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2022 Survey of Local Election Officials

The State of Election Administration in 2022

By Paul Gronke, Paul Manson and Tammy Patrick
For The Democracy Fund

In a nation of over 258.3 million eligible voters, election officials’ myriad duties differ from jurisdiction to jurisdiction—small to large, rural to urban—and from voter to voter. Despite these many differences, there are common themes and predictable challenges faced by every official. And of course, every official has experienced unforeseen events and unexpected circumstances that force them to assess, reform, and adapt. As any official will tell you, there is always another election on the horizon.

The Democracy Fund/Reed College Survey of Local Election Officials provides a window into the attitudes, actions, and needs of the public servants who manage US elections. Surveys during the last three election cycles have illustrated the stable features of the system and the way that the challenges of the moment impact the people administering the democratic process.

Local Election Officials
More than half of election officials are elected – 57 percent overall, but in small jurisdictions with fewer than 5,000 registered voters that increases to 67 percent – while 27 percent are appointed, and 15 percent are hired to fill a position. Just over half of these races are partisan and the other half are non-partisan, and the vast majority of elected officials (81 percent) ran uncontested in the general election. The need to attract candidates and talent will only continue to grow as veteran officials leave the field in growing numbers.

In the 2018 survey, officials’ recent experiences with foreign interference in election cybersecurity impacted the complexity of their work. In 2020, the pandemic and extraordinary polarization of the candidates and the electorate created stress and rapid change in methods of voting that election officials had to manage. The 2022 survey illustrates more emergent challenges as election officials report coping with the combinations of mis- and disinformation about elections, violence against election officials, and extreme partisan disparities in the public’s confidence in election results.

All of this is happening in an environment where the biggest disparity in the election system continues to be geographic. Elections are managed by local jurisdictions and there are tremendous differences between election offices that serve the largest and smallest populations. Seventy-five percent of all offices serve only 8 percent of voters, and 8 percent of our election offices serve 75 percent of voters. This disparity is driven by the fact that the largest 2 percent of offices serve half of the nation’s voters.

The impact of an increased election-related workload is disproportionally higher on smaller jurisdictions than their counterparts in medium and large jurisdictions. This should not be surprising since one third of all election offices do not have even one full-time employee. In small jurisdictions that serve less than 5,000 voters that number increases to 53 percent. The increased workload for many may have been the result of concerted campaigns to flood election offices with Freedom of Information Act requests around the 2020 election based on conspiracy and conjecture.

Each election cycle, the Democracy Fund/Reed College Local Election Official (LEO) Survey has asked local officials about key aspects of their work including preparedness for the upcoming election, job satisfaction, and training needs for the election officials and members of their staffs.

LEOs retain a commitment to meeting the demands of their jobs and the challenges of finding adequate polling locations and poll workers – especially sufficient bilingual workers and accessible facilities – persist with varying degrees across jurisdiction sizes.

Overall job satisfaction among LEOs remains high, but there are cracks in the veneer. The percentage of LEOs who do not think they can maintain a work/life balance has increased and the percentage who say their workload is reasonable has dropped since 2018.

Among the 2022 survey participants, close to one third of the election officials are eligible to retire before the 2024 election—and 39 percent of those eligible plan to do so. Of these respondents, retirement eligibility is the highest reason for leaving the field (51 percent) but “I do not like the changes in my work environment that occurred during and after the November 2020 election” (42 percent) and “I do not enjoy the political environment” (37 percent) followed close behind. For those who are not near retirement age their number one reason for leaving the field was cited as “changes in how elections are administered make the work unsatisfying” (48 percent) and an alarming 28 percent citing that they plan to leave the field based on “concerns about my health or personal safety, aside from COVID concerns.”

Disruption in the Field 
One in four respondents have experienced threats of violence. Officials across all jurisdiction sizes and political affiliations experienced these threats, but the threat environment is much more severe in larger jurisdictions compared to smaller jurisdictions. For example, while 14 percent of LEOs serving jurisdictions with less than 5,000 registered voters told us that they had experienced abuse, harassment, or threats, the percentage increases to two-thirds of LEOs serving in the largest jurisdictions. Similarly, 20 percent of LEOs who told us they were Republicans said they experienced threats, compared to 30 percent of Independents and 34 percent of Democrats. These differences should not disguise the overall result: threats against LEOs are far too real, far too regular, and far too common.

The preponderance of threats targeting election officials are politically based threats. Our 2022 survey showed that 63 percent of threats received were politically motivated. The narrative driving these threats—that the 2020 election was illegitimate and that LEOs were complicit in allowing the election to be stolen–-has manifested in threats to election professionals and their families, and changes to state election laws. More than half (55 percent) of the survey respondents said that they have had legislation passed that impacts how they conduct the election—with 35 percent saying those changes improved election administration and 46 percent saying the new laws did not improve election administration.

The majority – 66 percent – of election officials surveyed this year expressed concern about threats and harassment. When asked how seriously various organizations take the threats to election officials, 43 percent said that their state’s chief election official (in most states, the secretary of state) takes the threats “very seriously.” However, LEOs felt that others took the threats far less seriously: only 27 percent for local law enforcement, 25 percent for federal law enforcement, 17 percent for the state legislature and for the national media, 14 percent for the local media, and 12 percent for the U.S. Congress.

About the Survey and Interviews 
The 2022 survey of local election officials was a self-administered web and hardcopy survey conducted from June 21 to September 22, 2022. This study used a LEO sample collected by the team, with a sampling frame based in part on national lists of local election officials and the sizes of their jurisdictions. From this frame, the team drew a sample of 3,118 LEOs, sampling jurisdictions in proportion to the number of registered voters they serve and targeting the chief election official in each jurisdiction to complete the survey. A total of 912 LEOs completed the survey, including 652 surveys completed via web (71 percent) and 260 (29 percent) completed via hardcopy with an overall response rate of 30 percent.

Survey findings are often presented by jurisdiction size to understand differences in experiences.

• Fifty-seven percent of local election officials serve in jurisdictions of 5,000 or fewer voters.
• Twenty-seven percent serve in jurisdictions of 5,001 to 25,000 voters.
• Ten percent serve in jurisdictions of 25,001 to 75,000 voters.
• Six percent serve in jurisdictions of more than 75,000 voters.

While most officials serve in small jurisdictions, the vast majority of voters live in large jurisdictions — over 70 percent of voters live in jurisdictions with more than 75,000 voters and are served by only 500 officials. It’s important to consider the possible differences in scale, responsibility, and resources between different jurisdiction sizes when interpreting results from any survey of this population. Where overall results are presented, they are weighted to ensure that means can be generalized to local election officials nationwide. Further information about the sampling and weighting process is available at the Reed College Elections & Voting Information Center’s project website.

Explore additional 2022 content and learn more about the Democracy Fund/Reed College Survey of Local Election Officials through Reed College’s Elections & Voting Information Center. Prior publications from the survey series are also available below.

Election News This Week

Early Voting Update: Early voting continued this week with all states that allow it now offering it. Turnout remained mix. Voters continued to vote early at an unprecedented rate in Georgia while numerous Texas counties reported lower than 2018 numbers. Political pundits like to make lots of hay out of early voting numbers, but until polls close on November 8, we really won’t know if overall turnout is higher or lower than it was four years ago. For the most part, early voting has run smoothly with few reports of problems. While there have been some reports of disruptive people at the polls, the problems that have arisen have been fairly typical of any election cycle. International observers from Germany and Macedonia recently paid a visit to La Paz County, Arizona.  In Arkansas, there were reports that supporters of one candidate were showing concealed handguns at voters in a form of intimidation. In California, a person returning their ballot stumbled found a key dangling from the lock of a lockbox and immediately reported it. Registrars in Vernon, Connecticut are asking voters to consider donating new socks or pet supplies for two area organizations when they come to the polls. Two former members of the Proud Boys have qualified to serve as poll workers in Miami-Dade County, Florida and will be interacting with voters on Election Day, a third former member was dismissed for his participation in January 6. The Georgia secretary of state’s office reported that there were no mail ballots in a mail truck that went up in flames. The Idaho Secretary of State’s office is working to determine the source of signs posted around the Treasure Valley with a message that says, “Don’t Vote” and a QR code that redirects to the campaign website for Ammon Bundy, who is running as an independent candidate for governor. Police were called to an early voting site in Carroll County, Maryland when member of the county’s Republican committee refuse to leave the property after becoming belligerent about the electioneering perimeter. All seven early voting sites around Atlantic County, New Jersey lost internet and the ability to function for about two hours this week and voters were issued provisional ballots. During a conference call for North Carolina county elections officials, Arnold Schwarzenegger called-in to offer his support and, well pump them up! In Davidson County, Tennessee 212 voters were given incorrect ballots during early voting. And it wouldn’t be an election in America without a gas leak. While we suspect there will be more on Election Day, a gas leak Tuesday afternoon forced a closure of about 90 minutes of Bryan’s Galilee Baptist Church, which is also a Brazos County, Texas voting center for early voting.

Native American Voting Rights: In addition to be voting month, November is also Native American Heritage Month and there were several Native America/Native Alaskan voting rights-related stories this week. In Alaska, U.S. Department of Justice observers were sent to several polling locations in the August special U.S. House and primary elections to assess whether the state provided adequate accommodations for Alaska Native voters. Observers found what appeared to be continued violations of the law, including a polling place without bilingual language workers and election officials who lacked training in assisting voters who speak languages other than English. “It is frequently difficult to recruit bilingual workers, particularly in places where the residents have informed the division that they do not need language assistance. But the division is committed to providing language assistance and it believes it has complied with the stipulated order and will continue to comply with the Voting Rights Act going forward,” Gail Fenumiai, director of the Alaska Division of Elections wrote. In Nevada, members of the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe have  a polling place on their tribal land in for the very first time. Following a recent court ruling that found South Dakota violated federal voting registration laws advocates of greater Native enfranchisement have worked to enlist new voters in areas such as the Pine Ridge and Rosebud reservations. Officials from the North Dakota Department of Transportation traveled to four American Indian reservations this month to provide voters with photo ID cards. They went to Belcourt, Fort Yates, New Town, and Fort Totten. The DOT will do this every election year, 30 days before voting begins, as part of an agreement with the tribes. The goal is to provide voters with IDs that meet the state requirement of a provable street address. And in Apache County, Arizona, Navajo Nation have been pushing officials to adopt vote centers, something many other Arizona counties have done and opening at least one vote center on the reservation where registered voters from anywhere in the county would be allowed to cast ballots. In 2020, voters in Apache County, which includes much of the Navajo Nation, saw a higher percentage of provisional ballots rejected than any other county in the state. The main reason registered voters’ provisional ballots were rejected in Apache was because they voted in the wrong precinct, according to a Votebeat review of federal government data from the 2020 presidential election.

Honoring a Real Hero of Democracy: Last week, Princeton University officially dedicated Laura Wooten Hall, named after a former Princeton resident who was a campus dining staff member for than 27 years and more importantly, Wooten served as a volunteer poll worker in New Jersey for local, primary, and general elections for 79 consecutive years, which made her the longest-continuously serving election poll worker in the United States. Last week’s renaming ceremony was attended by local, state, and University officials, as well as Wooten’s family and friends. New Jersey state Senator Shirley Turner, one of the primary sponsors of “Laura Wooten’s Law,” a statute that requires middle schools to expand civics education starting this academic year, was one of the state officials in attendance.  “Laura Wooten was not born with a silver spoon in her mouth. She was a cafeteria worker who believed in voting and civic responsibility. The stories of ordinary people are not told or recognized often enough, yet they are the people who bring about change and movements,” Turner told The Daily Princetonian in an email. [Photo provided to the Daily Princetonian by Caasi Love, grandson of Laura Wooten.]

New Report: This week the Center or Democracy and Technology released a new report on post-election audits. De-Weaponizing and Standardizing the Post-Election Audit looks at real post- election audits vs. sham audits. Telling the difference between a good post-election audit and a sham review may not be straightforward. Several groups have identified best practices for audits, but there currently exist no set of broadly agreed upon or mandatory standards for election audit procedures, nor a certification regime for auditors themselves.  Outside groups are often recruited to perform audits, either because they have special expertise or to ensure that the election is evaluated independently from the officials who carried it out. But there is currently no formal way to distinguish a qualified election auditor from an unqualified would-be election reviewer in the way that we distinguish licensed doctors from unlicensed quacks. In this report, we identify the ways that sham reviews harm voters, taxpayers, and trust in elections overall. We also share ways for observers to distinguish good post-election audits from sham reviews. Finally, we propose some options for creating formal distinctions between these kinds of reviews, including standards for post-election audits or a credentialing system for post-election auditors. Implementing standards for audit procedures or auditors themselves would make it easier for observers and journalists to credibly identify sham reviews, potentially disincentivizing sham reviews from being carried out in the first place. Having standards in place should also improve the quality and consistency of post-election audits in general, just as voluntary federal guidelines have enabled improvements to American voting systems.

Personnel News: Fred Mytty is retiring as the Dodge County, Nebraska clerk and election commissioner after nearly 50 years on the job. Former Travis County, Texas Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir has joined the board of directors of OSET Institute.

Legislative Updates

Lincoln County, Nebraska: The county board voted 5-0 to join a statewide defense team against a Lincoln man’s $1 billion lawsuit claiming massive fraud by state leaders and election commissioners in all 93 counties during and since the general election on Nov. 3, 2020. County Clerk Becky Rossell, who was served with Rick Hill’s lawsuit Oct. 12, also urged Lincoln County voters to ignore “national misinformation” from election-fraud theorists urging them to deliver early ballots to in-person polling places during next Tuesday’s election. Hill, who lists a southwest Lincoln address, filed his lawsuit Sept. 2 against Omaha-based Election Systems & Software — which supplies Nebraska’s election equipment — along with Gov. Pete Ricketts, Secretary of State Bob Evnen, Attorney General Doug Peterson, Speaker of the Legislature Mike Hilgers and the 93 election commissioners. In a nine-page complaint in Lancaster County District Court, he demanded the seizure of ES&S, state and county records from the November 2020 election; a hand recount of its results; a state law outlawing early ballots and mandating paper ballots and hand-counting; and a halt to construction of casinos at horse tracks under petition initiatives voters approved in 2020.

New Jersey: After nearly an hour of fiery speeches on both sides, the Assembly approved a bill that would allow police officers at polling places in schools and senior residential centers in New Jersey. The bill aims to roll back a law Gov. Phil Murphy signed in January banning police from polling places altogether. While voting rights advocates celebrated that law as a victory against voter suppression, legislators just weeks later introduced the rollback bill after worrying the new law leaves students and seniors — two vulnerable groups that have been targeted by mass shooters around the country — unprotected. The Senate approved an earlier version of the bill in June. It must now approve the amended version approved by the Assembly before it heads to Murphy’s desk. Gov. Phil Murphy addressed the measure on Monday during his monthly “Ask the Governor” call-in show. “All this is about being sensible, responsible, certainly, first and foremost, keeping our blessed kids safe and sound. But I do think the disproportionate amount of intimidation if you look at our country’s history, has been in communities of color and that is for sure,” Murphy said.

Akron, Ohio: Akron has established new legislation that says anyone convicted of election interference will have to spend a minimum of three days in jail. Tara Mosley, Ward 5 councilwoman in Akron, is the one who introduced this legislation. Mosley expressed that the goal is to get ahead of any harassment on Election Day.  “It’s about being proactive instead of reactive,” she said.  Mosley explained the new legislation makes abusing, intimidating or harassing any election worker a misdemeanor offense in Akron. It localizes rules listed in the Ohio Revised Code. “This ordinance will create a local election interference ordinance and establishes a mandatory minimum of three days in jail if found guilty in a court of law,” she said. The legislation was unanimously approved.

Shelby County, Tennessee: The Shelby County Election Commission was approved for some funding for voter education, but not for the full amount it had requested to do education through the City of Memphis Election in October 2023. Instead, the Election Commission will have to return to the Shelby County Commission to request the remaining $283,250 from their original $413,250 ask. The $130,000 approved this week will go toward voter education for the Nov. 8 election, which takes place next week, and for exit polling and other research which will determine the voter education plan for 2023. Nine commissioners voted in favor of the funding, while Commissioner Erika Sugarmon voted “no” and Commissioner Henri Brooks abstained. Two days before that, Shelby County Commissioners were asked to approve $81,930 for poll worker training and $413,250 for voter education. Commissioners approved the funds for training poll workers via video, but delayed their decision on the voter education funding.

Legal Updates

SCOTUS News: Thirteen Secretaries of State led by Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold filed an amicus brief with the United States Supreme Court in Moore v. Harper, a case that will have the court considering the “independent state legislature” theory. “All states have built up substantial reliance on the founding principles and [the Supreme Court’s] opinions that have reaffirmed state legislature’s regulations of elections are subject to the checks and balances of state law,” the amicus brief states. “Dismantling those legal regimes now based on a mistaken legal theory alien to our country’s history and this Court’s precedent would have far-reaching and unpredictable consequences on our country’s elections.” The brief also points out that the Supreme Court has historically “respected” judicial review over state election laws, adding that “upending the role of state courts in interpreting state election laws could unsettled established case law in the states.” The 13 secretaries who co-signed the amicus brief filed by the Colorado Attorney General represent California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington

Arizona: U.S. District Court Judge Michael Liburdi ordered armed members of a group monitoring ballot drop boxes in Arizona to stay at least 250 feet away from the locations following complaints that people wearing masks and carrying guns were intimidating voters. Liburdi said members of Clean Elections USA, its leader and anyone working with them are also barred from filming or following anyone within 75 feet of a ballot drop box or the entrance to a building that houses one. They also cannot speak to or yell at individuals within that perimeter unless spoken to first. The temporary restraining order was requested by the League of Women Voters of Arizona after Clean Elections USA, encouraged people to watch 24-hour ballot boxes in Maricopa County, Arizona’s most populous county. “It is paramount that we balance the rights of the defendant to engage in their constitutionally protected First Amendment activity with the interest in the plaintiffs and in voters casting a vote free of harassment and intimidation,” Liburdi said. A second set of defendants in rural Yavapai County — groups known as the Lions of Liberty and the Yavapai County Preparedness team, who are associated with the far-right anti-government group Oath Keepers — were dismissed from the case after they pledged to stand down their operations. The temporary order issued by Liburdi on Tuesday will be in effect for two weeks and the cooperation from the monitoring group “shall not be construed as an admission they have engaged in any of these activities,” the judge added. The 250-foot perimeter around drop boxes also applies to group members wearing body armor. Other stipulations include the groups post on their websites and social media that it is untrue that dropping off multiple ballots is illegal in all cases. Exceptions are allowed for family members, members of the same household and caregivers. Late last week, Liburdi had refused to bar a group from monitoring outdoor ballot but at the times said the case remained open and that the Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans could try again to make its argument against a group calling itself Clean Elections USA. A second plaintiff, Voto Latino, was removed from the case. A the time, the Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans and Voto Latino have appealed the ruling to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court. “Absent emergency relief, Defendants’ ongoing campaign of voter intimidation at ballot drop boxes in Arizona will continue and likely get worse, irreparably depriving Arizona voters of their right to vote freely and without intimidation through the means that Arizona law provides, and irreparably harming Plaintiffs and their members,” the request with the 9th Circuit said.

The Arizona Alliance of Retired Americans filed suit this week in an attempt to stop Cochise county from hand-counting ballots. State law on hand counts, which are usually limited to a small percentage of the votes, says party chairs from at least two recognized parties must provide a list of people to help count the vote and no more than 75% can be from the same party.  The counts would be in addition to the official machine tabulation. The presiding judge sent the case to nearby Pima County to avoid a conflict since county officials were named. A judge in Tucson has not yet set a hearing schedule. The lawsuit seeks an order halting a full hand count of early ballots. While the state’s Republican attorney general has sanctioned the hand-count, the state’s Democratic secretary of state has stressed that it is illegal.

Florida: U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams has rejected a request by the Florida Democratic Party to block part of a new state elections law involving county canvassing boards. Williams on refused to issue a preliminary injunction, saying the Democratic Party and two individual plaintiffs “had not met their burden to establish a substantial threat of actual and imminent irreparable injury.” The lawsuit, filed Oct. 17, alleges that the new law could prevent volunteer observers from sharing information from canvassing-board meetings. It contends the law violates First Amendment and due-process rights. But on Oct. 20, the Florida Division of Elections submitted an advisory opinion about the law that Williams said defined “certain statutory phrases in a manner that assuages the court’s initial concerns that the statute might unconscionably criminalize the release of information obtained at a public canvassing board meeting or severely limit the ability of authorized designees to report canvassing irregularities to their principal candidates, parties or committees.” The lawsuit centers on a change that said any elections official “or other person authorized to observe, review, or inspect ballot materials or observe canvassing who releases any information about votes cast for or against any candidate or ballot measure or any the results of any election” before polls close commits a third-degree felony. The lawsuit contends the change is vague and “chills core First Amendment activity” of observers who report back to political parties or other organizations about actions taken by canvassing boards. “Plaintiffs’ broader construction of the statute would … prohibit attendees at canvassing board meetings open to the public from releasing information obtained during the meeting, a particularly untenable result,” she wrote in the 14-page decision. “Defendants’ narrower construction — that the statute shields a discrete ‘category of sensitive electoral information directly bearing on election results from being released to the public by a narrow subset of individuals who have special authorization to obtain such information’ — is more reasonable and readily apparent.”

Georgia: An auditor from Gwinnett County who was falsely accused of election fraud in the film “2000 Mules” is suing the movie’s makers, Dinesh D’Souza and True the Vote, alleging they lied to advance a phony narrative at his expense. The lawsuit filed in federal court said that Mark Andrews faced threats of violence and lives in fear since he was included in the movie without his knowledge or permission. The movie shows Andrews, with his face blurred, as he deposits five ballots for himself and his family into a drop box before the 2020 presidential election. As the video rolls, D’Souza says: “What you are seeing is a crime. These are fraudulent votes.” A state investigation found that Andrews followed Georgia law when he delivered ballots for his three adult children, his wife and himself. State law allows voters, family members or caregivers of disabled voters to drop off ballots. The State Election Board dismissed a complaint against Andrews in May. “Defendants knew that their portrayals of Mr. Andrews were lies, as was the entire narrative of ‘2000 Mules,’ ” the lawsuit states. “But they have continued to peddle these lies in order to enrich themselves. As of the filing of this lawsuit, defendants’ social media accounts and website still promote the film using Mr. Andrews as an example of a criminal ‘mule.’ ”

U.S. District Court Chief Judge Beryl Howell declined to dismiss a defamation lawsuit filed against former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani by two women who served as election workers in Georgia in November 2020. In the lawsuit filed last December, Ruby Freeman and Wandrea “Shaye” Moss accused Giuliani of defaming them by falsely stating that the pair had engaged in election fraud while counting ballots at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. The lawsuit says Giuliani repeatedly pushed debunked claims that the mother-and-daughter pair pulled out suitcases of illegal ballots and committed other acts of fraud to try to alter the outcome of the presidential election in Georgia.  In an opinion accompanying the order, Howell described the situation that followed the November 2020 election, when the vote totals in several key states were so close that the results were not immediately clear. “As election workers across the state worked long hours carefully ensuring the accuracy of the election, the Trump Campaign and its allies, including Giuliani, engaged in a media offensive that at best questioned, and at worse condemned, their work,” Howell wrote.

Illinois: A pending federal lawsuit could invalidate potentially tens of thousands of mailed general election ballots that are cast by Illinois voters, including military members serving overseas, and postmarked on or before this coming Election Day but received by election authorities afterward. The lawsuit, led by four-term U.S. Rep. Mike Bost of Murphysboro echoes some of the rejected court challenges filed by former President Donald Trump in other states in the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election that he falsely contends was stolen. Bost is being assisted in the suit by a nonprofit conservative advocacy organization that has backed a number of Trump’s efforts. At issue is a 2015 state law that allows vote-by-mail ballots to be counted if they are received within 14 days after Election Day if they were postmarked on or before the final day of voting. If the ballots lack a postmark or if it is illegible, ballots can be counted if the voter dated and signed the ballot on or before Election Day. Election Day is Nov. 8 and the 14-day time period, in which provisional votes also are considered, ends Nov. 22. The suit seeks to have no vote-by-mail ballots counted that are received after Nov. 8. The lawsuit contends the Illinois law violates federal law that establishes the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of even-numbered years as Election Day for federal elections. The suit further contends that the Illinois law subjects Bost to harm, including expenses for post-Election Day poll watchers and the possibility mail-in ballots counted during the 14-day period “dilutes” “timely” votes cast up to and including Election Day.

Massachusetts: Tracy Post, the Republican candidate in the 1st Barnstable District state representative race, has appealed an Oct. 21 decision from a Barnstable Superior Court judge in her attempt to stop the counting of mislabeled ballots sent out to Dennis voters in October. Approximately 3,200 mail-in ballots sent to Dennis voters in the first two weeks of October incorrectly labeled Democrat challenger Christopher Flanagan as the candidate for reelection, when none in the three-way race are incumbents. Dennis Town Clerk Theresa Bunce was able to intercept approximately 600 of the erroneous ballots. A second, corrected ballot was sent to the voters who received the original, incorrect ballot, alongside a letter alerting voters to the mistake. Voters were given the option to send in the second corrected ballot, she added, but if they had already mailed in the first ballot and did not mail in the second ballot, the original ballot would be counted. On Oct. 18, Post filed a complaint in Barnstable Superior Court, alleging the original ballots were defective and counting them would be a violation of election law. Barnstable Superior Court Judge Mark Gildea heard the complaint on Oct. 20, and the next day denied the injunction sought by Post on the grounds that Galvin and Dennis town clerk offices acted promptly on the error, and there is no evidence the mistake would impact Post’s chances in the polls. A state Appeals Court denied the appeal. In denying the appeal, Justice Gregory I. Massing wrote that state and local election officials have taken appropriate steps to protect candidates, particularly if there is a post-election challenge.

Michigan: Kristina Karamo, Republican secretary of state candidate, filed a lawsuit seeking a court order that could result in the rejection of tens of thousands of absentee ballots cast by Detroit voters for the upcoming Nov. 8 midterm election. While the lawsuit takes issue with election procedures in place across the state — such as the process for verifying voter signatures on absentee ballots — its allegations of election law violations target Detroit, Michigan’s largest voting jurisdiction and the nation’s largest majority-Black city. The lawsuit, filed against Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey less than two weeks before the Nov. 8 midterm election, asks the court to require Detroit voters to cast their ballots in person or show an ID at the clerk’s office to vote absentee. Currently, election officials rely on signature verification rather than photo identification to verify absentee ballots, and the right to vote absentee is guaranteed in the state constitution. The lawsuit suggests election officials should toss those ballots. It asks the court to “halt the use of absentee ballots that are obtained without identification” and “the counting of ballots cast through drop boxes that are not effectively monitored,” citing the widely debunked 2,000 Mules film by a far-right provocateur purportedly showing illegal votes returned via drop boxes election experts say provides no evidence of widespread fraud. The lawsuit from Karamo doesn’t indicate how voters who have already returned their absentee ballots might ensure their votes count. Karamo and other individuals suing Detroit’s city clerk to stop mail-in voting agreed to withdraw their motion to disqualify Wayne County’s 58 circuit judges from hearing the case at the conclusion of a fiery hour-long hearing over the matter. Attorney Daniel Hartman, who is representing Karamo and others who filed the suit, said he would agree to withdraw the motion for disqualification since Chief Judge Timothy Kenny would be hearing the case and wasn’t up for re-election.

7th Circuit Court for Genesee County  Judge Mark Latchana dismissed a Republican lawsuit seeking a court ruling ordering Flint election officials to hire additional GOP election workers for the upcoming Nov. 8 midterm. The Michigan GOP and Republican National Committee filed the legal challenge last Friday, alleging that Flint election administrators violated Michigan election law requiring them to strive for an equal representation of Democrats and Republicans among their election inspector workforce. Election inspectors in Michigan staff polling locations and counting boards that process absentee ballots. Latchana dismissed the lawsuit because he found that the Republican parties lacked standing to bring it, according to the Michigan GOP. Flint city attorney Bill Kim welcomed the judge’s decision to dismiss the lawsuit. “We really viewed this lawsuit as political theater and an attempt to disrupt our elections,” he said. He said that the city clerk’s office has tried to achieve partisan balance in the make-up of election workers who will help administer the midterm in the city.

Minnesota: A lawsuit over election records data requests in Rice County has expanded into a challenge of the use of modems in voting equipment. The Minnesota Attorney General’s Office has gotten involved and is joining the county in asking a judge to dismiss the lawsuit. Judge Carol Hanks indicated during a hearing she is unlikely to issue any ruling before Election Day. The lawsuit was filed in August in Rice County District Court against Denise Anderson, Rice County’s elections director. It was filed by Kathleen Hagen, who is a Lonsdale resident and a former election judge, and Matt Benda, an attorney from Albert Lea who was a Republican candidate for Congress. The lawsuit initially sought to force the county to release more documents about its elections equipment. The plaintiffs later expanded the scope of the lawsuit, asking Hanks to issue an order prohibiting the county from using modems to transmit election results to the Secretary of State. The modems are a threat to election integrity, Benda argues.

Mississippi: The Mississippi Center for Justice is petitioning the Supreme Court two months after the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals struck down its lawsuit challenging voting restrictions set forth in Mississippi’s 1890 state constitution. If successful, the lawsuit could grant voting rights to thousands of people permanently banned from casting ballots as a result of felony convictions. “At a time when our state and nation are struggling with the vestiges of a history of racism, it is important that the United States Supreme Court step in to address this remaining vestige of the malicious 1890 plan to prevent an entire race of people from voting in Mississippi,” said Rob McDuff, the attorney who brought the lawsuit for the Mississippi Center for Justice. Section 241 of the Mississippi Constitution strips voting rights from people convicted of 10 felonies, including forgery, arson and bigamy. The state attorney general issued an opinion in 2009 that expanded the list to 22 crimes, including timber larceny, carjacking, felony-level shoplifting and felony-level bad check writing. Attorneys who challenged the provision had argued the authors of the state’s Jim Crow-era constitution showed racist intent when they chose which felonies would cause people to lose the right to vote, picking crimes they thought were more likely to be committed by Black people. The lawsuit dates back to 2017. In a news release, MCJ said it filed the suit on behalf of two Black men — Roy Harness and Kamal Karriem. Harness is a military veteran who was convicted of forgery in 1986 and Karriem is a former Columbus city council member who was convicted of embezzlement in 2005, the organization said. Both men served their sentences but still cannot vote.

Montana: A plaintiff suspicious about election fraud reached an agreement in a lawsuit this week requiring Missoula County to keep long-term records of ballot counting for the upcoming election Tuesday.  Missoula County has agreed to maintain video surveillance footage of the Election Center for the duration of the lawsuit, whereas the usual retention window standard is 30 days. The subject footage will be collected from Nov. 6 to Nov. 14. John Lott with the Missoula County Election Integrity Project brought the lawsuit against the Missoula County Elections Office and Elections Administrator Bradley Seaman. While the suit is ongoing, both parties agreed to the order regarding video retention on Monday. The order applies to images taken by two internal cameras within the Counting Center, where ballots are tabulated, as well as footage from the storage room connected to the Counting Center and the six external cameras on the Election Center.

Nevada: In an “after hours ruling,” the Nevada Supreme Court put an end to the hand-count of mail-in ballots in Nye County calling the process illegal. Volunteers in rural Nye County had wrapped up a second day of hand-counting the ballots on Thursday by the time the Supreme Court issued a three-page opinion siding with objections raised by the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada. Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske, who is in charge of elections and has been one of the GOP’s most vocal critics of the sort of voter-fraud conspiracy theories that fueled the hand tallying of ballots, said the “hand-counting process must cease immediately.” She requested in a letter to Nye County Clerk Mark Kampf that he confirm to her office Thursday night that the hand count process “had been stopped.” In its three-page ruling, the high court stopped short of ordering a halt to the recount. But the court sided with the arguments the ACLU made in an emergency motion. The ACLU accused Nye County officials of violating a Supreme Court order issued last week requiring the count to be conducted in a way that prevents public release of early results before polls close to in-person voting Nov. 8. The ACLU argued that reading candidates’ names aloud from ballots within hearing distance of public observers violates the court rule. The high court said the “specifics of the hand-count process and ”observer positioning” in a way that comply with its earlier order was for Nye County and the secretary of state “to determine.”

The Republican National Committee is asking a Nevada judge to order election officials in Las Vegas to hire more GOP poll workers to correct what a legal filing calls a disproportionate imbalance favoring Democrats. A Clark County District Court judge is scheduled on Wednesday to consider accusations that county elections chief Joe Gloria “stacked” a key ballot signature verification board with 23 Democrats, 33 nonpartisans and “a mere” eight Republicans.

New York: A state appeals court upheld a new state law allowing absentee ballots to be reviewed before Election Day, saying it would be “extremely disruptive” to change the rules with absentee voting already underway. The decision from the Appellate Division of the state Supreme Court reverses a lower court ruling that declared New York’s early review of absentee ballots unconstitutional. The appeals court said Republican and Conservative party officials who challenged the law waited too long. The court also upheld a pandemic-era law that allows voters worried about becoming ill to vote by absentee. “In our view, granting petitioners the requested relief during an ongoing election would be extremely disruptive and profoundly destabilizing and prejudicial to candidates, voters and the State and local Boards of Elections,” read a decision from the court. Changing the absentee ballot rules now would mean voters would be treated differently during this election depending on when they returned their ballots, the court said. “We should be taking every step possible to empower voters and ease New Yorkers’ access to the polls,” state Attorney General Letitia James said in a prepared release. “I was proud to defend New York’s absentee ballot reforms, and am happy with the decision to keep these commonsense election integrity initiatives in place.” It was not clear if the plaintiffs would try to appeal to the state’s highest court.

Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania counties must segregate and not count mail ballots with missing or incorrect dates, the state Supreme Court said Tuesday in a ruling that could affect thousands of votes in November’s midterm elections. The order came as the result of a 3-3 deadlock on the court over whether rejecting such ballots — which have been at the center of an ongoing political and legal fight between Democrats and Republicans — violates federal civil rights law. Three of the justices said throwing out the ballots of otherwise qualified voters over a missing or incorrect date would improperly exclude legal votes. Three others disagreed. The seventh spot on the court remains vacant after the death of former Chief Justice Max Baer. “We hereby direct that the Pennsylvania county boards of elections segregate and preserve any ballots contained in undated or incorrectly dated outer envelopes,” the court said in its brief order, which was not immediately accompanied by any opinions explaining the justices’ reasoning. The order said only that opinions would be released later.

Oregon: Twelve Oregon counties, along with Secretary of State Shemia Fagan, have been named as defendants in a federal lawsuit concerned with election security. The 13 plaintiffs in the case, who are driven by the disproven theory that the 2020 election was stolen, say Clackamas, Washington, Multnomah, Lane, Linn, Marion, Jackson, Deschutes, Yamhill, Douglas, Klamath and Coos counties and Fagan fueled “a profound crisis of confidence that constitutes de facto voter suppression and disenfranchisement,” in a suit filed in the U.S. District Court in Portland. “It’s kind of a kitchen sink case,” said Ben Morris with the Secretary of State’s office. “They’re throwing everything they can at us. All kinds of different things, including several arguments about things that don’t involve Oregon.” The plaintiffs are asking each county to allow third-party experts to take three “forensic images” of ballot tabulating software throughout the Nov. 8 general election process. But election officials aren’t sure what exactly that means because the plaintiffs failed to define “forensic images” in the suit. To give the plaintiffs what they want would go against existing Oregon law and would compromise the security of the election, said David Doyle, Deschutes County’s legal counsel. Both the Secretary of State’s office and Doyle expect to oppose the suit and deny the request for “forensic images.” They plan to make a joint response to the lawsuit on Monday. Thielman said the plaintiffs intend to appeal if their request is denied.

Texas: The 13th Court of Appeals ruled against the city of Peñitas in the legal battle to reinstate the city’s public library as a polling location. The city of Peñitas was granted a temporary restraining order against Hidalgo County last week in response to the county removing the Peñitas Public Library as a polling location. The county previously said it didn’t receive a request to use the library as a polling location until after the deadline to submit applications had passed. Hidalgo County Precinct 3 Commissioner Everardo “Ever” Villarreal also cited accessibility, traffic flow, and general safety concerns. Under the TRO, the county was barred from holding early voting if the library was not reinstated as a polling location. The county filed an appeal that put the judge’s order on hold. In its Thursday ruling, the 13th Court of Appeals declared that the TRO was “void and had no effect.”  “The court did not rule on whether the city’s lawsuit was valid,” the city of Peñitas said in a news release. “The city of Peñitas will use all legal remedies and the district court to obtain answers for all voters in Hidalgo County, and to prevent the overreaching actions of Hidalgo County Commissioners Court, The Hidalgo County Elections Department and Commissioner Everardo Villarreal in the future.”

U.S. District Judge Kenneth Hoyt found Catherine Engelbrecht and Gregg Phillips — known as leaders of the group True the Vote — in contempt of court. They are facing accusations of defamation and computer crimes from a company at the center of a viral right-wing social media campaign engineered by the conservative voting organization. The judge informed the pair they would face jail time if they do not comply with the terms of a court order by Monday at 9 a.m. Federal marshals escorted two leaders of True the Vote out of a Houston courtroom on Monday morning and into a holding cell. Catherine Engelbrecht and Gregg Phillips have been held in contempt of court for refusing to release the name of a person of interest in the defamation and computer hacking case against them, who they claim, without proof, is a confidential FBI informant.  They will remain in jail until they release the name of the man.

Virginia: Supporters of former President Donald Trump are challenging Loudoun County’s use of “illegally uncertified” and “non-compliant” electronic voting machines a week before elections are to take place across the nation. In a complaint filed Nov. 1, two Loudoun residents — Thomas Kasperek, of Sterling, and Richard Ryan, of Ashburn — allege that the electronic voting machines used in the 2020 and 2021 general elections are made by Chinese manufacturers “who are known to insert backdoors, allowing nefarious actors access to the equipment to manipulate data.” They are asking the court to disqualify all electronic voting systems in Loudoun County “in favor of voter-verified, hand counts of all physical ballots cast” until a ruling is handed down on their use. The Loudoun lawsuit is primarily aimed at the county’s top election officers — General Registrar Judy Brown and Deputy Registrar Richard Keech — and its three Electoral Board members — two Democrats and one Republican — who the complaint said are “complicit in the approval of illegally certified voting equipment,” despite being allegedly aware of their vulnerability to security breaches. Kasperek and Ryan further claim that the actions by these five individuals shows “intentional and unintentional cooperation with nefarious actors to alter the results of 2020 and 2021.” As evidence, the two point to a U.S. Homeland Security Department circular dated June 3, 2022, that said 32 of 133 precincts in Virginia were using a ballot scanning software that could be breached in nine ways.

Wisconsin: The Wisconsin 2nd District Court of Appeals is refusing to block a lower court’s ruling prohibiting voters who already submitted an absentee ballot from voiding it and voting again, a rarely used practice known as ballot spoiling. The 2nd District Court of Appeals decided against hearing an appeal of a Waukesha County circuit court judge’s ruling this month in favor of a conservative group founded by prominent Republicans. That ruling required the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission to rescind its guidance that allowed the spoiling of ballots that had already been cast. Voters who obtained an absentee ballot, but have not yet voted and want to obtain a new one, can still do that. The elections commission held an emergency meeting Friday, less than two weeks before the Nov. 8 election, and unanimously voted to rescind the guidance issued in August detailing how an already cast ballot could be spoiled. Very few voters have actually spoiled their absentee ballots after voting in recent elections, data provided by the elections commission to The Associated Press shows. In the August primary, just 3,519 people cast a new ballot after spoiling their original one, less than 0.3% of all votes cast, the data shows. The appeals court on Oct. 10 agreed to put the lower court’s ruling on hold while it decided whether to hear the appeal from the elections commission, the Democratic National Committee and Rise, Inc., a group that works to get college students to vote. “The court’s order does not change what is on the ballot. Nor does it prevent a single voter—Democrat, Republican, or otherwise—from casting a ballot in the upcoming election,” the appeals court said. “Thus, claims of confusion and disenfranchisement ring hollow.”

The City of Green Bay implemented changes to give poll watchers more access during the in-person absentee voting process. A temporary injunction was ordered in Brown County Court Wednesday in response to a lawsuit filed against City Clerk Celestine Jeffreys alleging she is restricting access to election observers. The plaintiffs listed are Nathan DeLorey, Randy Wery, Patricia Schick, and Denise Vetter. This lawsuit comes less than one week before the Nov. 8 election. The suit claims Jeffreys has been “prohibiting members of the public from observing all aspects of the in-person absentee ballot voting process that has been underway since October 25, 2022 at the office of the City Clerk for the City of Green Bay.” The suit sought a temporary restraining order and injunction from “prohibiting her from violating Wis. Stat. § 7.41, which requires that municipal clerks allow the public to observe all public aspects of the in-person absentee ballot voting process, and an order and a declaratory judgment regarding the proper construction of the Wisconsin Statutes requiring that the public be afforded the ability to observe all public aspects of the in-person absentee ballot voting process.” The city created a spot for election observers — and the first person to sit in the newly designated space was one of the plaintiffs in this lawsuit.

Paul Buzzell, 52, of Mequon has been charged with a felony that carries possible incarceration if he’s convicted in what a prosecutor calls a “test case.” According to a criminal complaint, Buzzell, a Mequon-Thiensville School Board member, posted a photo of his completed April ballot on his Facebook page. It resulted in a voter fraud charge that includes a maximum 3 ½ years behind bars and up to $10,000 in fines upon conviction. Wisconsin law says it’s illegal for anyone to show a marked ballot to anyone else or to place a mark on a ballot that identifies it as that person’s ballot. The state Senate in 2020 passed a bill to legalize the taking of so-called ballot selfies, but it died in the Assembly. County election clerks opposed changing the law, saying the ban is intended to protect ballot secrecy. Ozaukee County District Attorney Adam Gerol, a Republican, says he is trying to use the criminal complaint to resolve an issue. “You could say it’s a test case,” Gerol said. “The best thing that could come of this would be an appellate decision as to whether it violates the First Amendment or not.”

Opinions This Week

National Opinions: Election deniers, II, III, IV | Election police | Election litigation | Ranked choice voting, II, III | Election security, II, III | Poll watchers | Drop boxes | Voter intimidation, II | Election litigation | 2000 vs. 2020 | Election workers | Get out the vote | Election fraud | Voting rights | Secretary of state races, II | Election subversion | Independent state legislature theory

Alaska: Ranked choice voting

Arizona: Election deniers; Democracy, II | Early voting | Stolen election claims

Colorado: Ranked choice voting | Voter intimidation | Election deniers | Secretary of state | Secretary of state race

Connecticut: Election administration | Early voting

District of Columbia: Noncitizen voting rights

Florida: Voter intimidation | Election lies, II

Georgia: Voters

Indiana: Secretary of state race, II, III

Kansas: Poll workers

Kentucky: Election security

Louisiana: Early voting

Michigan: County clerks

Minnesota: Election system | Voting rights

Nebraska: Ballot measure

Nevada: Ranked choice voting | Secretary of state race

North Carolina: Election season noise

Ohio: Secretary of state race | Get out the vote

Oklahoma: Voting system

Pennsylvania: Election lies | Election night | Results | Delaware County | Election security | Election deniers

Texas: Campus polling places | Election workers | Poll workers

Utah: Get out the vote

Washington: Seattle ballot measure

Upcoming Events

MEDSL 2022 Post-Election Webinar: On December 8, the MIT Election Data & Science Lab will be hosting a public webinar all about the 2022 election, featuring our own takes on what happened as well as highlighting other researchers’ work and what they saw. From what happened online to what happened in polling places, we’ll cover as much as we can. Register today to hold your spot and receive more details about the event! Where: Online When: December 8

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.

Assistant Director, Butler County, Pennsylvania— To supervise and direct the operational processes relating to voter registration, voting and elections, ensuring that voters’ rights are protected and votes are recorded and counted accurately. Assists the Director in implementing the day to day functions of the Elections Department. The incumbent supervises the non-exempt staff and answers voter and candidate questions or selects proper course of action to resolve problems. Assists Director in evaluating new technologies for election process. Consults with others regarding clarification of the Pennsylvania Election Code. Refers complex issues requiring clarification of the Pennsylvania Election Code or the Pennsylvania Constitution to the Director of Elections. A Bachelor’s Degree in a related field and/or equivalent work experience is required. Significant experience in Computer Science course work or equivalent is required. Prior work experience involving the electoral process is desirable, as is supervisory experience. Must be knowledgeable of State and County voting laws, regulations, procedures, and requirements. Computer, telephone and customer service skills are necessary. Salary: $45,129.18-$63,180.85. 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. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Chief Information Officer, Illinois State Board of Elections— Functions as Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the SBE Information Technology Systems.  Responsibilities encompass full range of information services; application design and development, system administration, data administration, operations, production control, and data communications. In conjunction with the Board, Executive Director, and Executive staff, the CIO determines the role of information systems in achieving Board goals.  Defines goals in terms of statutory obligations to be met, problems to be solved, and/or opportunities that can be realized through the application of computerized information systems.    Prepares and submits budget based projections of hardware, software, staff and other resource needs to adequately provide for existing systems, as well as support of new project initiatives.   Advises Executive Staff in matters relating to information technology.  Develops presentations and reports for the Board and Administrative Staff.  In conjunction with Executive Staff, evaluates system performance to determine appropriate enhancements. Salary: $7,885 – $13,237 Monthly. 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.

Departmental Training Coordinator, DeKalb County, Georgia— The purpose of this classification is to develop, coordinate, deliver, and evaluate departmental training programs and learning solutions. The following duties are normal for this position. The omission of specific statements of the duties does not exclude them from the classification if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment for this classification. Other duties may be required and assigned. Develops training programs for departmental employees; creates new and/or modifies existing courses and course materials; researches industry changes; and prepares activities and course assignments. Conducts training and facilitates in-house training programs for employees based on current trends and best practices. Assists employees in meeting certification and recertification requirements for mandated licensure and submits documents for license renewals. Coordinates training logistics to include training room, schedules, attendance tracking, passwords, supplies and set up; and selects or develops teaching aids including training handbooks, tutorials or quick reference guides . Administers and grades course assignments and exams; and tracks and analyzes learning curriculum effectiveness through various evaluations techniques including evaluation of individual performances. Maintains and prepares training and compliance records and prepares related documentation and reports; enters course exam grades; prepares training certificates; and updates compliance databases. Assists with internal departmental communications by preparing newsletters, promotional materials for training programs, flyers for departmental events, or related communications. Communicates with department management, supervisors, other employees, subject matter experts, schools, community groups, volunteers, the public, and other individuals as needed to coordinate work activities, review status of work, exchange information, or resolve problems. Maintains current knowledge of departmental business functions and operations to develop training programs and solutions for improving employee knowledge and performance within business units; and research training industry standards and best practices and applies new technologies. Salary: $52,815 – $81,862. 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.

Division Director, Illinois State Board of Elections— Subject to Executive Director approval; oversees the administration of human resource programs including, but not limited to, compensation, payroll, benefits, and leave; disciplinary matters; disputes and investigations; performance and talent management; productivity, recognition, and morale; occupational health and safety; and training and development. Serves as the Board’s subject matter expert relating to personnel and human resource matters. Identifies staffing and recruiting needs; develops and executes best practices for hiring and talent management. Conducts research and analysis of Board trends including review of reports and metrics from human resource information systems. Recommends, implements, and ensures compliance with agency policies and procedures including, but not limited to, hiring, disciplinary actions, employee grievances, compensation plan, and employee performance evaluations. Creates and oversees human resource practices, programs, and objectives that provide for an employee-oriented culture that emphasizes collaboration, innovation, creativity, and knowledge transfer within a diverse team. Oversees the day-to-day administrative aspects of the Board’s personnel programs; accuracy of bi-monthly payrolls; benefits; quarterly and annual EEO/AA reporting; and, employee transaction documentation. Facilitates professional development, training, and certification activities for staff; development and maintenance of agency-wide training programs for on-boarding, staff development, and knowledge transfer. Responsible for the administration and oversight over all disciplinary matters; including: investigation of complaints; conducting witness interviews; documentation gathering; drafting and submittal of investigation findings to Executive Staff; advising Division Directors and Executive Staff on disciplinary matters; and, drafting of formal disciplinary reprimands in accordance with policy. Has administrative oversight of the Chief Fiscal Officer regarding budgetary and fiscal matters under the purview of the Division of Administrative Services. Supervises and evaluates subordinate staff; facilitates knowledge transfers and cross trainings; performs other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope of the duties enumerated above. Salary: $6,023.00 – $12,374.00 Monthly. 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 Cycle Temp, Pinal County, Arizona— Under supervision, performs the basic duties of Voter Registration and Early Voting during the election cycle as required by state statute for the Recorder’s Office. This position is not covered under the Pinal County Merit System. Incumbents in this position serve at the pleasure of their respective Appointing Authority. The employment relationship of incumbents in this position is “at will” the employee may be terminated at any time, for any reason, with or without cause. Salary: Up to $20/hr. 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 Review Program Lead, 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 county election review program; Travels extensively throughout state to conduct reviews of county elections departments. Application: For a 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 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

Finance and Operations Manager, The Carter Center— The Finance and Operations Manager support The Carter Center’s nonpartisan Observation efforts by managing the finance and operations in both states. They will report directly to the US Nonpartisan Observation Coordinators in Michigan and Arizona and to the US Elections team in Atlanta. 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 Coordinator (Russian and Somali), King County Elections — The Department of Elections is searching for energetic and resourceful professionals who like to “get stuff done”. The Language Access and Outreach Coordinator 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. This position provides bilingual assistance, translation, and community outreach support. These individuals must be able to read, write, understand, and speak Russian or Somali at the language proficiency testing level used by the Department. In addition, as part of the community engagement program, they will participate in voter registration and voter education activities with community partners and provide support to out Voter Education Fund partners. Individuals in this position will provide language access assistance to our communications team and administrative support to other election work groups as needed. Salary: $33.63 – $42.62 Hourly. 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 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.

Policy Analyst, National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) — This is an entry-level policy position with NCSL’s close-knit elections and redistricting team. NCSL is known for its role as the nation’s keeper of nonpartisan, accurate information about election administration, redistricting, campaign finance and ancillary topics. The successful candidate will work on election administration topics relevant to state legislators and legislative staff and will contribute to a range of projects, including webpages, databases, briefs and presentations. A policy analyst operates under the close supervision of others and has no supervisory responsibilities. Tasks likely to include tracking legislation in databases, answering research requests from legislators or legislative staff, contributing research in support of projects led by others and assisting with meeting planning. Salary: $4,014/mo. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Public Relations Manager, DeKalb County, Georgia— The following duties are normal for this position. The omission of specific statements of the duties does not exclude them from the classification if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment for this classification. Other duties may be required and assigned. Supervises, directs, and evaluates assigned staff; develops and oversees employee work schedules to ensure adequate coverage and control; compiles and reviews timesheets; approves/processes employee concerns and problems and counsels or disciplines as appropriate; assists with or completes employee performance appraisals; directs work; acts as a liaison between employees and management; and trains staff in operations, policies, and procedures. Organizes, prioritizes, and assigns work; prioritizes and schedules work activities to meet objectives; ensures that subordinates have the proper resources needed to complete the assigned work; monitors status of work in progress and inspects completed work; consults with assigned staff to assist with complex/problem situations and provide technical expertise; provides progress and activity reports to management; and assists with the revision of procedure manuals as appropriate. Develops and implements a comprehensive communications plan to support the mission and objectives of the department/division; develops communications strategies; reviews internal and external communications to ensure consistent messaging; creates and implements branding initiatives; manages online presence; and generates public relations campaigns to support special projects, service changes, and new initiatives within the department. Oversees the creation of print and online content to publicize and promote department programs, facilities, events, or objectives; researches and verifies information; reviews, approves, or produces newsletters, calendars, brochures, and flyers; monitors, approves, and creates content for social media and department website; and writes or edits official department announcements, emails blasts, press releases, letters, or posts. Oversees community outreach programs and events; plans, organizes, and oversees special events, facility tours, educational programs; oversees the selection of locations, dates, and sponsorships; reviews activities and materials prepared by staff or vendors; recruits and supervises event volunteers; and coordinates set-up, staffing, and implementation of program/event plans. Represents department as a spokesperson; serves as a liaison to the news media, other departments, boards, and other external groups; responds to media requests; gives interviews and official comments; and produces short television segments for DeKalb County TV. Cultivates community partnerships to advance departmental objectives and initiatives; develops and maintains relationships with community partners; attends or leads community events on behalf of the department; responds to inquiries from citizen groups or the public; and serves on internal and external committees or projects. Prepares and monitors public relations budget; prepares cost estimates; develops annual budget requests; and reviews and approves expenditures. Salary: $67,182 – $104,133. 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.

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.

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