar of Voters Deanna Spikula talked with the Reno Gazette Journal about the impacts threats made against her and her family had on her decision to leave the job.

New Postal Service Division: The United States Postal Service is creating a division to handle election mail issues as part of an effort to ensure swift and secure delivery of ballots for the 2022 midterm election, officials said Wednesday. The idea behind the creation of the Election and Government Mail Services is to have a permanent division dedicated to dealing with election matters, instead of handling issues one at a time as in the past. Adrienne Marshall, executive director of the division, said that the services will oversee “election mail strike teams” in every local and district community to address any problems that might arise. “We are fully committed to the secure and timely delivery of the nation’s election mail,” she said. Despite the pandemic, the Postal Service said it delivered 97.9% of ballots from voters to election officials within three days, and 99.89% of ballots were delivered within seven days, in the 2020 election. The Postal Service is sending guidance letters to election officials in each state and territory.

Audit News: Oklahoma recently conducted a first-ever post-election audit following the June primary. Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax directed 33 county election boards to conduct manual tabulation audits last week to examine a portion of the results in seven federal races, eight statewide races, three legislative contests, and several county and judicial races. “The post-election audit identified zero differences compared to the certified election results,” according to the report. “Post-election audits add an additional layer of transparency and security to Oklahoma elections and election officials are thankful that the State Legislature enacted a law to allow them,” Ziriax said in a news release. The Texas secretary of state’s office selected four counties for audit as required by the recently approved SB1. The election code required the Secretary of State to select four counties for audit – two counties with populations of 300,000 or more, and two with populations less than 300,000. The four counties include Cameron County, Eastland County, Guadalupe County and Harris County. The Harris County commissioners court voted 3-2 along party lines to bring legal action against the state for its inclusion in the audit.

Sticker News: As expected, 14-year-old Hudson Rowan, a freshman at Rondout Valley High School has won the second annual Ulster County, New York “I Voted” sticker contest with more than 228,000 online votes. Instead of using traditional patriotic motifs, Rowan submitted a drawing of a wild-eyed, widely smiling human head on insect legs rendered in bold psychedelic colors. The contest quickly went viral on social media, leading to coverage by the New York Times, NPR, CBS News and other media outlets around the globe. “It’s been so nice to get so much positive support from people,” said Hudson in mid-July. (I was) very surprised.”  The other five finalists in the county’s contest also received impressive vote tallies. The viral popularity of Rowan’s design and the “I Voted” sticker contest is a good thing, said Ashley Dittus (D), who alongside John Quigley (R) is an election commissioner on the Ulster County Board of Elections.  “We have been overwhelmed and pleasantly surprised by how far reaching our ‘I Voted’ sticker contest has gone this year,” said Dittus. “The contest was launched two years ago as a part of our youth voter engagement program, and I think that because this is a contest for and by youth that it has resonated with younger people in a way that I have never seen before.” Dittus said she hopes the buzz in July will bring people out to the polls in November.  Hudson said he was pleased his design was bringing attention to the election process. “I would be very happy if I influenced people to go out and vote,” he said.

Early Voting News: Preakness winner and election geek favorite Early Voting placed fourth in the Jim Dandy stakes over the weekend. Early Voting, in his first race since that signature triumph at Pimlico in May, set the early pace but was relegated to fourth at the finish. Early Voting had won three of four starts. “Hats off to the winner,” said Chad Brown, who trains both Zandon and Early Voting. He may not have placed in the money at the Jim Dandy but Early Voting will always be money in our eyes.

Personnel News: Tabatha Parrish has retired as the Davie County, North Carolina board of elections director. Melissa Parker is the new Davie County, North Carolina board of elections director. Congratulations to Greene County, Missouri Clerk Shane Schoeller who was honored as a “Sunshine Hero” by the Missouri Sunshine Coalition for his commitment to government transparency. Sue Popplewell Brockman has retired as the Russell County, Kentucky clerk. Mark Kampf has been appointed interim county clerk for Nye County, Nevada. Paige Riegner has resigned as the Berks County, Pennsylvania director of elections. Longtime Nye County, Nevada Clerk Sandra “Sam” Merlino is stepping down. Suzanne Fahnestock has resigned as the Bloomington, Illinois election commission executive director. Christen Mason is stepping down as the Bethel, Maine town clerk.

In Memoriam: Malcolm L. Funn, one of two Democratic members of the Maryland State Board of Elections, died unexpectedly Tuesday of complications from hernia surgery. He was 77. During his lifetime, Funn has served on the Calvert County Planning Commission and the county liquor board, as first vice president of the Calvert County NAACP, and on several other local boards. “He was a human bridge between so many different groups in Southern Maryland,” said Diane Davies, chair of The Big Conversation: Partners in Dismantling Racism and Privilege in Southern Maryland. Davies described Funn as “a great thinker, a leader who shared his personal experiences with others.”

Legislative Updates

New Jersey: Gov. Phil Murphy signed a package of seven election bills into law the governor said will make democracy in New Jersey stronger, more accessible, and more transparent. The bills — which do everything from allowing minors to serve as poll workers to permitting the counting of mail-in ballots prior to Election Day — passed the Legislature in June before lawmakers went on their customary summer recess. “With this bill package, New Jersey continues to expand access to the ballot box and provide additional resources to our election officials, while strengthening the security of our elections,” Secretary of State Tahesha Way said in a statement. “The right to vote is the very foundation of our democracy and we are committed to making voting as safe, simple, and transparent as possible.” The bills signed into law would also: Make changes to voting procedures, like requiring ballot privacy sleeves at polling places and allowing election officials to begin counting mail-in ballots three days before Election Day. Require local health officers to send the names of every adult who dies in their town to their county voter registration office during the two months preceding a primary or general election, in a bid to remove dead voters from the voter rolls. Stop automatically sending mail-in ballots to voters if they don’t vote by mail for four consecutive election cycles starting in 2020.

Kenosha, Wisconsin: The Kenosha City Council voted overwhelmingly for a symbolic resolution in support of local non-partisan election officials. The resolution sponsored by Ald. Curt Wilson passed 16 to 1 with Ald. David Mau providing the sole dissenting vote. “(We) believe our community has been well-served by the current system of non-partisan election administration governed by the Wisconsin Election Commission, managed by our city clerk/treasurer, and administered by our friends and neighbors who serve as election inspectors,” the adopted resolution reads. (These) election officials played a critical role in making the 2020 election safe, secure, and accessible during the COVID-19 pandemic.” The resolution also states that since the 2020 general election “some in our society have attempted to bully, threaten, and undermine nonpartisan election administrators, making it harder for election officials to do their jobs, and reducing faith in the electoral process in a manner that hurts the health of our democracy.” Looking forward to the 2022 general election and beyond, the City Council reaffirmed “our conviction that non-partisan election officials like our city clerk/treasurer, City of Kenosha election inspectors, and the Wisconsin Election Commission are best equipped to preside over free and fair elections, and should do so without the fear of threats and intimidation.” With the resolution’s passage, the City Council expressed “full confidence” in the non-partisan elected officials and called on state lawmakers to “cease all attempts to undermine, disrupt, or revoke Wisconsin Election Commission’s authority over Wisconsin elections, as well as the authority of municipal clerks.”

Madison, Wisconsin: After harassment and threats to election workers in Madison and elsewhere, the city council this week unanimously approved an ordinance that would create a new penalty for disorderly conduct targeting election officials. Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway and several council members had sponsored the ordinance, with a total forfeiture on a citation for disorderly conduct against election staff at $691, compared with a total forfeiture of $439 for typical disorderly conduct citations. The maximum forfeiture would be $1,000 for disorderly conduct against election officials, the same as for other types of disorderly conduct. The council, in a meeting that lasted less than 30 minutes, approved the ordinance without discussion. Under the proposed ordinance, each instance of disorderly conduct would be charged under a separate violation, and if the conduct is repeated or poses a “significant threat,” law enforcement could refer the matter to the district attorney.

Legal Updates

Alabama: Montgomery County Circuit Judge Greg Griffin has scheduled a hearing for August 30 on the state attorney general’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed by former gubernatorial candidate Lindy Blanchard and others alleging that Alabama’s electronic vote-counting machines are susceptible to hacking and should not be used in the election in November. Griffin had set the hearing for August 11, but lawyers for both sides asked for the later date. Griffin ordered both sides to file all briefs and written material by August 25. The lawsuit claims that the electronic ballot scanners that count votes in Alabama elections are unreliable because they can be connected to the Internet and tampered with. They also claim that the Electronic Voting Committee has failed to publicly inspect the machines. The lawsuit asks the judge to declare the use of the machines unconstitutional and to order the state to conduct the general election in November with a hand-count of paper ballots that is witnessed and live-streamed and recorded by video cameras.

Arizona: The Arizona Free Enterprise Club has filed suit claiming that Arizonans for Free and Fair Elections did not submit sufficient valid signatures for its initiative. Lawyers for the organization are asking Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Joseph Mikitish to block it from appearing on the November ballot. But attorney Jim Barton who represents the initiative backers, said he is convinced that there is no merit to the complaint. The measure being challenged contains a laundry list of changes to state election laws. For example, it would allow people to register and vote at the same time, including on Election Day. And people would be registered to vote automatically when they get an Arizona driver’s license unless they opt out. It also would reinstate the state’s permanent early voting list which automatically provides ballots by mail for anyone who requests it, overturning a decision last year by the Republican-controlled legislature. In seeking to disqualify the measure, challengers alleged a series of violations of laws that affect the signature-gathering process for initiatives.

Colorado: A group of Republican candidates for state and local offices, including Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, who lost their primary elections in June are asking a court to halt a ballot recount process that they paid to initiate. The group, members of the Colorado Recount Coalition, filed a lawsuit Monday in Denver District Court that seeks to stop the recount in El Paso County and order that county’s clerk, Chuck Broerman, a Republican, to hand over records to the secretary of state, Jena Griswold, a Democrat, so that she may conduct the recount. Every candidate in the group besides Peters is running for a local or state office in El Paso. The same group of candidates except for Peters filed another lawsuit late last week in El Paso District Court against Broerman and Griswold claiming that for each of the candidates about half the fee they were required to pay for the recount was for a purpose that was “unreasonable, arbitrary, and capricious.”

Massachusetts: James Clark, 38, has been arrested on federal allegations he made a bomb threat against an Arizona election official in February 2021. Clark was arrested Friday on one count each of making a bomb threat, perpetrating a bomb hoax and communicating an interstate threat, the Justice Department said in a press release. The federal indictment states that on Feb. 14, 2021, Clark posted a message through a contact form on the Arizona secretary of state’s office elections division website in which he wrote, “Your attorney general needs to resign by Tuesday February 16th by 9 am or the explosive device impacted in her personal space will be detonated.” Clark also searched online for the address of the election official, as well as the words, “how to kill,” the Justice Department said. Four days after sending the bomb threat, Clark did another online search for the words “fema boston marathon bombing” and “fema boston marathon bombing plan digital army,” according to the Justice Department. Clark appeared before a judge Friday in Boston federal court. If convicted as charged, he faces a maximum of up to 10 years in federal prison for the bomb threat, and five years in prison each for the other two counts.

New Jersey: The Republican National Committee wants a judge to order the Mercer County Board of Elections to fulfill requests for copies of ballot cure letters within 72 hours in future elections after they refused to respond to public document requests for the 2021 general election. In a lawsuit filed last week, Republicans claimed that the Mercer election board violated New Jersey’s Ballot Cure Act – a law that allows voters whose vote-by-mail ballots were rejected for technical deficiencies, including unmatched signatures, to remedy their ballots – and the state’s Open Public Records Act. The RNC began seeking ballot cure letters on October 19, 2021.  Mercer appears to have punted and sought extensions, at one point saying the documents would be released after the certification date but did not respond until 91 days later, on January 18, 2022, and still did not give the records they asked for.

North Carolina: A group of registered unaffiliated voters in North Carolina sued the state Tuesday over the requirements for those who are appointed to serve on the State Board of Elections. The complaint seeks to strike down a state mandate that limits board membership to registered Democrats and Republicans. Common Cause North Carolina is bringing forward the federal lawsuit on behalf of four registered unaffiliated voters. They allege that the existing law is unconstitutional because it excludes the largest voting bloc from the five-member board that is tasked with administering elections in the state. “North Carolinians shouldn’t be forced to join a political party in order to serve the public,” Bob Phillips, the group’s executive director said in a statement. “Barring unaffiliated voters—who are North Carolina’s biggest group of voters—from being members of the State Board of Elections is profoundly unfair and clearly discriminatory.”

Pennsylvania: The state Supreme Court ruled this week that Pennsylvania’s 2019 law allowing mail-in voting is constitutional.  The law dramatically expanded mail voting from a method that had been allowed only in a very small number of cases — about 5% of votes in any given election — to one used by millions over the last two years. It was the product of bipartisan negotiations between Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf and Republicans who control the state legislature, the biggest change to Pennsylvania election law in generations. But its implementation in 2020 came during both the first year of the pandemic and a heated presidential election. As massive numbers of voters cast ballots by mail, state and county elections officials tried to build out the system — in some cases triggering Republican outrage and lawsuits over their decisions. The 5-2 ruling, with the two Republican justices both voting no, means expanded vote-by-mail will almost certainly be in place for marquee races in November for governor and U.S. Senate. “We find no restriction in our Constitution on the General Assembly’s ability to create universal mail-in voting,” wrote Justice Christine Donohue in the majority opinion. In a dissent, Justice Kevin Brobson said the majority overruled 160 years of court precedent. “Today, this court upends the tradition and historic preference in this commonwealth for in-person voting without the requisite ‘special justification’ and important reasons necessary to set aside long-standing precedent,” Brobson wrote. “Mere disagreement with that precedent is not enough.”

Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf is suing the Republican-controlled legislature in the state’s highest court over its efforts to change the Pennsylvania Constitution to restrict — and potentially ban — access to abortion, add new requirements for voters at the polls, and scale back executive powers. Wolf is appealing to the state Supreme Court on an emergency basis, asking its seven justices to block the legislature from advancing a controversial, eleventh-hour measure that would ask voters to weigh in on five proposed amendments to the state’s constitution. Republicans who control both the state House and Senate also want voters to decide whether to require government-issued identification to vote in all instances and to give the legislature more say over rejecting regulations authored by a governor’s administration. They also want to require new election audits in addition to the ones already in place. Wolf, in his lawsuit, said legislative Republicans rammed through the proposed amendments with little debate as they were wrapping up work on the overdue state budget in early July. In doing so, he contends, GOP lawmakers unconstitutionally lumped together disparate pieces of their “failed” agenda.

Texas: U.S. District Court Judge Lee Yeakel blocked a Texas law passed in 2021 that put new restrictions on people trying to register to vote in the state. Senate Bill 1111 was passed during the 2021 Texas Legislative session. The bill, which passed the House and Senate on party-line votes, required people who register to vote using a P.O. box to provide proof of a home address to ensure that they vote only in eligible elections. The bill was signed into law on June 16, 2021. Less than a week later, two Latino groups and a voter rights group sued a group of county election administrators, saying the new law imposes “vague, onerous restrictions on the voter registration process, chilling political participation and further burdening the abilities of lawful voters to cast their ballots to make their voices heard.” Part of the lawsuit challenged a section of the law that prohibited people from establishing residence “for the purpose of influencing the outcome of a certain election.” That language could lead to unintended consequences, the groups argued. In a summary judgement, Yeakel found that the groups had suffered “direct harms” to their finances and to their First Amendment rights under the law, and that the state used vague language in the law and that parts of the fail “any degree of constitutional scrutiny.” The judge ruled that the law particularly burdened part-time and off-campus college students, who would be left unable to register both where they have moved and where they have moved from. “The burden imposed is ‘severe,’ if not insurmountable,” Yeakel wrote. “Such an insurmountable burden is not easily overcome.”

Virginia: U.S. District Judge David. J. Novak dismissed a last-ditch effort to force new Virginia House of Delegates elections in November, concluding the pandemic-related delay in the state’s redistricting process can’t justify the “extreme” step of ordering an election do-over. In a 49-page opinion, Novak ruled the plaintiffs in the case don’t have standing to sue the state and the federal courts lack the authority to order a new election. With early voting for the 2022 elections set to begin next month, Monday’s ruling appears to be the end of the line for efforts to hold new House elections this year. Novak, the same judge who dismissed a similar suit this year brought by Democratic attorney Paul Goldman, wrote that “the global pandemic delayed the reapportionment process just as it disrupted nearly every aspect of American life.” Virginia will hold its 2023 elections, Novak said, “using different maps drawn by the Supreme Court of Virginia in accord with the Constitution of Virginia.” “Accordingly, this federal court cannot usurp the authority that the Constitution grants Virginia over its elections and, therefore, cannot grant the relief requested by plaintiffs,” Novak wrote. “At bottom, plaintiffs claim an injury that defendants did not cause and that the court cannot redress.”

Wisconsin: Dane County Circuit Judge Valerie Bailey-Rihn said last week that a Republican-ordered, taxpayer-funded investigation into the 2020 election found “absolutely no evidence of election fraud,” but did reveal contempt for the state’s open records law by Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and a former state Supreme Court justice he hired. Bailey-Rihn awarded about $98,000 in attorneys’ fees to the liberal watchdog group American Oversight, bringing an end in circuit court to one of four lawsuits the group filed. Vos’s attorney, Ron Stadler, said he was recommending that Vos appeal the ruling. The fees will be paid by taxpayers, which is why the judge said she was not also awarding additional punitive damages against Vos. Costs to taxpayers for the investigation, including ongoing legal fees, have exceeded $1 million. “I think the people of the state of Wisconsin have been punished enough for this case,” Bailey-Rihn said. “I don’t think it does anyone any good to have punitive damages placed on the innocent people of this state.”

Opinions This Week

National Opinions: Voting behavior | Secretary of state races | Voting restrictions | Election administration | Redistricting reform | Carter Center | Voter fraud

Alaska: Ranked choice voting

Arizona: Election moments | Secretary of state, II | Election deniers | Election fraud claims |

Colorado: Election dates

Georgia: Conspiracy theories | Election officials

Hawaii: Drop boxes

Michigan: Voter ID | Election workers

Nevada: Ranked choice voting, II

New Jersey: Transparency

New Mexico: Voter data

Ohio: Secretary of state

Pennsylvania: Undated mail ballots | Election lies | Vote by mail

South Carolina: Military & overseas voters

Texas: Voter registrars

Utah: Salt Lake clerk

Virginia: Election workers

Washington: Get out the vote

Wyoming: Voter ID

Upcoming Events

Political Violence Prevention: Updated Threat Assessment & Mapping:  Join Over Zero, the Trusted Elections Fund, the Democracy Funders Network, and More in Common for a virtual session on Thursday, August 11, from 2:00pm to 3:30pm ET, focused on trends, risks, and opportunities related to preventing political violence in the US in 2022 and beyond. It will feature a brief update on new trends and relevant research on risks of political violence, an update and deeper dive into Over Zero’s landscape mapping for the violence prevention field, and opportunities to connect with a wide range of experts, practitioners and funders. This session will bring together a wide variety of experts, practitioners and funders, and will build on the scenario planning and other planning exercises many groups have been a part of in 2022. When: August 11. Where: Online.

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.

Arizona Deputy Coordinator, U.S. Elections, The Carter Center— The Democracy Program at The Carter Center works globally to support and strengthen participatory democracy, consistent with human rights. Beginning in 2020, The Carter Center began efforts to support elections in the United States. There are multiple key aspects to this project: establishing nonpartisan observation efforts, tracking disinformation and dangerous speech, contributing to electoral reform, and promoting candidate codes of conduct. The Carter Center is advancing nonpartisan observation efforts in two key states: Arizona and Michigan. These states were selected following 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 nonpartisan observation is to provide credible and transparent information on the conduct of elections in each state through public reports. The Deputy Coordinator will execute the citizen observation plan and develop partnerships with community-based organizations. They will report directly to the US Elections Coordinator in [Michigan/Arizona] and to the US Elections team in Atlanta. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Certification and Training Manager, Washington Secretary of State’s Office— The Program Manager for Certification & Training manages the provision of professional certification and training to state election administrators and canvassing board members in 39 Washington counties. The Certification and Training Program Manager reports to the Elections Director and is a member of the Elections Management Team that advises the Elections Director on direction and policy. The Program Manager is responsible for the administration of the Certification and Training Program of the Elections Division by providing strategic analysis, planning, and management of a program that includes four major functions. There functions are: 1) professional certification and training of local and state election administrators and county canvassing board members; 2) review of county election operations and procedures; 3) the election clearinghouse; and 4) testing of all vote tabulation equipment used in each county during state primary and general elections. The Program Manager makes collaborative strategic judgments and decisions balancing competing program demands or priorities for resources; develops, modifies, and implements division policy; formulates long-range strategic plans and projects, and makes division-wide strategic decisions with the Elections Management Team. Integrates division and office policies and continuously reviews the program for compliance with division and office policies and strategic objectives. 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.

Deputy Elections Director, Davie County, North Carolina— Performs administrative work with the registration, voting and election activities for the County. Must be willing to perform job duties during pandemics, natural disasters and unexpected  events during planned elections and election schedules. This position is required to work extended hours and weekends during planned elections and election schedules. Regular, predictable, full attendance is an essential function of the job. Essential job functions: Performs administrative duties for the Director and Board Members and serves as a resource person to staff and the public, as needed; Assists with the supervision of Elections part-time staff and one stop workers in the performance of their daily responsibilities; Assist the Director with annual budgets and grants received; Assists the Elections Director in the interview and selection process of new employees, one stop and precinct workers and training new employees on office procedures and applications; Assists with ensuring proper and efficient conduct of primary and general elections held in Davie County; Maintenance of geo codes/street index, to include all annexations and changes, to insure accuracy for each address; Performs related duties as required. Salary: Minimum hiring range: $33,587. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Deputy County Clerk, Boone County, Missouri— The Boone County (MO) Clerk’s Office seeks a deputy county clerk in its elections division. With general supervision, this clerk processes new and revised voter registrations, provides information to the public on candidates, ballot issues and other election information, determines ballot styles for walk-in absentee voters, verifies petitions, and performs related election duties. Salary: $15.45-$16.41/hr. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Director of Registration and Elections, Fulton County, Georgia— The County is seeking a Director of Registration and Elections (DRE). This position serves as the chief executive responsible for developing goals, objectives, policies, and procedures relating to voter registration and elections in Fulton County. The DRE also prepares, presents, and manages the department’s approved annual budget.  The DRE leads programs and services that ensure safe, free, and accessible voter registration and elections in the County. The DRE ensures accurate collection and maintenance of voter registration data and administers the county elections and associated services, which includes but is not limited to absentee balloting, voter registration, voter education and outreach. The Director collects information and validates candidates for elective office, ensures the availability of training for poll workers, and directs efforts to educate voters on elections in the county. The DRE performs other duties, including preservation, storage, preparation, testing and maintenance of departmental election equipment. Furthermore, the director oversees election district boundaries, and administers the selection of polling places in the county. Salary: $175K-$195K. 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 Information Environment Specialist, The Carter Center— 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 and establishing nonpartisan observation efforts. The Carter Center is seeking a highly qualified Electoral Information Environment Specialist to work on the Center’s US election advisory team under the guidance of the Democracy Program staff. The Electoral Information Environment Specialist will assess and analyze key issues affecting women, the disabled, and disenfranchised groups in the United States. The Electoral Information Environment Specialist will contribute to public and private statements concerning the electoral information environment. 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 Processing Supervisor, San Diego California— Election Processing Supervisors organize, direct, and supervise the activities of sections within the Registrar of Voters’ – Voters Services Divisions. Position responsibilities include but are not limited to: planning, scheduling and coordinating activities related to vote-by-mail ballots, sample ballots, election mail pick-up, voter records and registration, training, election equipment and warehouse; providing lead work in special projects and assignments; providing interpretations and ensuring proper implementation of Federal, State and local laws regulating elections. 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.

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 Coordinator, Training, Buncombe County, North Carolina— Buncombe County Elections is looking for an energetic and resourceful individual who enjoys a fast paced, dynamic environment working with people from varied backgrounds. The primary purpose of this position is to plan, coordinate, and administer assigned elections program or service area to support the strategic direction of the department and organization by connecting community participants to election services. 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 Services Manager, Contra Costa County, California— Our office is vital to our democracy and our community, and we love to help our residents. Our leadership values employee development and engagement, promotes open and transparent communication, prepares us to be a high-performing organization, and recognizes the contributions of others. We connect with the community, listen to them, and provide a critical service that people rely on. The incumbent will report directly to the Assistant Registrar, work in collaboration with the Clerk-Recorder-Registrar and executive management team, and interact with leaders in other county departments, state officials, and vendors to carry out essential functions. self-starter. You need to see the overall picture and be able to plan, organize, and prioritize tasks using tact, initiative, prudence, and independent judgment. A team player. You will be expected to bring balance to the team, foster trust, and instill confidence in your direct reports and the department as a whole. Customer Focused. You should provide a high level of customer service and strive to improve the voter’s experience and services to County residents. Accountable. You should take responsibility for your own work and the work of your division, assuring projects are completed within established timelines. Flexible. You will need to work well under pressure and be adaptable to changing priorities while balancing multiple projects. At times, this can be a high-stress job and the successful candidate must be able to cope and respond appropriately. A collaborative leader. You will collaborate with multiple units that have interconnected work products to help achieve division goals and should be willing to step in and help other units when needed. Knowledgeable. You should be experienced in election law, the election process, procedures, timelines, and administration. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Elections Technician/Elections Specialist DOQ, Larimer County, Colorado— Larimer County is increasingly aware of the need to attract and retain the best people for our workforce, and we are seeking skilled Elections Technicians/Elections Specialists to join our highly respected team. We serve a population of more than 300,000 citizens, of which more than 250,000 are registered voters. We embrace innovative processes and have a solid reputation for integrity. If you are a self-motivated, positive team player who thrives in a fast-paced professional environment – we want to hear from you! The successful candidate will be dedicated, assertive and possess exceptional interpersonal and problem-solving skills. The process of Election Administration is project driven and very detail oriented. The Elections Technician/Elections Specialist position provides support to and/or oversight for certain processes. Deadline: August 7. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here,

Executive Director, Peoria County, Illinois— The Executive Director is responsible for all aspects of the administration of the Election Commission. Duties include the application of all statutory requirements in maintaining the permanent registry of voters and in the planning, organizing and conducting of local, state and federal elections in the County of Peoria. The Executive Director is the liaison to the community, other government agencies and members of the press for the Board of Election Commissioners. Deadline: August 5. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Government Affairs Director, National Vote at Home Institute— The National Vote at Home Institute (NVAHI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit nonpartisan organization dedicated to expanding the use of mailed-out ballots in local, state, and federal elections across the U.S. Through our education, research, and advocacy efforts with state and local election officials, policymakers, and partners, NVAHI works to expand this secure, convenient, and voter-supported method of voting and works to ensure state and local election officials have the tools, training and support they need to conduct successful, transparent, accurate and secure mail ballot elections.  The Government Affairs Director serves as an integral leader for the organization, working with the Executive Director, Board, and staff shaping and executing the strategic priorities for NVAHI. This position routinely interacts with key stakeholder groups, national leaders, state and local elections officials, research professionals/institutions, funders, and partners. This position reports to the NVAHI Executive Director and is responsible for all election official engagement efforts on behalf of NVAHI. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Information Services Specialist, Illinois State Board of Elections— Under the general supervision of the Chief Information Officer and Deputy Chief Information Officer and the day-to-day supervision of the Information Services Team Leads, independently and as a project team member, develops, maintains, and enhances the State Board of Elections’ Information Systems. Establishes application development task schedules, testing plans and implementation schedules; Performs technical analysis, design, and programming according to SBE standards; Coordinates development, testing and implementation with end-users, technical consultants and IT Staff according to SBE standards. Consults with end-users to determine application goals, requirements, cost, architecture, and impact to existing systems; Provides Level 1 technical support for Agency end-users as well as end-users of other agency-developed systems. Through continuing self-study and/or formal coursework, acquires knowledge of advanced information systems concepts and techniques, productivity tools, election law, and Board policy as they affect Board Information Systems. Performs other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope of the duties enumerated above. 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.

Language Access and Outreach  Coordinator (Russian and Somali), King County, Washington— The Department of Elections is searching for energetic and resourceful professionals who like to “get stuff done”. The Language Services & Community Engagement Specialist position in the Elections Department combines an exciting, fast paced 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. The Language Services and Community Engagement Program is recruiting Language Access and Outreach Coordinators who will support the program for the Russian and Somali languages. These individuals must be able to read, write, understand and speak Russian or Somali at the language proficiency testing level used by the Department. This position provides bilingual assistance, translation, and community outreach support. It also conducts glossary and vocabulary research and provides administrative support to other election work groups as needed. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Michigan Deputy Coordinator, U.S. Elections, The Carter Center— The Democracy Program at The Carter Center works globally to support and strengthen participatory democracy, consistent with human rights. Beginning in 2020, The Carter Center began efforts to support elections in the United States. There are multiple key aspects to this project: establishing nonpartisan observation efforts, tracking disinformation and dangerous speech, contributing to electoral reform, and promoting candidate codes of conduct. The Carter Center is advancing nonpartisan observation efforts in two key states: Arizona and Michigan. These states were selected following assessments completed on multiple states. Nonpartisan observation efforts implemented and/or supported by The Carter Center will differ from existing partisan pollwatchers and election-protection groups. The goal of nonpartisan observation is to provide credible and transparent information on the conduct of elections in each state through public reports. The Deputy Coordinator will execute the citizen observation plan and develop partnerships with community-based organizations. They will report directly to the US Elections Coordinator in [Michigan/Arizona] and to the US Elections team in Atlanta. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Publications and Clearinghouse Program Specialist – Certification and Training Program, Washington Secretary of State’s Office. — The certification and training program oversees, directs, and advises County Auditors in interpretations of federal and state election law and the correct administration of voter registration and elections throughout the state. The certification and training program reviews county practices for adherence to election law and best practices, provides essential tools for election administrators through official communications and training, and acts as liaisons for the Office of the Secretary of State. This position reports to the certification and training program manager and is responsible for overseeing, reviewing and advising county auditors on the federal and state elections laws and the administration of voter registration. Serves as the lead program specialist in the Elections Publications and Clearinghouse Program. Salary: $57,324-$77028. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Research Manager, Data Analysis, CEIR— Under the direction of the Research Director, the Research Manager will be responsible for CEIR’s data-driven research initiatives and supervise one or more research team members. These initiatives include matters pertaining to voter registration, voter access, election integrity and security, and election administration. As an integral member of the highly collaborative research team, the Research Manager will develop and conduct surveys and studies, analyze data, and contribute to research reports and other written materials for CEIR’s diverse audience of election officials, policymakers, the media, and key stakeholders. Salary: $75K-$95K. Deadline: August 31.  Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Senior Clerk Recorder Technician, Nevada County, California— Nevada County seeks a Senior Clerk-Recorder Technician to manage the databases and processes that register voters, conduct elections and preserve the County’s Official Records. The incumbent works in collaboration with the Registrar of Voters and executive management team, leaders in other county departments, state officials, and vendors to carry out essential functions. The Senior Clerk-Recorder Technician also manages up to 8 temporary election workers that assist in maintaining voter registration data. This position requires candidates to maintain professional working relationships with county staff, outside stakeholders, and the public. 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 Research Associate, Data Analysis, CEIR— The Senior 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 Senior 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. Salary: $65K-$80K. Deadline: August 31. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Senior Research Associate, Policy, CEIR— The Senior 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 Senior Research Associate will support CEIR’s mission primarily by conducting policy research related to our initiatives and drafting reports and other written materials for CEIR’s diverse audience of election officials, policymakers, the media, and key stakeholders. The Senior Research Associate will also help the research team develop surveys and studies and assist with data analysis. Salary: $65K-$80K. Deadline: August 31. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Systems Administrator, Sarasota County, Florida— The Systems Administrator is an Information Technology professional responsible for the coordination, implementation, planning, investigating and serving as the liaison for all facets of data processing, to include any election related tasks. Key Responsibilities: Provides expertise on hardware and software, considering costs and capabilities. Installs new software and hardware, including network operating system, as assigned. Adds new systems to network and ensure all required documentation. Ensures account setup, maintenance, and removal; provides user support. Assists to administer/maintain networked servers. Ensures timely systems backups and maintains logs. Protects data and performs and tests backup processes. Maintain password, trustee and viral security. Maintain network policy and maintenance controls, including network security. Troubleshooting, including maintenance and repair of computer equipment. Assists with ballot preparation, processing and tabulation. Performs equipment tests to include election and computer equipment as needed or assigned. Responsible for network design. Participates in the review and revision of security and emergency procedures and the maintenance of the information system disaster recovery plan. Maintains system software licenses and supervise all software installations. Salary: $40,996-$87,630. 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.

Voting Rights Expert, The Carter Center— The Carter Center is seeking a highly qualified voting rights analyst to work on the Center’s US election advisory team under the guidance of the Democracy Program staff. The voting rights expert will assess and analyze key issues affecting women, the disabled, and disenfranchised groups in the United States. The voting rights expert will contribute to public and private statements concerning the electoral process and provide an impartial assessment of elections as well as detailed recommendations for ways to improve the program’s inclusiveness, credibility, and transparency as it relates to voting access of historically disenfranchised peoples. A minimum of seven (7) years of experience in democracy and/or elections is required, in addition to a degree in political science or another relevant field. 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.

Marketplace

electionline provides no guarantees as to the quality of the items being sold and the accuracy of the information provided about the sale items in the Marketplace. Ads are provided directly by sellers and are not verified by electionline. If you have an ad for Marketplace, please email it to: mmoretti@electionline.org