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Primary Updates

Three more states complete primaries
Permanent vote by mail and ranked choice make headlines

By M. Mindy Moretti
Electionline.org

Voters in Alaska, Hawaii (Saturday) and Wyoming completed their 2022 primary voting this week and in Alaska and Hawaii, the voting systems were as much a part of the news as who was on the ballot.

Following this week’s primaries we’re down to less than 10 primaries to go till the 2022 primary season is finally over an all eyes turn to November. Until then, here’s a look at how things went in all three states.

Alaska: The Last Frontier held both its primary and a special election this week and the big news was the roll out of ranked choice voting. Results of the ranked choice races won’t be known until at least August 31 because officials will wait until all military & overseas ballots have arrived before using the system. A lot of effort did go in ahead of time to not only explain the new ranking system, but also explain the ballot-counting process and timeframe for results. In Kenai poll worker Taylor Galley said polls were steadily busy all day. “It’s been exciting. We’ve seen a lot of return voters. A lot of new voters. A couple people have told us it’s their first time voting, which is very exciting,” Galley said. Galley told KDLL poll workers heard mixed opinions about ranked choice. “We’ve heard both ends of the spectrum. Some people like it, some people definitely have not liked it,” she said. “And a lot of people have been frustrated by it, trying to understand how to use it during the votes.” A poll worker in Kodiak said even though most voters said they were familiar with the new system, there were still a lot of spoiled ballots. Poll workers across the City and Borough of Juneau said they felt prepared to help voters navigate both ranked choice voting and the open primary on the other side of the ballot.  In Fairbanks, it was ranked choice that was confusing some voters it was redistricting and a reduction of polling places from 12 to seven that caused some angst on Tuesday. The U.S. Department of Justice monitored Tuesday’s primary to ensure compliance with the Sec. 203 of the Voting Rights Act and The Americans with Disabilities Act.  The monitoring is underway in certain jurisdictions, the department said: Anchorage, Juneau and the Bethel, Dillingham and Kusilvak census areas. The department has already been monitoring early and absentee voting in various parts of the state: Anchorage, Juneau, the Kenai Peninsula, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, the Denali Borough, the Fairbanks North Star Borough and the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area. Tiffany Montemayor, public relations manager for the Alaska Division of Elections, said the Department of Justice had notified the division about its plans to be in the state.

Hawaii: This week marked Hawaii’s first primary with vote-by-mail the law of the land. In Honolulu, City Clerk Glen Taskahashi told KHON that about 190,000 voters had returned their ballots by mail by Saturday’s primary, and that there was a steady flow of voters dropping ballots off all day. “It’s been a nice, consistent flow of voters and cars of people dropping off their ballots,” Takahashi said. “This is the first time we did a midterm in the vote by mail scheme so we seem to be handling the traffic, flow of voters,” Takahashi said. “So that tells me people like the vote by mail process,” Takahashi explained. “About 10 percent to 15 percent are coming in the drop boxes.” The Senate Chamber at the State Capitol served as the counting center for Honolulu and it was from there that the state’s Chief Election Officer Scott Nago said there were small delays. “Every election has hiccups, it’s a matter of how you deal with it, like the line situation at the Maui Voter Service Center, or making sure we got equipment in on time,” he notes, adding most of the problems were issues voters wouldn’t necessarily see. This is first year the state is going with its new scanning machine vendor, Hart Intercivic. “So far so good,” notes Nago, who says the machines processed the ballots quickly. “I’m happy with it.” Late processing of ballots collected from drop boxes on Oahu was holding up the release of final statewide elections results on Sunday afternoon.  Lines started forming at the voter service center in Wailuku on Maui early on the morning of Election Day.  “The line started forming at 6:40 a.m. It’s been a busy day,” Deputy County Clerk James Krueger said shortly after 7 p.m. as he waited for the final people in line at the Velma McWayne Santos Community Center to cast their votes. “We had some voters who weren’t happy with our process. But since then, we worked on implementing a different process to help people get in and vote and be on their way for the day,” Krueger said. Despite the lines at the service center, Maui had the lowest turnout in the state. Elections officials are now working to cure mail ballots that had issues. Honolulu needs to cure 3700 ballots, and they’re not the only ones. Kauai says they’ve got 81 voters who need cured ballots. The Island of Hawaii has 1041 ballots and in Maui County 849 ballots need the same process. While overall turnout was down from 2020, it was up from the 2018 midterm.  “Hawaii had such extraordinary voter turnout in 2020. It was never going to be like that in this election because midterms are always lower. But I had hoped it was going to be a little bit higher,” Political Analyst Colin Moore said.

Wyoming: Elections officials in The Cowboy State spent a lot of pre-primary time and effort reassuring the public that the state’s voting system was fair, accurate and secure. Even then, some voters remained skeptical. That did not however seem to translate to turnout issues or any other kinds of issues on Tuesday. Despite the media coverage surrounding Wyoming’s primary due to candidates on the ballot, administratively it was a pretty quiet day—as it often is in Wyoming. Freemont County did suffer some connectivity issues with their e-poll books which slowed down the process. Lines formed early in Natrona County, but cleared out pretty quickly once the polls actually opened at 7 a.m. Ardell Breed, a poll manager at one site said they hadn’t experienced any redistricting-related issues. “We have a few precincts with split districts, but they know what they’re doing and its running real smooth today they’re getting in and out pretty fast,” Breed said. Casper-area poll worker Martha Wallace was working in her third decade as a poll worker. “I’ve been doing this for 30-some years,” she said. “I’m very blessed to be able to do it. I don’t look at it as a job. I think that we’re blessed to be able to do this. I’m somewhat interested in politics but, more than anything, it’s about the fact that we’re helping people.” State Rep. Chuck Gray won the Republican nomination for secretary of state. The Democrats did not field a candidate. In Laramie County, turnout was up not only from the 2018 midterm election, but also the 2020 primary election. While there have been concerns that poll workers may not want to work the polls due to the rhetoric around the 2020 election, Albany County poll worker Thomas Mattimore told the Laramie Boomerang that’s exactly why he wanted to work Tuesday. “I will guarantee to anybody that this election is as fair as it can be, because I was in it,” he said. Election judges are paired in teams of opposing political parties, getting to know their colleagues on the front lines of the election may seem an opportunity for conflict. That’s not the case, said Raul Merly who was working with Mattimore. “I never expected to find a happy, nice person on this (he gestured to his right) side of the table. But I did,” he said. “It invigorated my faith in America.”

Election News This Week

Take This Job And…: Anissa Herrera has stepped down as the elections administrator for Gillespie County, Texas citing threats and harassment. But it was just Herrera who stepped down, according to Gillespie County Judge Mark Stroeher that the entire staff resigned for similar reasons. He said that the county has “some people who are pretty fanatical and radical about things” and drove out Herrera and the staff. Stroeher said that the job became more difficult than it probably should be “because of some individuals who are continuing to question how they are doing things,” according to the Standard-Radio Post. “Elections are getting so nasty and it’s getting dangerous,” Stroeher said to the Standard-Radio Post. Stroeher told the outlet that he will be contacting the Texas secretary of state for guidance about holding the November elections. “It’s unfortunate because we have candidates that need to be elected, and we have voters who want their voices to be heard by the ballots,” Stroeher said. “I don’t know how we’re going to hold an election when everybody in the election department has resigned.” Herrera told the Standard-Radio Post that she received death threats in 2020 and has been threatened and stalked and called out on social media after the 2020 election. She told the paper that she reached out to the county attorney who suggested she forward the issue to the Fredericksburg Police Department and the county sheriff’s office, which claims never to have received any reports. Donald Trump received 79 percent of the vote in Gillespie County in 2020.

Rulemaking Part 1: With Nye County and potentially other Nevada counties moving to the hand-counting of ballots the secretary of state’s office has introduced temporary regulations to hopefully provide order to a process some fear will be chaotic. The proposed temporary regulation would require the clerk to submit contingency plans to meet statutory deadlines for hand counts, ensure bipartisan counters and place requirements on counters such as wearing medical gloves and not being allowed to bring in outside pens.  The regulation is expected to go through final passage Aug. 26 and would go into effect Sept. 30.  Mark Wlaschin, the elections deputy with the Secretary of State’s office, said that there is no language preventing counties from switching to hand counting ballots. However, he argued if counties are deciding to make the switch there needs to be a standardized approach for transparency’s sake and to ensure counting is completed in time.  “Until this regulation was proposed, there was no standardized process,” Wlaschin said. “So election officials in all 17 (counties) across our state were expected to, if they were going to conduct a hand count tabulation, make their own process and templates and conduct their own research.” ACLU of Nevada, the Brennan Center for Justice, Silver State Voices and All Voting is Local are asking the office to prohibit hand counting rather than regulating it.

Rulemaking Part 2: The North Carolina State Board of elections has tightened regulations for precinct observers to prevent partisan interference in the November election. The board unanimously voted to approve temporary rules for the upcoming election that more clearly outline the code of conduct for partisan observers, prohibiting them from standing close to a “tabulator, laptop, pollbook or other voting document” where they could view marked ballots or confidential voter information. The revisions heighten scrutiny for observers and poll workers alike, adding a list of prohibited conduct for precinct officials that forbids them from tampering with voting equipment or expressing their political views on the job. A survey of county elections directors in late May found violations in 15 North Carolina counties, where officials observed poll watchers harassing voters and attempting to enter restricted areas to view confidential voting records. The state board opted to pursue a temporary rule change to ensure the revisions are approved before in-person early voting begins Oct. 20, said Paul Cox, associate legal counsel to the board. “The existing rules just, quite frankly, are not models of clarity,” Cox said. “We want to avoid any disruptive issues going forward, especially given how these incidents seem to have recently surfaced in significant enough numbers to cause our county directors concern.”

Sticker News: Louisiana has unveiled its newest “I Voted” sticker that will be used for the upcoming November elections. Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin showed off the design, entitled “Louisiana State of Mind,” at the Old State Capitol. The sticker, created by New Orleans artist Becky Fos, features the state capitol building in front of a brightly colored, stylized version of Baton Rouge. Louisiana has a history of commissioning artists to design creative, stylized stickers that are handed out at polls.  In 2016, then Secretary of State Tom Schedler and the family of famous New Iberia artist George Rodrigue first unveiled a “Blue Dog” sticker ahead of the election. The three years later, Lafayette artist Tony Bernard, who worked under George Rodrigue, was commissioned to design the “I Voted” sticker for the 2019 elections. His design featured a rendition of Louisiana’s state bird, the brown pelican, and the state seal.

This and That: The August 2022 primary election in Maricopa County, Arizona saw a record number—866,924—voters cast their ballots. Happy 67th anniversary to the District of Columbia Board of Elections that was created as an independent agency by an Act of Congress on Aug. 12, 1955. The Monroe County, Florida supervisor of elections office in Key West is moving to Stock Island following the 2022 election season. With the primary election just over a week away, the Guam Election Commission has yet to receive the funding it needs to pay precinct officials and other staff who will work at polling stations on Election Day. Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate is providing a $1,000 grant to every county in the state to improve voter access ahead of the 2022 general election for counties to partner with local advocacy organizations and self-advocates to receive feedback on how polling places can be more accessible for Iowans with disabilities. A manual recount of the Montgomery County, Maryland county executive’s race has formally been requested. Secretary of State John Ashcroft (R) announced that a top-four ranked-choice voting initiative will not make the Missouri general election ballot due to an insufficient number of valid signatures submitted. New Jersey has officially joined ERIC. Despite no credible claims of problems with the November 2020 vote in Ohio, dozens of huge requests for voting records from that election are coming in to county elections officials, as they’re finishing up work on a second statewide primary and gearing up for this fall’s election. The Horry County, South Carolina GOP is seeking a formal investigation into the June 2022 primary runoff after 1,337 Democrat absentee ballots were sent to Republican voters. The Vermont secretary of state’s office delayed the canvassing of county votes cast in Tuesday’s primary elections, citing a software problem related to the state’s recent Legislative redistricting. The Benton County, Washington Canvassing Board will recount votes for one office after final numbers showed two candidates 33 votes apart for the second spot. The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty has filed a complaint with the Wisconsin Elections Commission alleging the Racine City Clerk violated state election laws through the use of mobile voting sites.

Personnel News: Multnomah County, Oregon  Elections Senior Program Specialist Catherine McMullen is running to be the Clackamas County clerk. Congratulations to Troy, Michigan City Clerk Aileen Dickson for being named city clerk of the year by the Michigan Association of Municipal Clerks. Felita Regina Donnell is the newest member of the Guilford County, North Carolina board of elections. Caleb Shaffer is stepping down as the Snyder County, Pennsylvania director of elections. With a 4 to 1 vote, the Harris County, Texas election commission made it official that Cliff Tatum will be the new elections administrator. Josh Jones is the new director of elections in Greene County, North Carolina.

In Memoriam: Former Mecklenburg County, North Carolina Elections Director Bill Culp has died. He was 78. According to his family, Culp had long-battled Alzheimer’s. Culp, a Vietnam War veteran and former teacher had a long career in Mecklenburg County government and politics which ended when he was convicted of taking more than 120 bribes in a yearslong voting-machine conspiracy. According to The Charlotte Observer, Culp expanded voting registration across the county and saw himself as a bipartisan source of information for candidates from both parties. Culp served as elections director for 28 years before his sudden retirement in 1998. Culp was indicted on federal corruption and wire fraud charges. According to government prosecutors, Culp had accepted $134,000 in bribes and kickbacks from a voting-machine salesman and repairman over a period of years in return for awarding millions of dollars in county contracts. In one iteration of the scheme, the repairman overbilled the county so Culp would receive a $25 kickback from every machine serviced. After his indictment, Culp blamed his actions on what he said was his addiction to marijuana, which he had begun smoking in Vietnam. Prosecutors dismissed the purported cause-effect as Culp’s maneuvering to be allowed into a prison drug-treatment program that would cut a year off his prison time. He was sentenced to 30 months, served less than half of that time behind bars and spent six months in a Charlotte halfway house. He was released in March 2001.

Legislative Updates

Cherokee County, Georgia: The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday urging the Georgia legislature to eliminate the QR codes used in the statewide voting system. Commission Chairman Harry Johnston said the board received many requests from the public to change the voting system in Cherokee County, but does not have the power to do it. “We’ve researched it, our attorney has researched it, and we’ve determined that we don’t have that power, while there are some points in the law that might seem to indicate we do, the preponderance of the law clearly says that we do not and so we just can’t do that,” he said. “Furthermore, I’m not sure we really would want to change Cherokee County in a way that would be unique from other counties. My personal belief is that 159 different voting systems across Georgia would not necessarily move us toward greater election integrity, but it might actually move us away from that.” Johnston said as much as he trusts the people who run the elections in the county, he believes it’s better if the state has a unified system. The elimination of the QR code probably won’t satisfy everyone’s concerns, Johnston said, but it would at least remove one concern.

Carver County, Minnesota: The Carver County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday to use as many partisan poll workers as possible — as opposed to county workers— for the November general election. The board also voted to stop using absentee ballot boxes, using a mail slot inside a county building instead. The moves are intended to combat fraud even though post-election audits show 100% accuracy in Carver County vote counting since 2006. In July about 30 activists showed up at the Carver County board meeting to lobby for hand counts, more partisan election judges and elimination of absentee ballot boxes. The League of Women Voters Minnesota lobbied Carver County not to give in to activists’ demands. About a dozen residents spoke during a public hearing before the vote. One asked the county to create an election task force to examine the issues. Several asked that the county electronically capture ballots to allow for forensic analysis and retain last week’s primary election data for future examination. Others claimed county workers aren’t responding to their requests for public data. Sarah Carlson, a member of the League from Chaska, said the right-wing activists were painting county workers as criminals with no evidence. “This is a thankless undertaking in the best of times,” Carlson said. “And these aren’t the best of times.”

Otero County, New Mexico: Following more than five hours of discussion that featured the final report from New Mexico Audit Force’s audit of the 2020 General Election in Otero County and public comment, the Otero County Commission voted on a 2-to-1 margin to sue the New Mexico Secretary of State. “It’s disconcerting that the Commission is considering spending taxpayer dollars arguing against a Supreme Court order that had to be ordered by the court because the Commission initially refused to do their legal duty and almost disenfranchised every Otero County voter who participated in the 2022 Primary Election,” New Mexico Secretary of State spokesman Alex Curtas said. The approximate cost of the lawsuit would be around $100,000 according to Otero County Attorney R.B. Nichols. The Commission also voted on a two-to-one margin to uphold a previous vote in favor of a resolution calling for the removal of drop boxes and voting machines, and to hand count ballots.

Pennsylvania: The House State Government Committee heard testimony this week on legislation that would allow unaffiliated voters to cast primary votes on either the Democratic or Republican ballots. The bill’s prime sponsor, Rep. Chris Quinn, R-Delaware, said that as Pennsylvania becomes increasingly politically polarized, primary elections more often determine the winners of political races. The result is that unaffiliated voters are unable to participate meaningfully in taxpayer-funded elections, Quinn said during the hearing at Villanova University. The committee hearing on House Bill 1369 is the furthest legislation on open primary elections has advanced, Quinn said. A similar bill passed in the Senate in 2019 but did not advance in the House.  While the bill has bipartisan sponsorship, support for ending closed primary elections was not universal among members of the State Government Committee. Quinn said he’s hopeful the legislation will be considered in the fall.

Legal Updates

Election Official Threats: Walter Lee Hoornstra, 50, of Tecumseh, Missouri has been charged with communicating an interstate threat and making a threatening telephone call. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said that according to court documents, Hoornstra allegedly left a threatening voicemail message on the personal cellphone of the Maricopa County election worker in May 2021. Although the DOJ did not identify the victim, Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer confirmed that he was the recipient of Hoornstra’s threats.  In the voicemail message to the election worker, Hoornstra allegedly said: “So I see you’re for fair and competent elections, that’s what it says here on your homepage for your recorder position you’re trying to fly here,” according to the DOJ. “But you call things unhinged and insane lies when there’s a forensic audit going on. You need to check yourself. You need to do your [expletive] job right because other people from other states are watching your ass,” Hoornstra allegedly added, according to the department, “You [expletive] renege on this deal or give them any more troubles, your ass will never make it to your next little board meeting.” “The FBI is committed to vigorously investigating and holding accountable anyone who threatens election workers,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “These public servants protect our fundamental right to vote by administering fair and free elections. Any attempts to interfere with our elections by intimidating election officials, their staffs, and volunteers with threats of violence will not be tolerated.” If convicted, Hoornstra faces up to five years in prison for making a threatening interstate communication and up to two years in prison for making a threatening telephone call.

Arizona: The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors is asking a court to sanction Kari Lake, Mark Finchem and their lawyers for filing an election lawsuit they say is frivolous. The motion, filed July 18 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, says an April 22 suit that asks a federal judge to bar the use of tabulation equipment in the 2022 elections is “demonstrably false.” “Plaintiffs’ and their counsels’ use of the Court to further a disinformation campaign and false narrative concerning the integrity of the election process in Arizona by asserting demonstrably false allegations is repugnant,” the motion says. “This improper use of the courts is unacceptable, detrimental to the entire election process, subjects election officials and workers to threatening and harassing conduct, and violates Rule 11.” The county is asking for Lake, Finchem and their lawyers to pay back attorney fees, which are taxpayer-funded, associated with the lawsuit. The Lake/Finchem suit alleges that Arizona voters do not vote by hand on paper ballots, among other claims the county says are false.

The Democratic National Committee and the Arizona Democratic party want a federal judge to strike down another attempt by legislative Republicans to demand proof of citizenship from federal-only voters. The lawsuit notes that the U.S. Supreme Court has already rejected a previous attempt by Arizona Republicans to require federal-only voters — those who use a federal voter registration form to vote in federal elections — to undergo the same scrutiny as voters registering with the state of Arizona.  Arizona requires proof of citizenship to vote in Arizona elections.  But in 2013, the Supreme Court ruled that Arizona’s attempt to enforce that standard of federally-registered voters violated the National Voter Registration Act. “Gov. (Doug) Ducey and Arizona Republicans’ blatantly unconstitutional move to restrict eligible Arizona voters’ freedom to vote is unacceptable,” Raquel Terán, chair of the Arizona Democratic Party, said in a statement. “Democrats stand united in fighting this power grab to restrict Arizonans’ voting rights tooth and nail.” HB 2492 also includes restrictions that would prevent federally-registered voters — those registered without providing proof of citizenship – from voting in presidential elections and from voting by mail.

Voting-rights advocates are suing the state of Arizona over new regulations they say make it harder for some people to register and would block thousands of voters from the polls. The lawsuit targets a pair of “election security” bills passed this year by the Republican-controlled Legislature, calling them an attempt to disenfranchise thousands of otherwise eligible voters. The lawsuit alleges that the Arizona measures violate the National Voter Registration Act and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Hostetler said some GOP proponents have talked openly about the purpose of the bills.  The suit asks that a federal judge issue injunctions to prevent House Bills 2243 and 2492 from being enforced.  The suit initially was filed by the Campaign Legal Center, but Free Speech for People and Arizona tribes and other groups have signed on. GOP lawmakers claim the new restrictions will prevent “widespread fraud” they believe was part of the 2020 elections, although there is no credible evidence to support their assertion. Courtney Hostetler, an attorney with Free Speech for People said she believes one of the most onerous elements of the bills is the inclusion of criminal penalties for even minor infractions of an election law. She said it’s designed to intimidate potential voters.

Maryland: The Maryland State Board of Elections voted this week to file an emergency petition in court that seeks an earlier count of mail-in ballots for the general election in November. The board voted 4-0 to seek a legal remedy in hopes of speeding up the vote count for mail-in ballots, which have become much more popular with voters in the state.  In a statement after the vote, the board said that the continued expansion of mail-in balloting and the inability of the local boards of elections to count mail-in ballots before Election Day could have significant implications.  “It could leave local, statewide, and even federal contests without certified results until late December 2022 or early January 2023,” the board said. “Maryland is currently the only state in the union that forbids any kind of processing of mail-in ballots until after Election Day.” Currently, mail-in ballots can’t be counted until two days after Election Day. That caused delays in determining winners in the state’s primary last month. The state elections board certified the primary election on Monday. Severn Miller, an elections board member, said the board is restricted in terms of what it has authority to do on its own on the matter. “I think the appropriate avenue here is to seek judicial relief in a circuit court to allow the counting of mail-in ballots before Election Day, so that we can get ahead of the curve and to simply not release those results until after Election Day is completed,” Miller said during a board meeting Monday.

Minnesota: The Minnesota Court of Appeals has denied a challenge to an absentee ballot rule that explains how those ballots must be accepted or rejected. The Minnesota Voters Alliance argued that Minnesota Rule 8210.2450 conflicted with a state statute and doesn’t properly allow ballot board members to consider all evidence — mainly voter signatures — when deciding whether or not an absentee ballot should be accepted. The organization specifically challenged two parts of the rule. The first, subpart No. 2, says the ballot board must reject a ballot on the basis of a signature only “if the name signed is clearly a different name than the name of the voter as printed on the signature envelope,” and adds that the use of or lack of full names, nicknames, abbreviations or initials aren’t a reason for an absentee ballot to be rejected. The second part, subpart No. 3, says board members “must compare the signatures” if voter identification numbers don’t match. However, the Court of Appeals noted that the rule, like state law, only calls for ballot board members to examine the signature on the absentee ballot envelope if the identification number doesn’t match the application. Board members do have to verify the voter’s name and address match on the absentee application and the signature envelope, and the envelope must also be signed in some manner with the signed name matching the voter’s name. The court determined that the rule simply allows “some flexibility in how a voter writes their name on different documents over a span of time” and doesn’t conflict with state law. The court also rejected the notion that signatures not having to match would allow anyone to sign for a voter for any reason, noting that state law only allows another person to sign for a voter under one circumstance: when a voter “is unable to write,” another person can sign the signature envelope on the voter’s behalf in the voter’s presence.

Montana: Yellowstone County District Court Judge Michael G. Moses is hearing arguments this week over three new election laws passed by the Montana Legislature in 2021. There are 11 plaintiffs suing Christi Jacobsen in her official capacity as Montana secretary of state. The plaintiffs include the Montana Democratic Party, Western Native Voice, Montana Youth Action, and an individual, Micah Bohn.  Opening arguments took place Monday morning over the course of an hour. The trial is expected to last two weeks. The question posed to the court is if three laws passed during the 2021 legislative session violate Montanans’ constitutional rights. The three new voting laws originated from House Bill 530, House Bill 176 and Senate Bill 169.  House Bill 530 prevents groups or individuals who collect and turn in ballots from receiving any monetary compensation; House Bill 176 ends Election Day voter registration and Senate Bill 169 re-classifies student ID cards as secondary forms of identification that must be used with another form of ID when voting. The bills immediately drew legal challenges from voting rights groups who say all of these measures make it harder for certain Montanans to vote—especially young voters and Native Americans.

Pennsylvania: Commonwealth Court Judge Renee Cohn Jubelirer presided over an online conference in the litigation brought by the Department of State under Gov Tom Wolf (D) against three Republican-majority counties over about 800 mail-in ballots from the May primary. The counties argue the ballots shouldn’t be counted because of the legal requirement for the exterior envelope dates, which are not used to determine if voters are eligible or if the ballots are received in time. Wolf sued Berks, Fayette and Lancaster counties a month ago, seeking a court order to compel them to “certify” the mail-in votes in question. Cohn Jubelirer, an elected Republican jurist, said Friday she “will work very diligently” to issue an opinion. The dispute has stalled certifications of statewide results from the primary in the high-profile races for Pennsylvania governor and U.S. Senate, as well as results for congressional and state legislative contests involving the three counties.

South Dakota: Chief Judge Roberto Lange issued a preliminary injunction on the side of the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe relating to a case they brought against Lyman County regarding voting rights. The Lower Brule Sioux Tribe filed the case against the county in May, alleging their delaying of implementing a new redistricting plan for the Board of Commissioners violates the 14th and 15th Amendments and the Voting Rights Act. The new plan would allow Native American voters the chance to be represented by two county commissioners on the five-member board, split into two districts. But because of the delay, the November election would be under the current at-large system, diluting the Native American vote, according to the lawsuit. “Lyman County is a small county and if demographic trends hold it is headed to a point where it could be evenly divided between Native American and non-Native American residents,” Lange wrote in his 49-page opinion. “Cooperation between the Tribe and the County, between Tribal members and non-Tribal members, is crucial to the future of Lyman County.” Lyman County must propose a remedial plan by the end of this week, according to the filing.

Opinions This Week

National Opinions: Voting Rights Act | Election security | Democracy | Voter fraud | Social media | Ranked choice voting | Voting laws

Alaska: Ranked choice voting

Arizona; Election litigation | Permanent mail ballot list

Florida: Broward County | Get out the vote

Maine: Automatic voter registration | Democracy

Massachusetts: Poll workers

Nevada: Election laws | Ranked choice voting

New Hampshire: 3-minute civics | Early voting

New York: Primaries

Pennsylvania: Vote by mail, II, III | Records requests | Election integrity

South Carolina: Voter education

Texas: List maintenance | Election workers

Upcoming Events

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.

Can Proposed New Congressional Legislation on Counting Electoral College Votes Lessen the Risk of Election Subversion?: The Safeguarding Democracy Project at UCLA promotes research, collaboration, and advocacy under the leadership of UCLA Law Professor Richard L. Hasen; one of the nation’s leading election scholars. The Safeguarding Democracy Project is built upon the premise that tackling issues of the U.S. election integrity must be collaborative: across ideologies, across scholarly disciplines, and as a bridge between theory and practice. Moderated by Richard L. Hasen guests for this webinar include: Retired Ambassador Norman Eisen, Edward Foley, Rebecca Green, J. Michael Luttig and Janai Nelson. When: August 24, 12pm Pacific. Where: Online

Moore v. Harper, the Independent State Legislature Theory, and Potential Threats to American Democracy: The Safeguarding Democracy Project at UCLA promotes research, collaboration, and advocacy under the leadership of UCLA Law Professor Richard L. Hasen; one of the nation’s leading election scholars. The Safeguarding Democracy Project is built upon the premise that tackling issues of the U.S. election integrity must be collaborative: across ideologies, across scholarly disciplines, and as a bridge between theory and practice. Moderated by Richard L. Hasen, featured speakers include: Vikram D. Amar, Derek T. Miller, Richard H. Pildes, Carolyn Shapiro and Franit Tolson. When: August 25, 3pm Pacific. Where: Online.

Engaging Students for an Informed Democracy: The Role of K-12 Schools: Young people want to learn about elections in school and, when they do, they’re more likely to vote, engage in their communities, and become engaged and informed members of our self-governing society. Despite the extraordinary efforts of many educators, civic education too often is insufficient and inequitable. We can change that. Join us for a research presentation and panel, co-hosted by CIRCLE and iCivics, on how K-12 schools can play a role in preparing young people for participation in our nation’s constitutional democracy. The civic education experts at CIRCLE will share major findings and recommendations from the CIRCLE Growing Voters report about teens’ civic learning experiences — or lack thereof — and the role of schools in a paradigm-shifting framework for supporting young people’s civic development. In conversation with educators, students, teacher trainers, and other education leaders, we’ll discuss what these findings mean for multiple stakeholders in the K-12 schools ecosystem and the practical steps they can take to ensure each and every student, especially those from disadvantaged or marginalized communities, receives a high-quality civic education during this school year and into the future. When: August 31, 3pm Eastern. Where: Online.

Special From the Frontlines:  The United States Supreme Court and American Democracy: View of Three Journalists:The Safeguarding Democracy Project promotes research, collaboration, and advocacy under the leadership of UCLA Law Professor Richard L. Hasen; one of the nation’s leading election scholars. The Safeguarding Democracy Project is built upon the premise that tackling issues of the U.S. election integrity must be collaborative: across ideologies, across scholarly disciplines, and as a bridge between theory and practice. Moderated by Richard L. Hasen and featuring Joan Biskupic, Adam Liptak and Dahlia Lithwick. When: September 20, 12pm Pacific. Where: Online.

Job Postings This Week

electionlineWeekly publishes election administration job postings each week as a free service to our readers. To have your job listed in the newsletter, please send a copy of the job description, including a web link to mmoretti@electionline.org.  Job postings must be received by 5pm on Wednesday in order to appear in the Thursday newsletter. Listings will run for three weeks or till the deadline listed in the posting.

Administrator, Maryland State Board of Elections— The Administrator position in the Election Reform and Management Division assists the Director and Deputy Director implementing, managing and supporting various projects related to the election process and improving election administration in Maryland. The duties will include on-going compliance with the Help America Vote Act, Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act, and other federal election laws and any federal funds awarded to the State under these laws. This position will develop and oversee the statewide training and education program for elections officials and judges, including development and issuance of a statewide Elections Judges’ Manual, training curriculum, and an online training system/module. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

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.

Early Voting Coordinator, Wake County, North Carolina— re you looking to be more involved in your community? Are you ready to be a part of democracy in the making? If so, get ready to roll up your sleeves and become a part of history! Wake County Board of Elections is currently seeking an Early Voting Coordinator to join our dynamic and talented Early Voting Team. The Early Voting Coordinator plays a critical role in the management and logistical planning of Early Voting. This includes communicating, scheduling election service vendors and managing voting site support operations to include the physically demanding work of setting up Early Voting sites. What will you do as an Early Voting Coordinator? Plan and organize all Early Voting operations; Assist with development of Early Voting expansion budget items and analyze budget impacts of new election laws and state directives and incorporate the changes into Early Voting site procedures; Work with Town Clerks, Municipal Administrators, Facility Directors, Special Event Coordinators and Superintendents to secure use of facilities for Early Voting; Manage Early Voting facilities, including scheduling, communication, support, logistics, database management and site setups; Develop Early Voting ballot order and determine the distribution of ballots each Early Voting facility will receive; Update and maintain the Early Voting blog and Early Voting page of the Wake County Board of Elections website; Manage the Early Voting support Help Line; Post-election reconciliation duties to include provisional management, presentations to the Board and assisting with record retention. Salary: Hiring Range: $20.81 – $28.10. 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, Recruiting, 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. This person will work with a staffing agency to recruit up to 1000 poll workers (early voting and election day) and 45 seasonal employees each election, and monitor staffing agency invoicing. They will work in conjunction with the Elections Coordinator – Training to obtain feedback from poll workers, seasonal staff, and voters to improve customer service. 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 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.

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.

Program Associate, Center for Tech and Civic Life— When you think about elections, you might think about popular candidates, “I voted” stickers, and all sorts of paperwork and deadlines. But behind the scenes are thousands of election administrators in state and local governments who are working hard to make sure ballots are counted and voices are heard. U.S. election officials want to administer elections where every eligible voter can easily and securely cast their vote, but they often need support to achieve these outcomes. To serve every community and make democracy work, election departments need a new set of values and standards for excellence. As Program Associate, you will help build a new set of standards that make explicit what high performance looks like in U.S. election administration. Think Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, but for local election departments. This is big, bold work at the forefront of election administration, so an entrepreneurial spirit will help you succeed. To build the standards and support their rollout, you’ll collaborate closely with internal teammates as well as external partners, including state and local election officials. You’ll report to the Program Manager in the Government Services department. If you care about democracy, if you believe in the importance of public service, and if you love to exceed expectations, this is the job for you. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Public Records Coordinator, Wake County, North Carolina— Do you want to be a part of democracy in action? Wake County Board of Elections wants you! If you enjoy working in a fast-paced rewarding environment, then come work in a place where your team values you. The Board of Elections Public Records Coordinator plays a critical role, providing management and oversight of administrative communications for the Board of Elections to facilitate accurate and timely election information to Wake County’s diverse population.  What will you do as a Board of Elections Public Records Coordinator? Communications planning of all election-related events including Early Voting, Election Day, Board Meetings and media events; Assists with Board Meeting management to include preparing and posting public minutes; Composes election notices, news releases and public informational flyers; Coordinates and works directly with the Wake County Communications and Legal Teams to provide uniform and consistent programs; Assists with business operation functions and activities including budget development and purchasing; Supervises 2 permanent Wake County Employees and up to 3 Seasonal Agency Temporary Workers; Monitors the Next Request Public Records software for the department; Oversees the redaction of forms and documents as requested through public records requests and ensures compliance with North Carolina General Statute and North Carolina Board of Elections directives; Management of up to 870 annual social media posts through Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms; Collaborates cross-divisionally with teams to lead and advance informative social media posts, website updates and building processes that unify communication efforts; Defines and drives implementation of administrative operations and public communication; Manages the oversight of the departmental website pages and ensures coordination with Wake County Communications standards; Handles the execution of tickets generated from email inquiries by formulating responses and establishing staff ownership for implementing resolutions. Salary hiring range: $57,623 – $77,794. 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.

Technology Associate, Center for Tech and Civic Life— When you think about elections, you might think about popular candidates, “I voted” stickers, and all sorts of paperwork and deadlines. But behind the scenes are thousands of election administrators in state and local governments who are working hard to make sure ballots are counted and voices are heard. To serve every community and make democracy work, election administrators need 21st-century tools and training. You can help them get it! As a CTCL Technology Associate, you will implement streamlined, digital learning experiences that advance the tech and communication skills of America’s election administrators. The Technology Associate will work with the Government Services team and report to the Senior Program Manager. 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.

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