electionline Weekly

What's Next in GIS?

We automated the maps to make elections better. Now what?

By Jamie Chesser, project lead, Geo-Enabled Elections project, NSGIC

When I took the reins at NSGIC’s Geo-Enabled Elections project five years ago, I knew we had our work cut out for us. Election directors, although a dedicated and hard-working group, didn’t necessarily know the benefits of using geographic information systems (GIS) in elections. Some didn’t know their counterparts in their state’s geographic information office. Today, I’m pleased to say, we see a very different picture; many states around the country have come a long way.

Our project’s goal was to elevate the degree to which GIS is integrated in election operations. That may sound like a niche task, but it is not. Maps are critical for elections, and GIS is critical to the accuracy and efficiency of modern elections. In a time when most of us use maps on our phones to find a coffee shop, our country’s elections leaders deserve to have access to similar technology for automatically and correctly pinpointing voters’ and candidates’ locations.

In essence, we’ve facilitated the work to transition from the voter lists and physical maps that elections relied on in the past and enabled systems for effective audits and candidate verification – and promoted transparency. All to ensure every voter gets the right ballot. GIS also supports routine tasks like getting supplies to voting locations all the way through to – in exceptional circumstances – re-routing voters to new voting locations in the case of a natural disaster (Hello Hawaii, 2018!).

All of this work was made possible thanks to pioneer states who shared their learnings and knowledge through mentoring and in case studies, pilot projects, and ultimately in the project’s Best Practices Guidance document.

Teams from those states included collaborators from both elections and GIS offices. One of the critical learnings from this project is, in fact, that collaboration between these departments is key to significant advances in election modernization.

NSGIC’s recent State Election Director Report documents some of those advances.

For instance, the 28 election directors who contributed to the report highlighted increased routine audits of their voter address files and boundary maps, many of them reaching the gold standard of using external address sources like the National Address Database, or a Next Generation 911address database. More of them than in past years – 29% – now conduct spatial audits using GIS, up from just 9% four years ago. In addition, about half of all participating states and territories today complete real-time updates of voter addresses, compared to mostly daily updates four years ago.

However, election directors in our report also tee up one sizeable challenge for the election and GIS community: Within five years, they project that nearly 90% of states and territories queried will have a voter registration system capable of handling spatial data. Compare that to the number today: fewer than 40% – and not all of the states who have the capability today are using it.

Such a lift would be laudable, as it saves work effort and increases accuracy, but it is no mean feat. However, it is the right thing to do. In the words of one election director:

“It is a lot of work to manage two systems – GIS and VRS or election management systems. Election offices need one system that they manage.”

In 2019, the Geo-Enabled Elections project shared requests-for-proposals intended to help states specify new voter registration systems that can handle GIS data.

We are unsure how many states took advantage of those, and are now in the process of upgrading to new voter registration systems – possibly using HAVA funds. Securing funding for election modernization can be a hurdle; some states have found that reframing the issue as one of cost savings can help. In the words of one election director in the State Election Director Report:

“Determine the value within your state for geo-enabled elections. Share that value with key stakeholders and decision-makers. The value likely is monetary, which translates to FTE(s) in elections that have GIS knowledge and software skills, securing the use of the technology now and into the future.”

Redistricting is coming up in 2031; too early? Perhaps for some – however, the fact is that advances made in election modernization today will make that process smoother and less demanding on election officials’ time.

Overall, election directors in our report rate their degree of current integration of GIS information with election data systems at a 5 out of 10, perhaps foreshadowing the major lift ahead.

What is remarkable to me and a testament to the dedication of everyone involved in elections is that despite all the turmoil and turn-over in the elections space during the project’s five-year term  – 52% of states saw a change in election leadership during 2017-2022 – there was still so much progress made on elections modernization. That progress makes me confident that a rapid increase in voter registration systems that can handle GIS information is achievable by 2027, before the 2028 presidential election.

How can states that are in the thick of this find resources and community? Join us at the Elections GeoSummit to learn more.

On Dec 8, from noon till  2 p.m. ET, we will hear from Vermont, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Montana about their recent journeys towards geo-enabled elections; we will review the challenges ahead and the resources to get there. My prediction regarding one of the findings: commitment, collaboration, and growth will be key to unlocking success in years to come. It is also the theme for this year’s Elections GeoSummit. Join us there.

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Election News This Week

Recounts and Runoffs: Even as many people are starting to deck the halls,  a number of jurisdictions are still finishing up the 2022 election cycle with runoffs and recounts. In Georgia, the U.S. Senate runoff is seeing record-breaking early voting turnout, however it’s not necessarily a sign of voter enthusiasm. Georgia’s new voting law condensed the runoff to four weeks. The law left a short window to return an absentee ballot and fewer days for early voting than during the nine-week runoff in 2021. So more people are lining up to vote early, in-person at once, especially in metro Atlanta, where wait times have been an hour or more at some early voting locations. Georgia’s runoff voting concludes on December 6. Early voting in Louisiana for that state’s December 10 runoff has been relatively low. “If you’re looking for the same early voting number we saw with the primary race for mayor. You’re just not gonna find it. this is a low intensity election. It’s a low profile election. It’s just not gonna attract the same kind of numbers that we saw in the primary,” KTBS political analyst Jeremy Alford said. Several jurisdictions in Mississippi held runoff this week and even though there was severe weather in the area and county schools and other public offices closed early, polling places remained open until 7pm. Oktibbeha County Circuit Clerk Tony Rook was ready for whatever Mother Nature had to offer. “In the event that we exhaust the backup power. We are currently working with the emergency management agency director as well as volunteer fire stations to make sure they can deploy backup generators,” said Rook. Voting continues. Voting does not stop.” From coast to coast recounts are occurring in jurisdictions small and large. In Onondaga County, New York, the largest hand recount in the history of the county began this week. The recount is expected to last into next week. In Michigan an Oakland County resident filed paperwork and made a deposit to recount votes on an abortion rights ballot proposal in more than 500 Michigan precincts. Additionally, the petitioner sought the recount of 47 precincts with both in person and absentee voting precincts for Proposal 2 which allows nine days of early voting among other elections-related reform.

Ranked Choice Voting: While ranked choice voting certainly had a banner year in 2022, some folks in Alaska are having buyer’s remorse about the 2020 ballot initiative that moved the state to a ranked choice system. Alaskans for Honest Government, a political action committee that formed last month has announced it will attempt to do away with ranked choice voting in Alaska by ballot initiative, and former Gov. Sarah Palin was the first to sign the petition. The group hopes to gather enough signatures to put the question of reinstating the state’s former voting system to voters on the 2024 ballot. Ranked choice voting has been found to be constitutional both by the Alaska Supreme Court and in federal court. If certified by the lieutenant governor, the initiative group has a year to collect signatures from qualified registered voters. They must collect a number equal to at least 10% of those who voted in the preceding general election from places representing the majority of the state. Group leaders said they intended to gather more than 40,000 signatures and expected their effort would cost millions of dollars.

Sylvia Levin in 1990.

Honoring a Hero: An intersection at Los Angeles’ Fairfax District is being dedicated in honor of a record-setting volunteer voter registrar. The Sylvia Levin Democracy Square is located at Fairfax and Rosewood avenues near Canter’s Delicatessen in west Los Angeles. Between 1973 until her death at the age of 92 in 2009 — Levin registered over 47-thousand voters in the city, the county, the state of California and the entire nation. She was recognized by the Secretary of State’s office, the county Registrar-Recorder County Clerk’s Office, the U.S. House of Representatives and the LA City Council for setting registration records. Levin often set up registration tables in several locations in greater LA including the Westwood Federal Building, in front of Canter’s Deli and in Century City. “This effort has always been nonpartisan , encouraging voter participation, and has never has been more significant than now,” said Chuck Levin, Sylvia Levin’s son and a voter registrar himself. ” It is a rare honor by the City Council and the City to create this type of permanent tribute to individuals , this one for democracy and my mother’s 36 year record setting contribution . It is a wonderful tribute and it means so much . Thank you to my hometown .”

Personnel News: Alton Dillard, the Denver Clerk-Recorder public information officer announced on social media that he is semi-retiring. Congratulations to Surry County, North Carolina board of elections Director Michella Huff who recently received the prestigious North Carolina Dogwood Award from NC Attorney General Stein.  Catherine McMullen will be the new Clackamas County, Oregon clerk. William Prall will step down from the Putnam County, Tennessee election commission in March 2023. New Hampshire Sen. Melanie Levesque has announced that she’s running for secretary of state. Plainfield, Vermont Town Clerk Linda Wells will retire after 27 years. The San Francisco Election Commission has chosen not to re-up current Elections Director John Arntz who has held the position since 2002. Marisa Colón has been sworn in as Westfield, Massachusetts assistant city clerk. Maggie Crouch is the new Rock County, Illinois chief deputy county clerk. Kristy Cyr is the new Biddeford, Maine city clerk. Rob Rock will become deputy secretary of state and director of administration under the administration of new Rhode Island Secretary of State Gregg Amore. Kathy Placencia will be the new Rhode Island director of elections. Sonia Gordon has retired as the Paterson, New Jersey city clerk.

Legislative Updates

Federal Legislation: The House Oversight and Reform Committee advanced a measure on November 17 to make it easier to track mail-in ballots for federal elections. The Vote by Mail Tracking Act requires that all mailed ballots include a U.S. Postal Service barcode that enables tracking of each individual ballot, as well as meeting other requirements for envelope design and bear an official election mail logo. “I can tell you that during the past election and in 2020 we got hundreds of phone calls from people trying to track their ballots, they wanted to make sure their ballots were cast, and recorded,” said oversight committee chair Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-New York).  “Ensuring Election Officials and voters have the resources to track the status of their ballots would create even more peace of mind and confidence and further protect the sanctity of our elections,” she said.  The bill had bipartisan support, though some Republicans on the panel were skeptical about its effectiveness.

Boston, Massachusetts: Boston City Council is set to weigh legislation that, if approved, would allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in local elections for mayor, City Council and city-specific ballot questions. The measure comes before the council as the issue of lowered voting age gains national steam, mostly through the efforts of progressive Democrats. The council, which has become increasingly left-leaning in recent years, is likely to pass the measure this week. But even if the council passes the measure, it has to also be approved at higher levels of government before taking effect. Back Bay Councilor Kenzie Bok is one of the local measure’s six co-sponsors. She said the proposal is meant to expand suffrage and address voter apathy. At 18, many young adults uproot their lives and move to unfamiliar communities. Allowing them to vote earlier, she said, could encourage them to become more civically engaged. The measure would need approval first from the council, then the mayor, then from the state Legislature.

Ohio: Lawmakers have introduced two pieces of elections-related legislation during the lame duck session. One is an initiative requiring citizen-led constitutional amendments gain a 60% supermajority at the ballot for passage, the other is a House bill aimed at rewriting the underlying infrastructure of how the state conducts elections. State Rep. Brian Stewart, R-Ashville, joined Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose to introduce their plan that singles out the citizen-led process for amending the state constitution and raises threshold for passage to 60%. The signature threshold for making the ballot would remain unchanged. LaRose argued lifting that benchmark would give the same interest groups a relative advantage. The proposal itself, of course, will need to go to voters and get just 50% plus one to alter the Ohio Constitution. It will follow a different process, too. Stewart’s resolution would make the ballot through a General Assembly vote rather than the citizen signature-gathering process.

Rep. Bill Seitz (R-Green Township), proposed sweeping changes to an already sweeping elections bill. The biggest move involved nixing the automated voter registration language contained in the initial proposal. Those provisions would’ve leaned heavily on the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to help voters register or update their registration any time they interact with the agency. If voters’ registration is regularly updated, the thinking goes, there will be fewer names to purge. But Seitz said after months of negotiations, the Ohio Senate hasn’t budged. “If we’re going to get anything done,” Sietz said, “we’ve got to have an agreement between two chambers, and the Senate does not yet feel comfortable with automated voter registration, even though I am comfortable with it.” Among other changes, voters would be able to request absentee ballots online, but they’d have to submit paper requests on a specific form. The deadline for requesting one would be seven days before an election. The bill trims the deadline for absentee ballots to arrive post-election to seven days as well. Drop boxes would be available for the duration of early voting, but they’d be restricted — no more than three, all on board of elections premises and under 24/7 video surveillance. The bill eliminates the final day of early voting but distributes those hours in the week prior by extending weekday hours. Seitz also dropped a number of ID provisions from the original bill. He noted Senate legislation plans to offer free photo-ID to anyone — not just poor Ohioans as his bill envisioned.

A proposal to remove August primary elections in Ohio is supported by a prominent conservative group and Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, with both pointing to low voter turnout and high costs. House Bill 458, which passed the Ohio House in 2021, seeks to get rid of August special elections except when a school district is in fiscal emergency or a special U.S. congressional election is necessary. Certain “local offices, questions or issues” can be placed on a ballot if a U.S. House of Representatives special election is required, according to the bill. At the Senate Local Government and Elections Committee, the Buckeye Institute put its support behind the bill, saying restricting the August special election would save taxpayers money and get rid of an event that historically has low turnout.

Burlington, Vermont: Burlington City Council voted to put three charter changes on the 2023 Town Meeting Ballot, including resolutions that would implement ranked-choice voting for mayoral elections and all-citizen voting in all municipal elections. Charter changes in Vermont must first be approved by city voters and then passed through the state senate and house of representatives as well as receive approval from the governor. The city will have public hearings on the three charter changes before Town Meeting Day for residents. Two of charter changes received unanimously support from the City Council. The ranked-choice voting resolution was opposed by some councilors because of the inclusion of school commissioners and ward election officers. An all-resident voting charter change would allow non-U.S. citizens who reside in Burlington to vote in municipal elections. Voters would need to be legal U.S. residents, 18 or older, have taken the Voter’s Oath and be registered to vote to participate in elections. The resolution defines a legal resident as “any non-citizen who resides in the United States on a permanent or indefinite basis in compliance with federal immigration laws.” The Council voted 7 to 3 to put the question of whether to extend ranked-choice voting to more municipal elections, including mayoral elections, on the ballot in March. If passed, another  charter change would allow City Council to determine polling locations at least 30 days before elections in consultation with the City Clerk’s Office and ward election officials. A ward’s polling place could be co-located with another ward’s polling place as long as each are separate and distinct. A polling place could also be outside ward lines as long as it is within close proximity to the ward.

Duxbury, Vermont: The Town of Duxbury held a special meeting with more than 100 residents in attendance to consider reforms to how Town Meeting Day will be conducted in March 2023. The changes approve include: Town officers will be elected by Australian ballot; Australian ballot will decide all budget articles and conduct all other business by Australian ballot. If unchallenged, the decisions will end the town’s long-standing tradition of holding an in-person town meeting on the first Tuesday in March where only those voters in attendance decide who is elected to various town offices, what the town budget will be for the coming year, and any other questions put forth for a vote. In order to change a town’s voting format, state law requires that a municipality hold a vote using the town meeting format in place. That’s how the in-person meeting came about.

Legal Updates

Arizona: Two GOP supervisors in Cochise County have withdrawn their lawsuit seeking a recount of the 2022 election, since the ballots appear heading that way anyhow thanks to an extremely close race for state attorney general. Pima County Superior Court Judge Casey McGinley signed an order withdrawing the complaint on November 17. Supervisors Tom Crosby and Peggy Judd have for weeks fought to get a full hand recount of approximately 40,000 ballots in their county, even before Election Day, saying the effort was needed to calm fears from their constituents that elections are not legitimate. But McGinley said the county has to recount ballots as required by law, and state law doesn’t allow arbitrary 100% hand recounts. The recount advocates lost an appeal to the Arizona Supreme Court, and then filed a new suit even though they hadn’t yet taken a public vote on how to pay their lawyer.

Secretary of State Katie Hobbs’ Office filed a lawsuit against the Cochise County Board of Supervisors for failing to meet the required deadline to canvass the election. The complaint states the board didn’t fulfill its duty to certify the election on November 28, which could potentially disenfranchise the voters of Cochise County. Republicans on the rural county board refused to certify the election regardless of no evidence of a count being incorrect. The secretary’s office states in the filing that special action relief was granted, which compels the Cochise County board to canvass the election by Thursday to give Hobbs time to meet the Dec. 5 deadline for the statewide canvass. Failure to do so would mean all votes from the county would be dropped. “The Board of Supervisors had all of the information they needed to certify this election and failed to uphold their responsibility for Cochise voters,” Sophia Solis, a spokeswoman for Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, said in an email.

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Randall Warner dismissed a lawsuit filed by Republican attorney general candidate Abe Hamadeh contesting the results of the Nov. 8 election, finding that the complaint was premature. While dismissed for now, Hamadeh still could file a complaint later, after the expected statewide certification of the election. “The merits of the lawsuit still stand. We will re-file the case after the statewide canvass,” said Hamadeh, who was joined in the complaint by the Republican National Committee. Dan Barr, attorney for Democrat Kris Mayes, commented after the complaint was dismissed: “Their major problem is they still don’t have any facts to support their lawsuit.” The judge’s decision comes a day after a court hearing in which Warner asked the various parties to discuss the timeliness of the lawsuit. While a lawsuit could be filed later, the scope of the complaint would be different.

Arizona Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake has filed a lawsuit against elections officials in Maricopa County, claiming election laws were violated during the General Election earlier this month. The lawsuit was filed Wednesday in Maricopa County Superior Court. Lake was defeated in the election by Democrat Katie Hobbs, with Hobbs taking 50.3% of the vote while Lake received 49.7%. The suit is asking the county to produce records regarding the administration of Nov. 8th’s General Election. It cites urgency in requesting prompt disclosure regarding the requested information due to the amount of time remaining to “determine whether the county has violated their (Lake’s) rights or the law and to seek relief.” Listed as defendants in the Lake’s suit are Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer, Maricopa County Director of Elections for Election Services and Early Voting Rey Valenzuela, Maricopa County Director of Elections for Election Day and Emergency Voting Scott Jarrett, members of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Bill Gates, Clint Hickman, Jack Sellers, Thomas Galvin, and Steve Gallardo. Complaints listed in the suit include allegations of misprinted ballots that were not readable by voting machines, the mixing of counted and uncounted ballots, long lines at polling locations that discouraged voters from casting ballots, along with other conditions.

California: Los Angeles County Deputy Dist. Atty. Eric Neff has been placed on administrative leave for his role in the questionable prosecution of a Michigan software executive that may have been sparked by conspiracy theorists who deny the validity of the 2020 presidential election. During his initial news conference Dist. Atty. George Gascón did not mention that his office’s investigation was sparked by a conversation with one of the founders of True the Vote, a Texas-based nonprofit that has fomented conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential election. According to the Los Angeles Times, The extent of True the Vote’s involvement in the investigation remains unclear. Co-founder Gregg Phillips initially claimed that he played a “small role” in the probe. Gascón did not acknowledge True the Vote’s involvement in the case at his initial news conference but days later issued a statement confirming that a “report” from Phillips had sparked the probe. In sworn testimony in the Texas defamation case, Phillips said he was first contacted by Neff in July. Phillips said a district attorney’s office investigator was present at an August event hosted by True the Vote.

Colorado: Sandra Brown, a former elections manager in the Mesa County clerk’s office pleaded guilty this week under a plea agreement that requires her to testify against her former boss. Brown is one of two employees accused of helping Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters allow a copy of a hard drive to be made during an update of election equipment last year in search of proof of the false conspiracy theories spun by former President Donald Trump. Brown, 45, pleaded guilty to attempting to influence a public servant, a felony, and official misconduct, a misdemeanor, but will not be sentenced until right after she testifies at Peters’ trial next year so her performance on the witness stand can be considered. “There were things going on that I should have questioned and I didn’t,” Brown told Judge Matthew Barrett. Brown’s deal, which Barrett will not decide whether to accept until sentencing, would allow her to serve up to 30 days in jail for the misdemeanor. It would allow the felony conviction to be erased after two years if she complies with conditions he sets, such as requiring community service, for those two years. If Barrett rejects the plea deal, Brown could withdraw her guilty pleas.

Florida: Statewide prosecutors have dropped charges against one of the 20 people accused by Gov. Ron DeSantis of voting illegally in 2020. In a court filing on November 21, prosecutors wrote that they were dropping charges against Tampa resident Tony Patterson, 44, because of “information received” from the Hillsborough County elections supervisor and because he was already being sentenced to prison in a separate case. The decision means state officials avoid potentially having a second voter fraud case thrown out by a judge in as many months.

Georgia: Judge Thomas A. Cox Jr. ruled on November 18 that early voting in the U.S. Senate runoff could take place on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Cox found that Georgia’s election code “does not specifically prohibit counties from conducting advanced voting on Saturday, November 26, 2022, for a runoff election.” The state appealed to the Georgia Court of Appeals which ultimately declined the request to stay the lower court’s ruling. The state argued in a court filing that the ruling was erroneous for procedural reasons but also that Cox was wrong to consider the runoff a separate type of election rather than a continuation of the general election. In a one-sentence order on November 21, the Georgia Court of Appeals declined to stay the lower court ruling. On November 22, three Republican party committees aske the Georgia Supreme Court to halt the Saturday voting.

Hawaii: Maui County Council candidate Noelani Ahia and 30 Maui County voters have filed a complaint with the Hawai’i Supreme Court seeking to void the results of the Wailuku-Waiheʻe-Waikapū County Council race, and hold a new election. On election day, the County Clerk deemed the return envelopes of more than 800 mail in ballots deficient. The County Clerk may deem a return identification envelope deficient if such an envelope is returned unsigned, the affirmation signature does not match the reference signature image or the envelope contains other conditions that would not allow the counting of the ballot. According to the complaint, voters are given five business days after the election to cure deficiencies, but the complaint alleges that the County Clerk did not mail out notices to the affected voters until four days after election day.

The Hawaii Republican Party is suing Chief Elections Officer Scott Nago over claims that the elections office did not properly audit the tally of votes cast during the November general election. Attorney William Dean, who is representing the Hawaii GOP, said the lawsuit is limited to auditing procedures and that it’s “not intended to be used as a vehicle to overturn the results of the election.” The lawsuit relies on statements from election observers who say that “hand tallies” and other auditing procedures were not followed during a recent audit of the election results. The state has not yet filed a response to the lawsuit.

Illinois: The Illinois Supreme Court, in an unsigned order November 21, rejected a request by the DuPage County clerk to lift a local judge’s ruling directing the clerk on how she should verify the authenticity of late-arriving mailed-in ballots. The ruling came as November 22 marked the final day ballots sent on or before Election Day on Nov. 8 could be verified and counted — with a close race between GOP state Rep. Deanne Mazzochi and Democratic challenger Jenn Ladisch Douglass, both of Elmhurst, hanging in the balance. As of November 22, unofficial vote totals showed Douglass had a 365 vote lead over Mazzochi in the district, which also includes a sliver of western Cook County, 21,960 to 21,595. At issue in the case is how the late-arriving, mail-in ballots were being verified and counted in DuPage County. DuPage County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek filed for an emergency supervisory order from the Illinois Supreme Court to overturn the lower court’s ruling, contending the court could not interfere in the vote counting and that Mazzochi’s actions were premature since she would have an opportunity to contest the election once all ballots were counted. Kaczmarek’s filing warned that Orel’s action “invites political agents of any political association to file unauthorized lawsuits in the midst of counting votes in ongoing elections hoping that an Illinois court will assume the role of an election official and will order the counting of votes in the manner they deem fit.” Kaczmarek has appealed the ruling.

Louisiana: Former Shreveport city council candidate James Carstensen filed suit contesting the results of the November 8 election. In his suit, Carstensen alleged that: the votes in the election for District B were very close and not determined until Nov. 9, a day after the election; the redistricting maps that were used were not the ones approved by city engineers; and, there were irregularities with the voting machines. The judge says the allegations listed in Carstensen’s petition to the court about voting machine irregularities and incorrect redistricting maps didn’t meet court standards and lacked required details.

Michigan: A Kent County election worker was looking for discrepancies with election results when he was allegedly caught tampering with a voting machine after the August primary, a detective testified in court. The man, James D. Holkeboer, went as far as inserting a thumb drive into an electronic poll book to obtain voter information and compare it to a public records request he filed. From there, he planned to look for any discrepancies, the detective told a judge Monday during a preliminary examination hearing. Holkeboer was bound over to Kent County Circuit Court for trial on charges of falsifying records/returns under election law and using a computer to commit a crime, a Grand Rapids judge ordered Nov. 28. “He’s a part of the problem of information going out that there’s election fraud,” Kent County Assistant Prosecutor Felix Tarango told District Judge Sara Smolenski during a preliminary examination hearing. A trial date was not immediately scheduled. As of Monday, Holkeboer remains free on bond.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Phillip Green rejected MyPillow founder Mike Lindell’s demand for Kent County election records as a costly “fishing expedition” in Lindell’s effort to defend a $1.3 billion defamation lawsuit by Dominion Voting Systems. Green granted a motion by Kent County Clerk Lisa Posthumus Lyons to quash Lindell’s subpoena. The judge said Lindell’s request was unduly burdensome and ordered Lindell to cover the county’s legal costs. “It is eminently demonstrated that the breadth of the subpoena could not be greater,” Green said in an hour-long hearing at the federal courthouse in Grand Rapids.

Missouri: Greene County Clerk Shane Schoeller said he’s received more than a dozen records requests from people seeking cast vote records and he’s asking a judge to decide how he should proceed. Schoeller said he wants to be open and transparent but also doesn’t want to inadvertently reveal how any individual voted. He said his understanding is that the cast vote records print out in order, so if it was known who the first person was to vote at a specific location then the cast vote records would reveal how that person voted. “It’s important that we never compromise the secrecy of a ballot,” Schoeller said. To get clarity on his legal obligations, Schoeller filed a lawsuit in September against Laurie Huddleston — one of the people who requested the voting records. Schoeller’s lawsuit is assigned to Greene County Judge Jason Brown but will likely transfer to another judge when Brown retires at the end of the year. Roland said he anticipates it taking anywhere from nine months to more than two years to resolve the case.

Montana: Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen is appealing all four election-related laws that were struck down by a state district judge this year. In a notice of appeal filed November 22 with the Montana Supreme Court, Jacobsen indicated she would challenge Yellowstone County District Judge Michael Moses’ Sept. 30 order finding unconstitutional three laws passed by the GOP-dominated Legislature in 2021: imposing more restrictive voter ID requirements; moving the voter registration deadline back from Election Day to noon the day before; and outlawing paid ballot collection. The notice also appeals the judge’s previous orders in the case, including one that struck down a law barring anyone who turns 18 before Election Day from getting a ballot before their birthday. Jacobsen is the sole defendant in three separate lawsuits that challenged the four laws. They have been consolidated into a single case, with a dozen plaintiffs including the Democratic Party, Native American organizations and several groups that advocate for young Montanans. The Republican Secretary of State had not previously said definitively whether she’ll take the case to the state’s high court, but has vowed to continue fighting “to make Montana elections the most secure and accessible elections in the nation.”

New Jersey: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit has ruled that New Jersey’s limit on appropriate ballot slogans is legal, allowing election officials to prevent candidates from using other people’s names or slogans. The lawsuit came after Eugene Mazo, a constitutional law professor at Rutgers University, tested the state’s slogan law after a brief bids for the Democratic congressional nomination in New  Jersey’s 10th district in 2020 and the 8th district in 2022. Last summer, U.S. District Court Chief Judge Freda Wolfson dismissed a lawsuit filed by Mazo arguing that a requirement to get the consent of a party organization to use their ballot slogan was unconstitutional. Wolfson said that Mazo couldn’t “plausibly” claim that the statute violated his First Amendment rights.

North Carolina: The Watauga County Board of Elections is facing a lawsuit after they denied holding a hearing related to challenges against absentee ballots. Nathan Miller filed the appeal complaint in Watauga County Superior Court on Nov. 21 on behalf of 12 plaintiffs, including himself. The complaint states the absentee ballot challenges were filed by 5 p.m. on Election Day and that “pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat.§ 163-189(e) “Hearing Procedure-All challenges filed under this section shall be heard by the county board of elections on the day set for canvass of the returns. All members of the board shall attend the canvass and all members shall be present for the hearing of challenges to absentee ballots.” The complaint asks the court for judicial relief and for the BOE to hold the absentee ballot hearings. A temporary restraining order was denied since the court found that because of recount requests for three races, the canvass was still open and the election couldn’t yet be certified.

Ohio: Conservative operatives Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman were sentenced to working 500 hours at a voter registration drive for sending out thousands of robocalls with false information in the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election. The Cleveland-area state court also sentenced them to two years’ probation and six months of electronic monitoring from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. each night, prosecutors said. The duo pleaded guilty last month to telecommunications fraud after being indicted in October 2020 for the robocalls, which promoted conspiracy theories about mail-in voting. “These two individuals attempted to disrupt the foundation of our democracy. Their sentence of two years’ probation and 500 hours of community work service at a voter registration drive is appropriate,” Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley (D) said in a statement. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost (R), who originally referred the case to O’Malley’s office, indicated in October 2020 that thousands of calls were sent to Ohio voters, with a total of 67,396 phone numbers receiving the message nationwide.

Oklahoma: Mykey Arthrell, the incumbent Tulsa City Councilor for District 5, is asking the Court for a new election. His opponent, Grant Miller, who won the Nov. 8th election by a margin of 24 votes, says the law is not on his side. Tulsa County District Judge Doug Drummond heard testimony from both parties and gave them until 5:00 p.m. on November 22 to submit further case law that would justify granting or denying a new election. Both Arthrell and Miller admit there isn’t a lot of case law that is an apples-to-apples comparison to this case. Arthrell filed a petition in Tulsa County Court alleging irregularities after poll workers at that precinct did not hand out city ballots to the first 30 or so voters that walked in the door at Precinct 77 on Election Day. Arthrell says those 33 votes that were not cast could have fallen to him and would have closed the 24-vote margin by which he lost. He is asking for a new election. Drummond denied the petition saying that Arthrell did not provide enough evidence to prove that the outcome of the election was affected by what happened at one precinct.

Pennsylvania: Commonwealth Court President Judge Renee Cohn Jubelirer is recommending the state’s high court impose civil contempt penalties against the Republican-majority Fulton County government that let a third party copy data from voting machines used in the 2020 election lost by former President Donald Trump. Jubelirer’s 77-page report was issued late Friday. She says the secret July inspection and copying of computer data from machines rented by Fulton County was a willful violation of a court order designed to prevent evidence from being spoiled.

Delaware County Common Pleas Court Judge Barry Dozor on November 22 denied a petition to halt certification of the 2022 General Election, finding the plaintiffs failed to provide credible evidence of any wrongdoing by the Delaware County Board of Elections or Bureau of Elections. Later in the day, the election results were certified, and will be forwarded to the state. “The court finds the testimony offered at the Nov. 21, 2022, hearing confirmed the integrity of the ballot verification and identification process, the pre-canvassing efforts on election day, and ultimately ballot security,” Dozor wrote in his order. “…The chain of custody of ballot bags, ballots, v-drives and electronic paraphernalia to the Voter Services Center and the centralized counting center at the Wharf Building in the City of Chester is found to be safe and secure.” Dozor added that he found testimony from Election Bureau Chief Clerk Laureen Hagan and Director of Election Operations Jim Allen “candid, competent and credible,” and that the plaintiffs failed to provide credible evidence supporting allegations that ballots to unverified voters were counted; that at least 2,778 records of requests for mail-in ballots were deleted; that at least 194 voter registration records of individuals whose mail-ballots were counted were deleted after election day; or that “partisan third-parties” had tabulated the votes.

The Republican candidate in the 8th U.S. congressional district race is filing suit against Luzerne County’s Board of Elections. Jim Bognet filed suit after some Luzerne County polling places ran out of paper for voting machines. Voters were allowed to fill out provisional ballots instead, and a judge extended voting hours in the county. The 8th District covers most of Luzerne County and all or part of four other counties. Bognet trails Democratic incumbent Matt Cartwright overall. Bognet got more votes in Luzerne County.

Also in Luzerne County, Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-Pennsylvania) sued the elections board in Luzerne County after it did not certify its vote canvass over paper shortages at polling places. The board’s two Republicans opposed certification at Monday’s meeting, while two Democrats voted in favor and the other abstained. “Indeed, boards must certify the result of election returns regardless of any error or fraud that is discovered during the count or certification process,” the suit states, noting a Pennsylvania statute that instructs boards to instead file reports about fraudulent or erroneous returns to a district attorney.

Centre County’s President Judge Pamela Ruest issued a ruling in a case filed over the status of one single ballot in this month’s general election. The one single ballot court fight stemmed from a mail-in vote cast in the November 8th election. The voter is currently registered to vote in Centre County, with the original home address listed as being a Penn State dorm, but the dorm has been closed since august, and in their latest mail-in application, the voter listed two out of county addresses. Ruest ruled against the election board in ordering that the ballot shouldn’t be counted. Meanwhile, the legal status of dozens of other ballots remains unresolved.

Common Pleas Court Judge Harry Smail Jr. ordered machine recounts of election results from four voting precincts, but in doing so rejected requests to review by hand each ballot cast this month in the race for governor and U.S. senator. Voters in five of the county’s 307 voting precincts filed court documents alleging fraud and other misconduct related to the Nov. 8 election. It was part of a statewide effort to challenge the results that saw state Sen. Doug Mastriano and Mehmet Oz, both Republicans, lose their races for governor and U.S. senator, respectively. Smail said state law and a Commonwealth Court ruling from this year prohibited the authorization of hand recounts without evidence of fraud or other potential errors.  Lawsuits asking for recounts were filed by voters in Lower Burrell, Hempfield, Ligonier Borough, Loyalhanna and Salem precincts, each alleging fraud. No evidence of impropriety was produced when they were questioned by the judge during Tuesday’s hearing. Smail refused to allow testimony based on unverified accounts relayed by third parties. The county commissioners, acting as Westmoreland’s election board, on Monday certified results from 302 of the county’s 307 voting precincts.  The county opposed the hand recount requests.

Tennessee: The 6th U.S. Circuit Court Appeals ruled 2-1 ruled that state of Tennessee must pay more than $842,000 in legal fees to voting rights advocates who challenged curbs that the state imposed in 2019 on registration activities but later repealed while the case was pending. The three-judge panel ruled that the plaintiffs, including the Tennessee State Conference of the NAACP and the League of Women Voters, were the “prevailing parties” under federal law and entitled to an award of attorneys’ fees. The panel rejected Tennessee’s argument that the groups had not actually won anything lasting since the state withdrew the disputed regulations. The rules imposed training and other requirements for people involved in voter registration initiatives. Writing in dissent, Circuit Judge John Nalbandian said the organizations that sued should not be entitled to fees in a scenario where “a state-defendant voluntarily repeals the statute before a merits decision.”

Texas: The Texas Supreme Court ordered Harris County to include in its certified election results 2,073 ballots cast during an extra hour of Election Day voting.  But the state’s highest civil court also ordered Harris County to determine whether those late-cast ballots would affect the outcome of any races — and kept alive Attorney General Ken Paxton’s challenge to counting them. Shortly after the court ruling Tuesday, Harris County commissioners certified the results just in time for the state’s canvassing deadline. The court’s ruling was a win, at least temporarily, for local leaders in a fight against Paxton’s attempt to discard thousands of midterm ballots. Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee said the provisional ballots cast after 7 p.m. Election Day should be counted. Those ballots were cast after a district court judge ordered Harris County polling places to remain open an extra hour because many locations had opened late that morning. “The votes that were cast during that time period pursuant to a court order are still perfectly legal. And there’s nothing in the law that prohibits them from being counted,” Menefee said. “So our perspective is that those provisional ballots are no different than any other provisional ballots — they are to be counted.” Harris County officials argued as much in a filing to the Texas Supreme Court on November 22. That came one day after Paxton petitioned the Supreme Court to toss the late-cast ballots.

U.S. District Judge Charles Eskridge kept the League of Women Voters from attending a naturalization ceremony in November. The chief U.S. District Judge of the region, Lee H. Rosenthal, confirmed that for the November ceremony the voting rights group was not present. She and other judges in the Southern District of Texas said they’ve included the League of Women Voters at previous ceremonies. Eskridge said in an email to the Houston Chronicle that the situation may have been a “misunderstanding.” He emphasized that having only been appointed in 2019, months before the COVID-19 outbreak suspended in-person naturalization ceremonies, he was unfamiliar with such a tradition. He said he would “certainly consider that going forward.” While judges are not legally obligated to allow the League of Women Voters into naturalization ceremonies, granting their request for participation is considered a formality. The League has had volunteer registrars on hand at such ceremonies for over 20 years, according to Annie Johnson-Benifield, president of the League of Women Voters of Houston.

Washington: During every election in Washington, tens of thousands of ballots are rejected because ballot envelope signatures are flagged as not matching how they’ve looked in the past. In the Nov. 8 midterm alone, nearly 27,000 ballots were challenged based on signature comparisons by election workers, according to the secretary of state’s office. A new lawsuit seeks to ban such signature rejections as unconstitutional, pointing to data suggesting they’re subjective, error-plagued and disproportionately disenfranchise young people, people with disabilities and people of color. The lawsuit was filed in King County Superior Court by three nonprofit groups that work to boost voter turnout: Vet Voice Foundation, Washington Bus and El Centro de la Raza. Three King County voters whose ballots were rejected because of signature challenges also are plaintiffs. The 39-page complaint names as defendants Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs, King County Elections Director Julie Wise and two members of the King County canvassing board. Washington state law requires county elections offices to scrutinize signatures on ballots and verify that they match the signature on file for the voter. The complaint notes documented cases of voter fraud are “extremely rare” in Washington and that “few, if any” such cases have been caught and prosecuted based on signature matching. “Therefore, Washington’s Signature Matching Procedure has disenfranchised tens of thousands of lawful voters for no discernible benefit,” states the complaint filed by Kevin Hamilton, a Seattle attorney and election law expert who has represented the Democratic Party in election disputes across the country, along with three other attorneys at the law firm Perkins Coie.

Wisconsin: The City of Green Bay wants dismissed a lawsuit challenging the access election observers had during early voting. The Republican National Committee, along with four non-Green Bay residents, filed the lawsuit Nov. 1 accusing Green Bay city clerk Celestine Jeffreys of violating the law by not allowing people to observe all public aspects of in-person absentee voting at city hall. A judge had a hearing Nov. 2, and ordered the city to make changes for the remaining days of absentee voting before the Nov. 8 election. Although the election is over, the lawsuit continues. In a 10-page response filed November 22, City Clerk Celestine Jeffreys asks for the case to be dismissed, in part referencing the changes made. “Plaintiffs have failed to comply with a mandatory administrative review process and have failed to exhaust administrative remedies,” the reply states. “Some or all of Plaintiffs’ claims are moot, do not present a justiciable controversy, and this Court therefore lacks competency to adjudicate such claims.” No hearings have been scheduled in the case.

Michael Miecielica, 38, the man accused of bringing a knife to a West Bend polling location on Election Day appeared in court this week. Miecielica faces charges for that incident and another that happened days before. Miecielica waived his right to a preliminary hearing for both cases: one where he’s accused of sending racist and threatening flyers and emails around town and to candidates and the other for bringing a knife to a polling place. No one was physically hurt in either incident. Miecielica is held on a $50,000 cash bond. Miecielica will be arraigned on both cases in January.

Opinions This Week

National Opinions: Democracy, II, III | Election deniers, II, III, IV, V | Voting rights; Hand counts | Civics education | Noncitizens | Election reform | Ex-felon voting rights | Election Day | U .S. Supreme Court

Arizona: Maricopa County | Ex-felon voting rights | Cochise County, II | Certification, II | Defending elections | Poll workers

California: Democracy | San Francisco election official, II, III | Ballot counting

Florida: Election administration, II

Georgia: Floyd County | Early voting | Voter suppression

Guam: Election commission

Indiana: Secretary of state race | Youth vote

Maine: Election workers | Poll workers

Maryland: State board of elections

Michigan: Democracy

Minnesota: Democracy | Election protection

Missouri: Voter ID | Polling places

Montana: Election workers

New Hampshire: Poll workers | Faith in elections

New Jersey: Write-ins

New York: Ballot harvesting

North Carolina: Poll workers

North Dakota: Early voting

Ohio: Constitutional amendments, II | Secretary of state, II | Election legislation

Oklahoma: Smooth election

Pennsylvania: Vote-by-mail | Luzerne County

Texas: Election workers | Election administration

Utah: Voting rights

Washington: Election litigation

West Virginia: Model elections

Wisconsin: Ex-felon voting rights | Election reform

Upcoming Events

Bipartisan Policy Center’s 2022 Elections Summit: BPC’s greatest strength is as a convener, bringing together the best ideas of elected leaders, experts, and practitioners with an intentional focus on getting things done. Join us for a day-long summit featuring five panel discussions with elected leaders and foremost experts, moderated by journalists on the frontlines of democracy, voting, and election issues. Panels: Federal Election Reform in 2023; Threats to Democracy, Election Infrastructure, and Election Officials; Recapping Election Administration in the 2022 Midterms; Election Reform Efforts in 2023 State Legislative Sessions; and Election Information & Content Moderation – Review of 2022 and Projections for the 2024 Campaign. Featured Speakers: Jena Griswold – Colorado Secretary of State; Maggie Toulouse Oliver – New Mexico Secretary of State; Senator David G. Argall – Chairman, Pennsylvania State Government Committee; Senator Natalie Murdock – North Carolina, District 20; Lisa Desjardins – U.S. Capitol Correspondent, PBS NewsHour; and Jessica Huseman – Editorial Director, Votebeat. When: December 6. Where: Online and In-person.

MEDSL 2022 Post-Election Webinar: On December 14, 2022, we’ll be convening a great line-up of experts to discuss election administration and other happenings during the 2022 midterm election. From 1:30 to 3pm EST, we 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. In particular, the webinar will feature a number of the research teams that were awarded grants under our new Evolving Election Administration Landscape project. 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 14 1:30pm Eastern.

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.

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.

Board of Elections Training Specialist, Wake County, North Carolina— Are you looking to get involved in your community? Do you want to make a difference? Are you passionate about learning? If so, get ready to roll up your sleeves and become part of something bigger! The Wake County Board of Elections is currently seeking an experienced Instructional Designer/Training Specialist to join our dynamic and driven Training Team. The ideal candidate will be a strong communicator who thrives in a fast paced, ever changing work environment. They will have a clear understanding of the commonly accepted instructional design models, what it takes to be a behind the scenes designer, have a strong visual sense and excellent project management skills. What will you do as a Board of Elections Training Specialist? Develop training materials, including classroom presentations, manuals, workbooks, training videos and online training modules to facilitate comprehensive training for Early Voting and Election Day Officials Review, evaluate and modify existing and proposed programs and recommend changes Create schedules, design layouts for training facilities and adjusts room layouts as necessary between in-person classes. Train and manage instructors and assistants for in-person training classes. Serve as instructor for some online webinars and in-person classes. Collaborate with team members to gain knowledge of work processes, identify training needs and establish plans to address the needs through training solutions. Identify innovative training tools and methods to enhance the training program. Monitor and assess election law changes and incorporate the changes into polling place procedures. Develop and design election forms, precinct official website, newsletters, assessments and other communications. Develop high level design documents, storyboards, audio narration scripts, status reporting, QA and testing plans. Assists with Early Voting site setups and call center support. Assists with Election Day call center support and post-election processes. Portfolios will be required by all applicants who are selected to move forward in the recruitment process. 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.

Deputy Director (Democrat), Fulton County, Ohio— The Fulton County Board of Elections is accepting applications for the position of Democratic Deputy Director. Applicants must be affiliated with the Democratic Party.  Must be a Fulton County resident/elector (voter) within 30 days of employment.  Will be responsible for preparing and conducting any and all elections held in the county.  Administrative and interpersonal skills in dealing with staff, voters, elected officials, candidates and media are critical. This is a full-time position is for 35 hours a week year-round with extended hours required during the period before each election. Interested candidates must agree to a criminal background check, drug screen and submit a complete application package to the Fulton County Board of Elections no later than December 12 by 4:00pm. 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 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 Specialist, Oregon Secretary of State’s Office— n this role, you will serve as the front-facing customer service agent for the Elections Division. You will also provide administrative support for Division management and programs. This is accomplished in part by, but not limited to: Monitoring and managing the division’s public facing email boxes; Assisting voters via phone, email, and in-person; Processing the division’s incoming and outgoing mail; Resolving routine problems or complaints and escalating complicated issues to other staff members; Performing an initial review of documents filed with the division; Providing data entry assistance to division staff; Assisting division staff with mailings; Coordinating travel and scheduling meetings for the division; Providing support for records management; Fulfilling voter registration supply orders. Salary: $3,535 – $5,361/per month. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Elections Supervisor, Pierce County, Washington— The Pierce County Auditor’s Office is responsible for elections, licensing services, and public records. This position supervises an award-winning division in the second largest county in Washington State. There is plenty of activity between elections and experienced staff to accomplish division goals. The Auditor’s Office promotes innovation and process improvement. The Auditor’s Office Elections Division maintains voter registration rolls, conducts federal, state and local elections, verifies petition signatures, publishes a local Voters’ Pamphlet, and maintains precinct lines after redistricting. Pierce County has over 550,000 registered voters and conducts four elections each year. The Elections Division serves 114 jurisdictions (boundary lines, voter assignment, elections) and files candidates for over 500 elected offices. As the Elections Supervisor, you will have the ability to immediately contribute to the division’s success. You will be guided through the process with coaching-focused managerial support, a team that wants you to be successful in your role, and an organizational culture that encourages continuous learning and professional development. You will be influential across the state, networking with other counties, sitting on advisory committees, and collaborating with the Elections Manager on policy decisions. Salary: $36.44 – $46.33 Hourly. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Executive Director, Ranked Choice Voting Resource Center— The primary responsibilities of this position are to set and reinforce the mission and vision of the organization, define its strategic direction and implement strategic plans for the organization’s development, make executive decisions that drive organizational growth, and build and manage relationships including stakeholders and potential donors. The Executive Director works with the Board to set goals for the organization, governs over organizational activities and relationships, guides the organization’s culture, and directs communication to support the mission of the organization. The ideal candidate will define the organization’s priorities and direction, oversee staff recruitment and retention, and work systematically to meet organizational goals. He or she should be a self-starter with the ability to work independently and with a team. This is a full-time remote position with in-person meetings and travel as needed. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Executive Director, National Vote at Home Institute — The Vote at Home Executive Director shall be responsible for managing all aspects of the organizations’ operations. These major responsibilities include the following: Strategy. Recommending, implementing, and effectively executing all VAH policies and key strategies and programs as approved by one or both boards. Budget. Fundraising and budget administration, to ensure Vote at Home’s financial sustainability and the effective and efficient expenditure of available funds. Management. The hiring, supervision, and performance management of all staff, contractors, and contracts to promote diversity and equity, ensure a collaborative and productive workplace, and comply fully with all applicable federal, state, and local laws. Partnerships. The creation of collaborative partnership relationships with other key organizations and individuals to help promote and amplify VAH’s work. Communication. The effective communication, in a wide variety of public and private forums, of Vote at Home’s vision, mission, key strategies, and core messages. Salary: $120K-$160K. 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.

Legislative Liaison, Illinois State Board of Elections— Subject to administrative approval, acts as liaison between SBE and legislative leaders in regards to legislative affairs directly affecting budget, statutory requirement changes and legislative mandates; coordinates activities of professional staff responsible for implementing and executing division policies and procedures; plans new program objectives and reviews, evaluates and modifies existing programs in conjunction with Division Directors and Executive Director. Directs the preparation and implementation and coordinates all staff activity with respect to election and campaign finance legislation; establishes procedures for review and evaluation of all election and campaign finance legislation whether initiated by the Board, a legislator or other governmental entity; participates in the legislative process through direct contact and consultation with legislators regarding the merits or demerits of proposed legislation affecting the administration of election and campaign finance laws; testifies as Board representative in Senate and House Elections Committees; consults with and assists committee staff in analysis of election and campaign finance bills and amendments thereto. Directs staff activity in research and compilation of data to be utilized as a basis for Board initiated legislation or proposed rules and regulations; directs the preparation of factual, conceptual and statistical staff reports recommending Board initiated election and campaign finance legislation and assessing the administrative and economic impact of such legislation if enacted; directs and  presents an annual legislative program to the Executive Director and the Board for consideration and approval; consults with the coordinates Board program with the Election laws Commission; drafts Board initiated legislative proposals in bill form for submission to legislative reference bureau to be prepared for introduction; monitors and tracks the progress of all election related legislation and amendments of the Governor with respect to the merits and demerits of election and campaign finance legislation passed by the General Assembly. Assists in preparation of the annual budget and initiates and promotes Board appropriation bill in the General Assembly; directs the collection and evaluation of proposals for election and campaign legislation from other division heads and their staff. Salary: $5,303.00 – $12,374. Deadline: December 31. 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 Graphic Designer, King County, Washington— This is an amazing opportunity to be engaged in the election process! The Department of Elections is searching for an energetic and resourceful professional who likes to get stuff done. The Senior Graphic Designer in the Elections Department combines an exciting environment with the opportunity to cultivate talents and apply a variety of skills. The ideal candidate will thrive in an innovative, fast-paced environment and will not hesitate to roll up both sleeves, work hard, have fun, and get the job done. The Senior Graphic Designer will lead the design and production of a wide variety of election materials, including the voters’ pamphlet, social media and advertising content, infographics, educational brochures, and more. This position blends laying out straightforward and easy-to-understand government documents and publications, with opportunities to inject fun, creativity, and innovation into voter education materials and all things elections. This position reports to the Communications Lead. The Senior Graphic Designer will work with members of every workgroup in the department to support election operations and provide reliable and easy-to-understand information to voters. This position will also work closely with the department’s Language Services & Community Outreach team to produce materials in Chinese, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Somali, and Vietnamese. The ideal candidate for this position will be creative, detail-oriented, experienced in designing engaging visuals to break down complex information, and ready to collaborate with a team of election administrators, community outreach specialists, and communications professionals. Salary: $71,614.40 – $90,792.00 Annually. Deadline: December 12. 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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