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Election News This Week

Lack of Access: Researchers from the Population Health Institute say that lack of access to infrastructure like broadband, recreation facilities, and public libraries hurts voter turnout in rural places. The lowest voter turnout in the U.S. is in rural counties and small metropolitan areas, according to new data from County Health Rankings and Roadmaps, an annual report published by the Population Health Institute. The program analyzes health across a variety of measures for every county in the U.S. with the goal of creating awareness about the many different factors that can influence community health. One of those indicators is voter turnout, calculated as a percentage of voting-age residents who cast a ballot. In 2023, the focus of the report was on the connections between infrastructure, civic participation (like voting), and community health. Experts say that communities with better infrastructure have higher scores on measures of public health and higher rates of voter turnout. “Rural places have lower access to broadband internet, access to libraries, parks and recreation facilities, and slightly lower access to adequately funded schools,” Keith Gennuso, researcher at the Population Health Institute, told the Daily Yonder. These resources are what public health professionals call civic infrastructure, or the amenities that help a community provide services to its residents. unequal access to civic infrastructure hurts voter turnout because it limits the spaces where residents feel like they can organize and participate in community affairs. If people feel like they don’t belong to a place, they are less likely to vote, studies show.

Pushing Back: The County Clerks’ Association of Wyoming has sent a letter to the Secretary of State Chuck Gray refuting the claims of a notorious election denier gave a series of public presentations in six counites and met privately with some legislators and Gray. “Throughout those meetings, we have concluded that Dr. [Douglas] Frank conveys claims of impropriety but provides no proof to support his allegations,” Malcolm Ervin, Platte County clerk and president of the clerks’ association, wrote in the letter to Gray. “To be ‘Frank,’ we have done our best to inform citizens of election security in Wyoming,” the letter states. “Dr. Frank’s public tour of disinformation seeks to undermine the positive work that has been done — and continues to be done — to ensure the integrity of our elections. If what Dr. Frank says is true, we will be the first in line to seek answers.” “Secretary Gray meets with hundreds of people every week to discuss issues that affect them,” spokesman Joe Rubino said in an email response to WyoFile’s telephone inquiry about Gray’s April 1 meeting with Frank.

Staffing Updates: Tarrant County, Texas Elections Administrator Heider Garcia has submitted his letter of resignation, effective June 23. In the letter, Garcia, who has been the Tarrant County elections administrator since 2018 and is well regarded, cited difference with new County Judge Tim O’Hare as a driving force behind his resignation. O’Hare who campaigned against “mail ballot harvesting” and “Democrats cheating” created a county election integrity task force to look for voter fraud although there was a lack of evidence of any widespread fraud. “When leadership respects the team’s values and shows trust, members of the team become the best version of themselves. … Judge O’Hare, my formula to ‘administer a quality transparent election’ stands on respect and zero politics; compromising on these values is not an option for me. You made it clear in our last meeting that your formula is different, thus, my decision is to leave.” A meeting between the county commission and O’Hare this week became heated over Garcia’s resignation. The commissioners expressed support for Garcia. “It just seems to me that Mr. Garcia had an excellent record running elections,” Democratic County Commissioner Roy Charles Brooks said. “He was verified by every audit that was ever done of our election system. He had the respect of both political parties. He was transparent in the operation of the elections office.”  In Buckingham County, Virginia Luis Gutierrez has been appointed to serve as the county’s new general registrar after the previous registrar resigned in March. Gutierrez is serving in an interim role until June 30. Additionally, Woody Hanes will be filling the role for a Democratic member of the county’s electoral board. Hanes is a former educator and has served as a poll worker and precinct officer. Hanes said her main focus is getting the office functioning. “The kid thing is to have this office functioning,” Hanes told The Farmville Herald. “That’s the main goal. We’re getting the computers set up, getting the new registrar up to date. The office is open and it’s functioning.”

Sticker News: The Dinwiddie County, Virginia Electoral Board and General Registrar held an “I Voted” sticker contest to select the sticker design to be used in the 2023 elections. The contest was open to Dinwiddie youth under the age of 18 and invited them to submit artwork to be used as the County’s “I Voted” sticker. Stephanie B. Wray, General Registrar and Director of Elections shared “This was a way to generate youth involvement and solicit public input in the elections process. Our hope was to elicit a sense of community pride through the specialized sticker as opposed to using a generic “I Voted” sticker on Election Day.” A total of 29 designs were submitted and the Electoral Board selected six that would be shared with and voted on by the citizens of Dinwiddie County. The winning design was created by Chad Eric Edwards, Jr. When asked what inspired the sticker, Eric responded, “I thought about the reason why we get to vote. If it was not for our military and people fighting for our country, we would not have the freedoms we have now, and we wouldn’t be able to vote.” Eric continued, “I am thankful for all the people that continue to serve so that we can continue to have the freedoms we enjoy every day.” Regarding the new stickers, Emma Ruffin, Chair of the Electoral Board stated, “We were certainly pleased by the community response to this contest and will be honored to pass out stickers with Eric’s design during 2023 elections.” Eric is a junior at Dinwiddie High School, and also attends Rowanty Technical Center where he studies carpentry.

Personnel News: Harold Jean Brown-Williams became the newest member of the Georgetown County, South Carolina Board of Elections and Voter Registration Larimer County, Colorado Clerk and Recorder Angela Myers will retire May 31 after nearly a decade in office. Robyn Palmer has been hired for the newly created Education and Civic Engagement Coordinator (ECE) position in the Vermont Secretary of State’s office. Melissa Thurman is the new Los Altos, California clerk. Midland County, Texas Elections Administrator Carolyn Graves will be retiring at the end of the fiscal year.

In Memoriam: Former Oregon Secretary of State Bill Bradbury, who established the state’s first-in-the-nation system of voting by mail, died April 14. He was 73. He died after unexpected medical complications during a six-month, around-the-world cruise with his wife of 36 years, Katy Eymann. “Bill Bradbury may be gone, but he leaves behind a legacy in Oregon that will endure for generations to come,” U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley said in a statement. Bradbury served 15 years in the Oregon Legislature, retiring from the statehouse in 1995. Gov. John Kitzhaber appointed Bradbury that year to be Oregon’s 23rd secretary of state. Bradbury served for a decade, focusing on improving Oregon’s voting system and establishing more transparent campaign practices. Bradbury established Oregon’s vote-by-mail system, which has significantly increased voter participation since 2000. He also helped establish Oregon’s online political campaign contributions system, ORESTAR, which gives the public access to campaign finance information. “In battling MS with his trademark relentless optimism, Bill showed all of us how to bring good cheer and inner toughness to life’s many challenges,” U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden wrote on Twitter. “He will be hugely missed.”

Legislative Updates

Alabama: HB209, sponsored by Rep. Jamie Kiel, R-Russellville, would prohibit people from distributing, ordering, collecting, completing, obtaining, or delivering an absentee ballot of another person except for certain circumstances. If found guilty of violating this law individuals could be charged a Class D felony resulting in 1 to 5 years behind bars. The bill would prohibit and charge individuals from paying or receiving money for assisting with an absentee ballot application. If a person knowingly receives a payment they can be found guilty of a Class C felony equal to 1 to 10 years of imprisonment. If a person knowingly pays another individual to assist with their absentee ballot they could be found guilty of a Class B amounting to 2 to 20 years of imprisonment.

Arkansas: Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is expected to sign a bill to create an Election Integrity Unit in the state Attorney General’s office. Its goal will be to investigate potential voter fraud, but critics question whether voter fraud is an issue in Arkansas. House Bill 1513 was sponsored by Rep. Austin McCollum, R-Bentonville. The bill is based on Florida’s Election Crimes Task Force

Florida: A large bill reworking elections laws passed through the House State Affairs Committee over objections from Democrats that the measure will make it harder to register to vote and cast a ballot by mail. The measure (PCB SAC 23-01) would ban noncitizens and those convicted of violating the election code from handling voter registration applications and impose a $50,000 fine on third-party voter registration organizations for each infraction. It also reduces the time for those groups to turn in voter applications from 14 days to 10 days before facing daily fines of $50, up to $2,500. Other provisions of the bill would require voters to request a mail ballot at least 12 days before an election and would ban local Supervisors of Elections from mailing out a ballot within 10 days before an election. The bill also reduces the reporting requirements for political committees from monthly to quarterly. The reporting requirements used to be quarterly until 2013, when lawmakers eliminated donation caps while moving to monthly reports, arguing the increased frequency would provide more transparency for voters.

Kansas: Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed legislation that would have ended Kansas’ three-day, post-election window for advanced ballots to arrive, a bill that advocates worried would hinder mail voting in the state. Legislators will have a tall task to overturn Kelly’s veto, as the bill fell well short of the two-thirds supermajority needed to override in both the Kansas House and Senate. Currently, mail ballots are counted if they are received by local election officials by 5 p.m. on the Friday following the election, provided it is postmarked by Election Day. Senate Bill 209 would end the so-called “three-day grace period” and require ballots be returned by 7 p.m. on Election Day. Legislators in both chambers had previously passed bills to end the three-day grace period over the objections of lawmakers from rural areas hit hard by mail delays in recent years. This has led to worries that eliminating the grace period will mean that legitimately cast ballots won’t be counted, despite the best efforts of the voter. In her veto message, Kelly said the bill would “disenfranchise members of our armed services,” though the timeline for military voters differs slightly than for the general population. She also worried it would harm rural Kansans.

Minnesota: The Minnesota House passed a bill by a 70-57 vote that protects the right to vote and makes it harder to run political advertisements without saying who paid for them.  The Democracy for the People Act (HF3) includes automatic voter registration, allows 16- and 17-year-olds to pre-register to vote and allows voters to choose to vote by mail permanently by getting on a permanent absentee ballot list. A similar bill is still working its way through the Senate (SF3). Republicans unsuccessfully tried to amend a portion of the bill that requires more reporting of political ads to the state campaign finance board. Republicans unsuccessfully tried to cut a provision banning political spending in elections by “foreign-influenced” corporations, which is when a foreign group owns at least 1% of a corporation. The bill also includes a provision that would make it a gross misdemeanor — punishable by up to a year in jail and a $3,000 fine — to knowingly spread materially false information with the intent to impede or prevent people from voting.

Missouri: Lawmakers have defeated a bill that would have increased the state’s electioneering buffer from 25 to 50 feet. Rep. Peggy McGaugh, R-Carrollton, said county clerks had sought a 100-foot buffer and that a compromise for a 50-foot line had been reached. Current state law prohibits exit polling, surveying, sampling, electioneering and other activities within 25 feet of the polling place’s outer door closest to the polls. McGaugh said the concern was mainly with overzealous canvassers gathering signatures for petitions. Her legislation added “circulating initiative or referendum petitions” to the list of prohibited behaviors close to polling places. Lawmakers voted 106-24, with 25 voting present, against the wider buffer.

The House gave initial approval to a bill that would reinstate the presidential preference primary in Missouri. The bill was amended to establish that the primary will take place on “the first Tuesday after the first Monday in April.” As introduced, the bill would have ordered the primary to be held on “the second Tuesday after the first Monday in March.”

Montana: Senate Bill 566, which in its current form, turns the 2024 U.S. Senate primary for incumbent Democrat Jon Tester’s seat into a race where the top two candidates, regardless of party, advance to the general election, was debated in State Administration on April 14. The sponsor, State Sen. Greg Hertz (R-Polson), is proposing an amendment to remove the sunset date and have the 2025 legislature look into expanding the top two primary toward future congressional and statewide races, beginning with U.S. Congressional races in 2026 and all statewide races in 2028. Supporters say the bill ensures a winning candidate gets a majority of general election votes and will allow races to be about issues instead of party. “With six years being the longest term of any of our elected officials, plus with the U.S. Senate being our only statewide vote in Washington, D.C., we believe that a U.S. senator should have to earn at least 50% of Montana voters’ support,” said Danielle Tribble, executive director of the Montana Republican Party. Opponents say the bill is clearly targeted toward one race, and it stifles the chances of third parties winning elections while increasing opportunities for manipulation by political parties.

Nevada: The Senate Committee on Legislative Operations and Elections pushed forward on several bills that will next go to the Senate floor. The committee unanimously passed Senate Bill 406, introduced by Democratic Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar, which would make it a felony for any person to threaten election workers. If passed, anyone who attempts to use any force, intimidation, coercion or violence on an election worker with the intent to interfere with the performance of their election-related duties could be sentenced to not less than one year and no more than four years in prison.

The Senate elections panel also heard Senate Bill 162, introduced by Sen. Melanie Scheible, D-Las Vegas, which would establish polling places in county and city jails. The legislation aims to ensure that anyone eligible to vote who finds themselves in custody or in a detention center is still able to vote, Scheible said. It would apply to people who have been charged with a felony, have no prior felonies on their records and are presumed innocent until proven guilty, she said. The bill was amended to say every law enforcement agency that administers a jail or detention center must develop and implement a policy on voting in the facility. It must allow every eligible voter to cast a ballot, and includes coordination with local election officials to carry out the provisions of the policy.

The Assembly Legislative Operations and Elections Committee approved Assembly Bill 242, which would ban the use of paper ballots at in-person voting centers, instead requiring all voting to be conducted on machines. Also, the bill specifies that all ballots be counted using machines, and not hand-counted. The committee’s Democrats voted unanimously for the bill, but Republicans Jill Dickman, R-Sparks, Rich DeLong, R-Reno, Brian Hibbetts and Richard McArthur, both R-Las Vegas, voted no.

The committee also approved on a party-line vote Assembly Bill 394, which requires the secretary of state to create a procedure to certify election results if a city or county hasn’t completed its required canvass by a deadline. It would also specify that ballots could only be counted once, except in cases of a recall or audit.

North Dakota: Senators failed to override Gov. Doug Burgum’s veto of a bill that would have outlawed the approval voting method used by Fargo in some city elections. A 28-19 vote in the Republican-led Senate on Wednesday means Burgum’s veto of House Bill 1273 stands, and the proposal will not go into effect. The legislation sponsored by Rep. Ben Koppelman, R-West Fargo, would have banned ranked-choice and approval voting in North Dakota. Overriding a veto requires a two-thirds majority vote in each chamber — 32 votes in the Senate and 63 in the House of Representatives, which cleared that bar earlier this month. Burgum said earlier this month the approval voting ban represents an “egregious example of state overreach” that “blatantly infringes on local control.” The Republican governor noted the legislation would invite lawsuits against the state. Sen. Judy Lee, R-West Fargo, told colleagues Wednesday that overriding Burgum’s veto would improperly strip Fargo of its popular voting method. “At best, (House Bill) 1273 is a legislative solution in search of a local government problem where none exists. At worst, it’s an unnecessary incursion, intrusion and disruption to the balance of local control and the democratic process,” Lee said.

Oregon: A bill sitting in the Oregon House is aiming to extend automatic voter registration through the Oregon Health Authority. Secretary of State Shemia Fagan is pushing for the bill, HB 2107, as part of her 2023 Protect Our Democracy Agenda which she announced in January.  Under the bill, those who are enrolled in the Oregon Health Plan who are eligible but unregistered to vote will automatically be registered.  According to the Secretary of State’s office, about 200,000 (6%) of Oregonians are eligible but unregistered to vote. Of the 200,000, Fagan says 171,000 are enrolled in the Oregon Health Plan. In an interview with KOIN.com, Secretary Fagan explained that the Oregon Health Authority’s role under this bill would be data sharing — providing the secretary’s office with Oregon Health Plan enrollee information including name, age, residence and electronic signature (if available), for unregistered but eligible voters. The bill states the authority cannot give the secretary’s office any electronic records indicating that a person is not a U.S. citizen. The secretary’s office would be tasked with creating the schedule for OHA to send the data. “It would essentially be data sharing, exactly like the Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles,” Secretary Fagan said. “Essentially, they have information, when we know based on certain categories, that someone is eligible to vote – again, age, citizenship status and residency. Then they would transfer on a certain regular schedule.”

Portland, Oregon: City Council members expressed serious concerns with the city’s rough draft for its ranked-choice voting system, one of the three major changes Portland voters approved to the city’s charter in November 2022. The concerns, which were discussed during the first scheduled read-through for implementing ranked-choice voting, included a proposed limit on the number of candidates voters can rank for each race and the need for voter education for the methods and calculations behind the voting system. Commissioner Mingus Mapps, who was a vocal opponent of Portland’s agreed-upon version of charter reform in November, scolded employees with the city and county’s election offices during a series of questions regarding the ranked-choice system’s methodology. “Being real,” Mapps said. “Do we have anyone on staff at the city who actually understands the math of what’s happening with election thresholds, surplus fractions, transfer values, and how to translate that into what I think of as a spreadsheet that can capture the various rounds of what we’re trying to do here?”

Texas:  In 2021, the Legislature passed a law that is set to require counties to purchase vote-counting equipment that does not yet exist and that would cost taxpayers more than $100 million. The measure, when it was proposed, went unnoticed and passed on a voice vote without debate. After Votebeat reported on the unprecedented problem with the law and election officials’ deep concerns, state Sen. Bryan Hughes and other lawmakers filed legislation to ease the conundrum the measure had forced on counties, which would be prohibited from using their current vote-counting equipment and required to purchase new equipment each election. Hughes said during a committee hearing that there had been a “misunderstanding on the scope” of the provision.  Hughes’ new proposal, Senate Bill 1661, would amend the language of that law to allow counties to continue to use the voting equipment they have without any additional costs to counties or taxpayers.

Sen. Bob Hall (R-Rockwall) introduced Senate Bill 990, which would outlaw countywide polling places on Election Day, limiting voters to their residential precincts. As Hall stated during discussion, the voter would have “one place that you go, one machine which your vote will be put in.” The intent, Hall said, is to avoid prioritizing convenience over security. The bill previously passed the State Affairs Committee in March and was set to be discussed and voted upon this week. Hall presented his bill to the Texas Senate as planned. However, after presentation, Hall made a motion for suspension of the rules, the passing of which would allow a bill to go directly to a vote after having been laid out. The motion did not pass, and instead the Senate began to debate the bill. Hall ultimately withdrew his motion to suspend the rules, which ended the debate for the day. Hall explained he wanted to work on an amendment.

The Senate approved a “use it or lose it” voter bill that could purge voters from registration rolls who skip two federal elections. The legislation mirrors a controversial Ohio law that was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018. That law, and bills like it, have been criticized for having a disproportionate effect on low-income communities and people of color. Under the Texas bill, any voter who skips two federal elections in a row, as well as any local or state elections between them, must confirm they still live at the same address. County election officials would send address confirmation notices shortly after a federal election to any voter who did not cast a ballot in the previous 25 months. If a voter does not respond, they would be placed on a “suspense list.” The proposal passed 19-12 along party lines. It now heads to the House for consideration.

Legal Updates

Federal Litigation: Fox News and its parent company Fox Corp. have struck a deal averting a trial in the defamation suit filed by the election tech company Dominion Voting Systems over spurious claims of fraud in the 2020 presidential race.  Judge Eric Davis of the Delaware Superior Court announced the settlement from the bench on Tuesday afternoon ahead of the trial’s scheduled start.  The parties settled for $787,500,000 — about half of Dominion’s original $1.6 billion ask. The amount “represents vindication and accountability,” said Dominion lawyer Justin Nelson. “Lies have consequences.” Dominion CEO John Poulos told reporters, “Fox has admitted to telling lies about Dominion that caused enormous damage to my company, our employees and the customers that we serve. Nothing can ever make up for that. Throughout this process, we have sought accountability,” he said. “Truthful reporting in the media is essential to our democracy.” Fox News released a statement shortly after a settlement was announced. “We acknowledge the Court’s rulings finding certain claims about Dominion to be false,” the statement said. “This settlement reflects FOX’s continued commitment to the highest journalistic standards. We are hopeful that our decision to resolve this dispute with Dominion amicably, instead of the acrimony of a divisive trial, allows the country to move forward from these issues.”

Arizona: Mark Rissi of Hiawatha, Iowa pleaded guilty to threatening two Arizona officials in messages that mentioned discredited allegations of fraud in the 2020 election. Federal prosecutors said 64-year-old Rissi left voicemail messages targeting Maricopa County Supervisor Clint Hickman and Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, both Republicans. Rissi pleaded guilty to two counts of making a threatening interstate communication. He’s scheduled to be sentenced in June. Prosecutors said Rissi’s message for Hickman was left Sept. 27, 2021, three days after a technology firm called Cyber Ninjas released a report alleging a wide range of election improprieties in Maricopa County, which includes the Phoenix area. Experts said the report, which was commissioned by Republican leaders of the state Senate, was riddled with errors, bias and flawed methodology.  More than two months later, as Brnovich was under pressure from election deniers to charge people with election fraud, prosecutors say Rissi left another message telling him to “do your job” and threatening violence.

Santa Cruz Judge Thomas Fink refused to temporarily block Cochise County from putting all of its elections responsibilities under the County recorder’s office. It’s the latest round in a battle with the state over elections, which started with a dispute over ballot counting last year. It eventually led to the elections director quitting earlier this year. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes had argued that it was up to the Legislature to decide how elections are run in each county. In a statement Mayes said: “My office filed a lawsuit against Cochise County, the members of the Cochise County Board of Supervisors, and the County Recorder for their unlawful agreement to delegate nearly all of the Board’s election duties to the Recorder. The Agreement is essentially an unqualified handover from the Board to the Recorder, not one that would allow both entities to work hand in hand to fulfill their statutory duties openly and transparently.”

Pennsylvania: Two voters have filed a federal lawsuit against Luzerne County officials for claiming their constitutional rights were violated when they could not cast a vote that day. The two voters say they are hoping to have a federal judge issue some type of ruling that will prevent something like this paper shortage from happening again. “Well the genesis comes out of the 2022 General Election which was a complete disaster by the administration,” said Attorney Wally Zimolong, representing the voters. “Two of the voters are the plaintiffs in this case. They were told to come back one, two, three times. Eventually, they could not come back any further,” added Zimolong. It is aimed at the county in general, the election board, and the election bureau. “The First and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution say everyone has a right to vote and not to be unduly encumbered to exercise that vote,” Zimolong continued. The lawsuit highlights how a Luzerne County Judge issued an order that day to extend voting hours to 10:00 p.m. Some 40 polling places did not have enough paper and that forced many voters, the total of which is still unknown, to be asked to return to vote. “It’s not symbolic at all. We are asking a judge for a mandatory injunction which would compel the county going forward to make sure they do not deny the right to vote to any person to make sure they comply with the Pennsylvania Election Code and the administration to make sure that there is election officials are adequately trained,” Zimolong said.

The five-judge Commonwealth Court panel this week dismissed a challenge to how lawmakers have bundled together five potential state constitutional amendments on grounds the legal dispute was not ripe for the judges’ review. The panel said judges were not passing judgment on the proposed amendments themselves, which Republican leaders pushed through both chambers of the Legislature in the session that ended in November. Another round of General Assembly approval is still needed, and Judge Lori Dumas wrote that the court did not want to entangle itself in an abstract disagreement with no apparent concrete consequences. “If every alleged misstep in the constitutional amendment process resulted in a lawsuit, then the potential exists for protracted, piecemeal litigation, which could potentially conflict with election-related deadlines,” she said in an 11-page order. The judges dismissed the legal challenge that had been filed against the General Assembly by Democratic then-Gov. Tom Wolf and the woman who served as his acting secretary of state, Leigh Chapman. Wolf, who was succeeded in office in January by fellow Democrat Josh Shapiro, had argued the bundling ran afoul of state constitutional rules that prevent combining changes with multiple, unrelated topics.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court said Fulton County had blatantly defied the court when it allowed a third-party company to access its 2020 voting machines. The county had first given a firm access to its Dominion voting machines in the weeks after the 2020 election, prompting the Pennsylvania Department of State, which oversees elections, to decertify the machines and ask the court to block the county from giving any further access. The court agreed, ordering the machines be kept secure. Fulton County gave another company access to its voting machines anyway, leading the justices to impose sanctions on the county and its attorneys in the form of repaid legal fees for both the state and Dominion. “No remedy can undo the harm that the county’s contempt caused,” Justice David Wecht said in his majority opinion, but “simply are the next best thing.” “There can be no orderly and effective administration of justice if parties to litigation do not comply with court orders. Our close review makes clear that Fulton County willfully violated an order of this Court,” Wecht wrote. “As well, we find that Fulton County and its various attorneys have engaged in a sustained, deliberate pattern of dilatory, obdurate, and vexatious conduct and have acted in bad faith throughout these sanction proceedings.”

Texas: Harris County is battling Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office over its ability to withhold election records that have been requested under the state’s public information law.  In the case, filed last December, the county argues it should be able to reject requests for three types of information: voting records that are prohibited from release by state law for 22 months after an election, documents related to pending litigation, and working papers involved in ongoing audits. The Texas Election Code, in keeping with the Civil Rights Act of 1960, bars officials from releasing anonymized completed ballots for 22 months after an election. There has been a longstanding consensus that those election records are confidential during that period, according to Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee. “And then, out of thin air, our current attorney general decided that those records were no longer confidential and had to be produced to the public for inspection immediately following the election,” Menefee said. “Again, this was a complete 180 from not only the law, but also previous opinions issued by previous attorneys general.” The county is asking a Travis County court to rule Paxton’s office wrongly concluded the county could not withhold those records, but others side with the attorney general’s interpretation. Williamson County also is suing the attorney general on the election ballots issue.

A three-judge panel heard arguments for and against the acquittal Crystal Mason on felony voter fraud charges this week. A Tarrant County resident, Mason was sentenced to five years in prison for casting a provisional ballot in the 2016 election. She was on supervised release for a federal conviction and thus ineligible to vote, and while her ballot was never counted, Tarrant County prosecutors charged her with illegal voting. Mason has maintained that she did not know she was ineligible. This is Mason’s second time to appeal her conviction in front of the Second Court of Appeals in Fort Worth. Previously, the court upheld her conviction, but was forced to reconsider its ruling by the state’s highest appeals court. Attorneys representing Mason and attorneys from the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office each had three minutes to make oral arguments in front of judges J. Wade Birdwell, Elizabeth Kerr and Dabney Bassel. Recording devices were not allowed, and court staff ordered all electronic devices be shut off before entering the courtroom. The panel of judges grilled both the defense and prosecution on the intricacies of their arguments, and ended the hearing once rebuttals concluded. The key question before the Second Court of Appeals is whether Mason voted while actively knowing she was not eligible to vote. An amendment to the voter fraud statute Mason was prosecuted under, passed in 2021, specifies a person can’t be convicted of voting illegally solely based on the fact that they signed a provisional ballot affidavit. Instead, prosecutors must show other evidence to corroborate that the person knew they were voting illegally.

Opinions This Week

National Opinions: Election officials | Dominion v Fox, II, III | Democracy | Election denial

Alaska: Election administration

Connecticut: Early voting

Florida: Election legislation, II

Georgia: Election officials

Idaho: Primaries

Illinois: Ranked choice voting

Kentucky: Youth vote

Louisiana: Kyle Ardoin, II | Secretary of state

Massachusetts: Felon voting rights

Minnesota: Democracy | Ranked choice voting

Montana: Election administration

Ohio: Voter ID, II

Oregon: Primaries

Pennsylvania: Democracy | Ballot curing | Luzerne County | Lancaster County

South Carolina: Election legislation

Utah: Ranked choice voting

Vermont: Ranked choice voting

Virginia: Voting rights

West Virginia: ERIC

Upcoming Events

Disinformation Nation: How Partisan Politicians Distort History: Misinformation is on the rise. From cable news to social media, we’re very aware that what we’re hearing or reading could be wrong. And it seems our skepticism of the right’s version of current events should extend to our history as well. A new book, Myth America: Historians Take On the Biggest Legends and Lies About Our Past, dispels many of the myths being pushed about our country’s past. In a collection of 20 essays from top historians, edited by Kevin Kruse and Julian Zelizer, this important text shows how those on the right have used revisionist history to fan the flames of politicization and unravel the seams of democracy.  Join us for a live virtual conversation on Thursday, April 20, at 6 p.m. ET with historians featured in the book, Yale University law and political science professor Akhil Reed Amar, Emory University African American Studies professor Carol Anderson, and Northwestern University associate professor Kathleen Belew, as well as editors and Princeton professors Kevin Kruse and Julian Zelizer. Where: Online. When: April 20 at 6 pm Eastern.

Mental Health Matters: Taking Care of Yourself and Your Team:  Join The Elections Group at for another webinar in its Accelerating Excellence Series, with this segment focusing on mental health resources for election administrators. This conversation will highlight the importance of mental health and wellness as election officials begin to plan for 2024 and beyond.   The Election Group’s Senior Election Expert Tina Barton will host the discussion with guest panelists Avery Davis-Roberts, the associate director of The Carter Center’s Democracy Program, which released a well-being resource guide for election officials in 2022, and Harold Love, a retired Michigan State Police Captain and a member of the Committee for Safe and Secure Elections. Love is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) and owner of Harold J. Love & Associates. When: April 25, 12pm Eastern. Where: Online

2023 EAC Board of Advisors Annual Meeting: This meeting is to conduct an annual review the VVSG 2.0 Requirements and implementation, review the status of the EAC’s e-poll book pilot program, discuss ongoing EAC programs, and address election official security and mental health concerns. This meeting will include a question and answer discussion between board members and EAC staff.  Board members will also review FACA Board membership guidelines and policies with EAC Acting General Counsel and receive a general update about the EAC programing. The Board will also elect three members to Executive Officer positions and consider amendments to the Bylaws.  Background: On February 10, 2021 the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) announced the adoption of the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSG) 2.0, the fifth iteration of national level voting system standards. The Federal Election Commission published the first two sets of federal standards in 1990 and 2002. The EAC then adopted Version 1.0 of the VVSG on December 13, 2005. In an effort to update and improve version 1.0 of the VVSG, on March 31, 2015, the EAC commissioners unanimously approved VVSG 1.1. Where: Washington, DC. When: April 25-26.

U.S. Election Assistance Commission Public Meeting: Please join the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) for a public discussion about serving military and UOCAVA voters. Where: Online. When: April 26 at 1pm Eastern.

Committee on House Administration: Hearing on “American Confidence in Elections: State Tools to Promote Voter Confidence”. When: April 27, 10:30am Eastern. Where: Washington, DC.

Ensuring Accuracy: Post-Election Audits: It’s always a good idea to double-check your work, and in the world of elections, audits do just that: ensuring accuracy and providing an added layer of assurance to election officials and the public alike that election results are verifiably correct. Tune in for the third installment of NCSL’s four-part webinar series, How U.S. Elections Are Run, to learn more about the different types of post-election tabulation audits that states use (traditional, tiered and risk-limiting) and the value of having such audit laws on the books with EAC Commissioner Christy McCormick. When: May 12, 3:30pm Eastern. Where: Online.

Election Center Special Workshop: Courses offered will include: Course 9 (History III – 1965 to Present), Course 10 (Constitutional Law of Elections, renewal) and Course 15 (Training in Elections: Reaching All Levels). When: April 27-30. Where: Houston.

ERSA 2023 Conference:  The 7th Annual Summer Conference on Election Science, Reform, and Administration (ESRA) will be held in person from Wednesday, May 31 to Friday, June 2, at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia.  Details about this year’s conference program are forthcoming. When: May 31-June 2. Where: Atlanta

Voting Technology, Certification and Standards: As voting technology gets more sophisticated, so do the standards against which they’re tested. The Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSG) are a set of specifications and requirements designed to test basic functionality, accuracy, accessibility and security capabilities. Tune in for the final installment of NCSL’s four-part webinar series, How U.S. Elections Are Run, to learn more about the newest iteration of these standards, VVSG 2.0: What it is, why it’s important and what options legislators can consider for keeping their state’s voting technology as secure and accurate as possible with EAC Commissioner Donald Palmer. When: June 6, 3pm Eastern. Where: Online.

State Certification Testing of Election Systems National Conference: This year’s State Certification Testing of Election Systems National Conference (SCTESNC), hosted by Pro V&V, Inc., will be held at Huntsville Marriott at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. The purpose of the conference is to share ideas and solutions for ensuring voting and election system reliability, transparency, and integrity through better testing of systems. The 2023 conference will feature a panel discussion on risk-limiting audits by leading national experts in the field. The primary goal of the conference is to provide a venue for practitioners and academics to share best practices for voting system testing and management, to explore more efficient and effective methods for testing and implementing voting and election systems, and to identify common challenges and potential mitigation to those challenges. Additionally, the conference is meant to be a vehicle to improve the flow of information between the federal, state, county, and municipality testing entities. This is a working conference with expectations that all attendees prepare a paper, presentation, panel discussion, or other activity to share ideas and innovations in the testing of voting and election systems.  First-time attendees may waive the paper presentation requirements. This year, in lieu of an overarching theme, the conference organizers invite those attending to submit proposed topic presentations on any issue of importance related to the certification and testing of election systems. Attendance is open for all individuals engaged in the testing and certification of voting and election systems for government jurisdictions.  When: June 12-13. Where: Huntsville, Alabama

NASS 2023 Summer Conference: The National Association of Secretaries of State will hold its summer conference in Washington, D.C. Registration will be open in May. Check back for more details. When: July 9-12. Where: Washington, DC.

NACo Annual Conference: The National Association of Counties (NACo) Annual Conference & Expo is the largest meeting of county elected and appointed officials from across the country. Participants from counties of all sizes come together to shape NACo’s federal policy agenda, share proven practices and strengthen knowledge networks to help improve residents’ lives and the efficiency of county government.  When: July 21-24. Where: Travis County, Texas.

Election Center National Conference: The National Association of Election Officials (The Election Center) will hold its 38th Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida in late August. In addition to the conference, CERA courses and renewal courses will be offered. Check back for more information. When: Aug. 26-30. Where: Orlando, Florida

Job Postings This Week

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

Administrative Specialist II (Elections Specialist – Chinese), King County Elections— This is an amazing opportunity to be engaged in the election process! This benefits-eligible Term-Limited Temporary (TLT) position is anticipated to last until December 2024. A Special Duty Assignment may be considered for King County Career Service employees who have passed their initial probationary period.  The Department of Elections – is searching for energetic and resourceful professionals who like to “get stuff done”. The Administrative Specialist II positions in the Voter Services Department combines an exciting, fast-paced environment with the opportunity to cultivate talents and apply a variety of skills. The ideal candidate will have a desire to help ensure the democratic process through public service. They will thrive in an innovative environment and will not hesitate to roll up both sleeves, work hard, have fun, and get the job done. King County Elections (KCE) manages voter registrations and elections for more than 1.4 million voters in King County, the largest vote-by-mail county in the United States. KCE’s mission is to conduct accessible, secure, and accurate elections. As a leader in providing inclusive elections, KCE is focused on three key priorities – (1) actively identifying and working to remove barriers to voting at both the individual and community level, (2) strengthening relationships with community and governmental partners, and (3) creating a culture of professional growth and development, openness and inclusion.  Salary: $24.59 – $31.30 Hourly. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Assistant County Clerk, Santa Cruz County, California— Under general direction, assists the County Clerk, to plan and direct all activities associated with conducting state, federal, local, and special district elections at multiple locations; to plan and direct the delivery of Clerk Services at multiple locations including special events, and to maintain and secure official documents and records consistent with state and federal mandates. Acts for the County Clerk in their absence. Perform other duties as required. Salary: $9,549-$12,797/month. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Assistant County Clerk-Recorder, Nevada County, California— Under administrative oversight you can be assisting with planning, organizing, directing and leading the activities of the County Clerk-Recorder’s office! The Assistant Clerk-Recorder will provide highly sophisticated staff assistance to the Clerk-Recorder! This management classification position serves at the will of the County Clerk-Recorder, and acts on her behalf in her absence and provides full line and functional management responsibility for the department’s Recorder and Election divisions. This position is distinguished from the County Clerk-Recorder in that the latter is an elected position and has overall responsibility for all functions of the department. Salary range: $111,810 – $136,500. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Assistant Manager-Poll Worker Department, Palm Beach County, Florida— The Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections is looking for an experienced Assistant Poll Worker Department Manager. In this role, you will oversee the planning and the completion of various projects, administrative functions, operations, and specialized tasks in the Poll Worker Department. The work involves knowledge and application of departmental operations, planning, assigning responsibilities, monitoring election worker classes, maintaining records, evaluating performance, and the ability to review work for accuracy. This position requires initiative and sound independent judgement in the application of office policies, election laws, and procedures. Must be personable and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues, associates, and the general public. All work is performed under the guidance of the Supervisor of Elections. The ideal candidate will have an excellent work ethic, including consistent performance, reliability, and attendance. The desire and ability to work well in a fast-paced collaborative environment with a smile are essential to the position. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Associate Director, Political Science, MIT Election Data and Science Lab— To serve in a leadership role by working with the faculty director to develop and implement an expanded strategic vision of MEDSL and to manage operations and administration of the lab’s activities. Will bear primary responsibility for ensuring that the lab’s activities are responsive to the most pressing needs of election administrators throughout the United States and for maintaining robust lines of communication with election officials and allied research institutions. MEDSL is dedicated to the creation of knowledge, insights, and data necessary to increase understanding and guide improvement of elections as they are conducted in the United States. Required: bachelor’s degree; five years’ direct experience working in election administration or election science (which may have been acquired through work as a state or local administrator, leader of a nonprofit organization, or academic researcher); tactical and strategic approach to responsibilities; excellent problem-solving, organizational, project management, and written and verbal communication and presentation skills; organizational and cultural awareness; diplomacy and good judgment;  initiative; interest in contributing to the progress of scientific research by facilitating the work of others; discretion and judgment with confidential information/issues; and proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.  Must be able to achieve big picture results while paying attention to detail; follow through and achieve objectives in a timely manner; keep teams, projects, and deliverables on track; coordinate multiple tasks, set priorities, deliver results, and meet deadlines; exert influence, negotiate, and work across boundaries; and work independently and collaboratively. Preferred: graduate degree in law, political science, public policy, public administration, management, or related field. 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 adjust 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; and Portfolios will be required by all applicants who are selected to move forward in the recruitment process. Salary: $27.10 – $28.10.  Application: For the complete listing and to apply, click here.

Chief Deputy Registrar of Voters, San Bernardino, California— The San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters seeks a dynamic and innovative administrator who can lead and thrive in a fast-paced environment to manage our elections programs, processes, and team.  The Chief Deputy Registrar of Voters is a forward-thinking individual that assists with guiding the future direction of the department and its processes, taking a hands-on approach to find solutions while working collaboratively with a knowledgeable and dedicated team. The Chief Deputy Registrar of Voters is a key member of the Department’s senior management team, participating in organizational strategic planning and administering election programs. The position serves as a Chief over a division of the Registrar of Voters (ROV) office and has primary responsibility for assisting the ROV in planning, conducting, and certifying all Primary, General, and Special elections. Salary: $85,425.60 – $118,684.80. 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.

Consultant: Election Expert, Electoral Assessment in Michigan, North Dakota, New Mexico, California, Virginia, Montana, Mississippi, The Carter Center— The Democracy Program at The Carter Center works globally to support democratic elections and strengthen participatory democracy, consistent with human rights. The overarching objective is to enhance democratic governance and increase effective political participation for all, especially groups that have been historically disadvantaged or that face political, cultural, or socioeconomic barriers. This includes women, racial and ethnic minorities, indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, youth, elderly people, and other marginalized groups. This consultant position will support the U.S. Election Project within the Democracy Program including a team of Carter Center staff and consultants, to conduct a short-term assessment of election related issues in Michigan, North Dakota, New Mexico, California, Virginia, Montana, or Mississippi focusing on the electoral/political environment and the landscape for non-partisan election observation. The State Assessment consultant will largely be tasked with collecting information to assess whether the presence of the Democracy Program at The Carter Center would be useful, advisable, and feasible. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Contract Sales Professional, Vidaloop— We’re looking for a contract sales professional, experienced in elections, to join our team’s effort to increase accessibility and security for UOCAVA voters and voters with disabilities. We are a young but experienced company looking to expand our footprint in the remote accessible ballot marking field. This is the perfect position for a retired professional or somebody with an established set of contacts looking for part time work. Responsibilities: Prospect, develop and grow relationships with states, counties and municipalities for contracts and pilot implementations; Attend a few election conferences (this can be negotiated); Track and report all sales activities; and Collaborate with our team to prospect new business and assist in developing an operational team to meet and exceed customers expectations. Application: For more information 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.

Election Certification & Training Program Manager, Washington Secretary of State’s Office—   The Elections Certification & Training Program Manager reports to the Deputy Director of Elections and is responsible for managing the Certification and Training team. Certification and Training is a mission critical program established and required by RCW 29A.04.530, 29A.04.560, 29A.04.590. The Certification and Training Manager develops and manages program objectives and priorities, in collaboration with external stakeholders including independently elected auditors and election officials. Additionally, the Program Manager makes collaborative strategic judgments and decisions balancing competing program demands or priorities for resources; develops, modifies, and implements division policy; formulates long-range strategic plans and projects . The Certification and Training Manager also integrates division and office policies and reviews the program for compliance with policies and strategic objectives. The position is responsible for four mission critical functions: Professional certification and training of local and state election administrators and county canvassing board members. Review of county election operations and procedures. Testing of all vote tabulation equipment used in each county during state primary and general elections. The election clearinghouse and publication program. The Program Manager also manages the process for adopting state rules and is the Election Division’s liaison with the USPS. Salary: $83,000 – $93,000. Application: For the complete job application and to apply, click here.

Election Director, Ohio Secretary of State’s Office— The Ohio Secretary of State Elections Division is recruiting for a Director of the Elections Division. The Director of the Elections Division (often called the Elections Director) oversees a team responsible for one of the Office’s two main functions: the oversight of local, state, and federal elections. The director serves as the Office’s primary liaison to Ohio’s 88 county boards of elections and, under the general direction of the Chief of Staff, leads the strategic planning and daily management of the division, including the following duties: Supervises division employees, including the enforcement of workplace policies, periodic review of performance, and recommendations for compensation and promotion; Oversees the issuance of advisories and directives that inform boards of changes to state election laws and sets uniform standards and policies by which elections are conducted; Develops and executes a detailed plan to manage the division’s work product in support of all timelines and deadlines associated with the annual elections calendar; Helps to develop and administer the division’s operational budget to ensure adequate levels of statewide support for the Office’s objectives; Provides daily support to boards of elections, including troubleshooting and training, as well as assistance as needed with administrative functions such as voting operations, poll worker recruitment, records processing and retention, post-election auditing, budgeting, legal compliance, and all other expectations established in the Secretary of State’s Election Official Manual; Reviews feedback from the Office’s regional operations teams and provides follow-up and support as needed; Determines the forms of ballots, poll books, voter instruction notices, and other forms relevant to the administration of elections; Oversees the collection, organization and review of statewide initiative and referendum petitions; Coordinates the meetings and direction of the Ohio Board of Voting Machine Examiners and the Ohio Ballot Board; Assists in the development and implementation of election-related public policy; Supports the Office’s legal staff in fulfilling public records requests, addressing litigation, and supporting law enforcement inquiries; Frequently briefs the Secretary of State and Chief of Staff on all relevant developments impacting the administration of elections in Ohio; Advises on vendor and consultant contracts; Assists the Office’s Information Technology team with election data retention and analysis efforts, including maintenance of voter registration records, investigations of fraud and irregularities, and publication of election statistics; Communicates with advocacy groups and election officials seeking guidance on the Office’s directives, advisories, or strategic policy initiatives; Represents the Secretary of State as needed in meetings, hearings, conferences, and other functions related to election administration; Seeks opportunities to strengthen the influence and visibility of the Office with election officials, advocacy groups, and influencers; Assists with the development of the Office’s communication content to intergovernmental contacts and third-party stakeholders; Manages the logistical planning and execution of the Office’s statewide Election Night Reporting operation, which includes the collection, tracking, tabulation, and reporting of election data from boards of elections to an official website for public consumption; Assists the Office’s legal staff in ensuring compliance with applicable rules, disclosures, and filings relating to lobbying and ethics laws; Collaborates with the Office’s External Affairs, Business Services, and Public Integrity divisions to support their respective objectives, including the development of public voter awareness campaigns, informational publications, website content, and other communications content; and Otherwise supports the Secretary of State and the Office of the Secretary of State in complying with all statutory obligations set forth under Ohio Revised Code Section 3501.05, “Election duties of secretary of state.” Salary: $125K-$140K. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Election Program Supervisor, King County, Washington— This benefits-eligible Term-Limited Temporary (TLT) position is anticipated to last up to two years. A Special Duty Assignment may be considered for King County Career Service employees who have passed their initial probationary period. King County’s Department of Elections is searching for an exceptional leader to serve as a Voter Services Supervisor. This position reports to the Voter Services Manager and provides support for the voter registration program. The person who fills this role will oversee check-in, in-person customer service, petitions, vote centers, and voter registration maintenance and support for paper registrations, online voter registrations, and registrations received through the Department of Licensing. King County Elections (KCE) manages voter registration and elections for more than 1.4 million voters in King County and is the largest vote-by-mail county in the United States. KCE’s mission is to conduct accessible, secure, and accurate elections. As a leader in providing inclusive elections, KCE is focused on three key priorities – (1) actively identifying and working to remove barriers to voting at both the individual and community level, (2) strengthening relationships with community and governmental partners, and (3) creating a culture of professional growth and development, openness and inclusion. KCE believes that democracy works best when all voices are heard, and proactively work to remove barriers to ensure all voters can meaningfully participate in our elections. Salary: $36.67 – $46.48 Hourly. Deadline: April 25. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Election Services Manager, Contra Costa County, California— Contra Costa County has more than 700,000 registered voters and a population of 1.1 million. Located in the San Francisco Bay Area, Contra Costa County offers a great salary and benefits in addition to a collaborative and fast-paced work environment. Our office is vital to our democracy and our community, and we love to help our residents. Our leadership values employee development and engagement, promotes open and transparent communication, prepares us to be a high-performing organization, and recognizes the contributions of others. We connect with the community, listen to them, and provide a critical service that people rely on. We are looking to fill one (1) Elections Services Manager to help support our mission. The incumbent will report directly to the Assistant Registrar, work in collaboration with the Clerk-Recorder-Registrar and executive management team, and interact with leaders in other county departments, state officials, and vendors to carry out essential functions. Salary: $99,084.96 – $120,438.48. Deadline: April 25. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Elections Technician-Voter Services, Jefferson County, Colorado— The Elections Technician is responsible for supporting the operations and functions of Jefferson County’s elections. As the front office representative, the Elections Technician acts as the first line of communication between the Elections Division and the public. The Elections Technician performs a variety of general office support and exceptional customer service by telephone, email, and in-person and works to process incoming and outgoing voter correspondence, account for deliveries, manage inventory, order supplies, and provide general clerical support. The Elections Technician also assists office visitors with questions about registering to vote, curing their ballot, and becoming a confidential voter. This position administers processes and procedures for election programs including data entry for voter registrations. During election periods, this role issues absentee ballots, follows election security and chain-of-custody protocols, and welcomes visitors, election watchers, and election workers. This position also oversees and manages the work of temporary election workers performing activities in support of the election. Deadline: April 21. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Information Technology Specialist, Iowa Secretary of State’s Office — The Elections Division of the Office of Secretary of State is hiring an Election Technology Specialist (ETS). This position reports to the Director of Elections. The Elections Technology Specialist will be focused on providing technical support related to elections technology to the Elections Division and County Election Officials. The role will answer calls and emails for issues facing county auditors and their staff with the statewide voter registration and election management system (I-Voters), including set-up of elections, registrations, moving voters, merging voter files, running election registers and e-pollbooks, setting up precincts, and running related reports. Additionally, this position answers questions from county auditors about elections administration over telephone and email. This includes assisting with the new I-Voters and new website implementations and document known-user problems for issue isolation and escalation. They will troubleshoot problems with I-Voters and e-pollbook applications to ensure procedures are being appropriately followed and assist with testing application functionality to determine whether issues are program related or user problems. Furthermore, the person will provide insight to election software updates based on user feedback; format data coming out of applications to aid with meaningful analysis of information; maintain relationships with county auditors and election staff to ensure open line of communication between system users and administrators. The role provides documentation to timely topics for upcoming elections or processes required to be completed in I-Voters and reports issues that pertain to enhancements of I-Voters. Finally, the position will be working with data and shape files for redistricting and re-precincting, including data interchange and ingress/egress issues. Create forms or instructions, possibly including videos for counties to be able to better use I-Voters. Salary: $55,952 – $85,176. Deadline: April 25. Application: For the complete 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.

Program Manager-Strategy, Impact and Learning, The Center for Tech and Civic Life— When you think about elections, you might think about popular candidates, “I voted” stickers, and all sorts of paperwork and deadlines, but behind the scenes are thousands of election officials in state and local governments who are working hard to make sure ballots are counted and voices are heard. At a time when election officials are facing unprecedented challenges and scrutiny, they need support in order to administer secure and inclusive elections and build trust among the public. As Program Manager on the Strategy, Impact, and Learning Team, you will play a key role in implementing a multi-year strategy to connect and support officials across the country to meet high standards of election administration. You’ll report to an Associate Director in the Government Services department. Salary: $72,931. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Program Officer, Election Trust Initiative— The Election Trust Initiative, LLC is a non-partisan grant-making organization providing support to nonpartisan research, resources, and organizations that help election officials strengthen election administration. Launched in 2023, the Initiative’s founding partners are the Pew Charitable Trusts, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the Klarman Family Foundation. Election Trust Initiative operates as a subsidiary of the Pew Charitable Trusts, a section 501(c)(3) public charity. The program officer is part of a small project team that works to advance evidence-based and nonpartisan solutions that improve the accessibility, integrity, and trustworthiness of the U.S. election administration system. This position will work with the team and our partners to develop strategies to strengthen the field of election administration, identify and vet grantees, provide business planning and capacity building support to key organizations in the field, develop metrics to assess and monitor the portfolio’s progress in attaining its objectives, and coordinate strategies with allied philanthropic partners also investing in the elections sector. This work will involve building relationships with elections officials, researchers, policymakers, non-profit organizations, donors, and other key stakeholders. The position is based in Washington, D.C., though remote candidates will be considered, and it is eligible for up to 60% telework if working from the DC office. The position will report to the executive director of the Election Trust Initiative. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Senior Campaign Manager, Center for Tech and Civic Life— When you think about elections, you might think about popular candidates, “I voted” stickers, and all sorts of paperwork and deadlines. But behind the scenes are thousands of people in state and local governments who are working hard to make sure accurate election information is published, ballots are counted, and voices are heard. As CTCL Senior Campaign Manager, your goal is to support local elections offices across the country in advocating for adequate and reliable funding at the federal, state and local levels. You will implement CTCL’s nonpartisan advocacy strategy to support elections officials in administering inclusive and secure elections. You will execute tactics to support a range of key audiences including election officials, elected officials, allied organizations, and other CTCL supporters. Working closely with other members of the department, you will manage persuasion campaigns at all levels of government, and support the skills-development of key audiences to build power. You’ll report to the Advocacy Director and work in collaboration with other members of the CTCL team. This is a new position in a new department, so there’s room for you to help shape what the role looks like. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Senior Specialist-Voter Services, Johnson County, Kansas— The Senior Election Specialist – Voter Services will take a lead role on the voter services team within the Election Office. This position will oversee the office’s use of the statewide voter registration system and support other employees in their work within this vital system. This will require attention to detail and the ability to define a series of tasks to complete work within the system in an efficient and accurate manner for temporary employees. This position will also research and perform all geography changes within the statewide voter registration system to accommodate annexations made by cities as well as district boundary changes made by state and local governing bodies. The Senior Election Specialist – Voter Services will also participate in the programming of elections to include laying out paper ballots and designing the screens and audio for use on the ballot marking devices. This position will also receive and file all candidate paperwork including declarations of candidacy and required campaign finance disclosures. This position also actively mentors, coaches and collaborates with employees to enhance the county mission and vision keeping in mind the common goal of leaving our community better than we found it. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

System Administrator, Sarasota County, Florida— The Systems Administrator is an Information Technology professional responsible for the coordination, implementation, planning, investigating and serving as the liaison for all facets of data processing, to include any election related tasks. Salary: $40,996 – $87,630. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Technology Division Leader, Boulder County, Colorado— The Boulder County Clerk and Recorder’s Office is seeking to hire a Data Analyst. The Data Analyst will play a critical role in helping our office provide excellent service to Boulder County residents by collecting, analyzing, and reporting on data to support effective decision making and operations. This position will work closely with other team members to maximize efficiency and accuracy throughout the elections process. The ideal candidate will be team-oriented and will have the ability to build effective working relationships with others. Salary: $61,680 – $88,836. Deadline: April 23. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Warehouse Supervisor, Decatur 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. 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. Supervises warehouse operations and facilities; safeguards warehouse operations and contents; establishes and monitors security procedures and protocols; implements production, productivity, quality, and customer service standards; plans warehouse layout, product flow, and product handling systems; identifies trends; evaluates and recommends new equipment; and analyzes process workflow, space requirements, and equipment layout; and implements improvements. Researches, purchases, and inventories commodities, equipment, and other supplies; conducts physical counts of inventory items; records issuing and usage; verifies and refines or updates required bid specifications; and maintains related records and documentation. Oversees the administrative process through process assessments, measurements, and process mapping for better efficiency; formulates process documentation; organizes periodic and random cycle counts; formulates and monitors various administrative reports; populates database with stocking levels and other information for proper report generation and order tracking; performs regular maintenance on various inventory report statuses to keep system clean and updated; and reviews various system-generates reports for overall key performance drivers. Manages the issuing, maintenance, servicing, and receiving of various types of equipment and supplies from the supply room. Organizes and directs physical inventory counts; manages vending equipment acquisition, implementation, and orders replenishment items; and manages office product inventory for assigned department and emergency response procedures, non-stocked inventory, and expendable inventory items. Receives and reviews various documentation, including attendance records, overdue equipment reports, operational budgets, equipment status reports, stock transfer reports and about-to-reorder reports, and physical inventory reports; reviews, completes, processes, forwards or retains as appropriate; prepares or completes various forms, reports, correspondence, and other documentation, including inventory measures reports, open purchase order reports, performance evaluations, and performance measurements; compiles data for further processing or for use in preparation of department reports; and maintains computerized and/or hardcopy records. Facilitate all logistics related to the elections operation of voting sites, including moving equipment, furnishings, supplies, and materials; conduct pre-election testing and post-election equipment audits. Serve as site manager for VRE warehouse space; oversee the department’s inventory of voting site supplies, tables, chairs, signs, voting machines, and equipment. Attend and participate in mandatory ongoing training, including certifications and annual training. Salary Range: $42,937 – $66,552. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

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