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Election News This Week

Election Security Update: According to CISA and military officials, Iranian hackers broke into to a system used by a U.S. municipal government to publish election results in 2020 but were discovered by cyber soldiers operating abroad and kicked out before an attack could be launched. The system involved in the previously undisclosed breach was not for casting or counting ballots, but rather was used to report unofficial election results on a public website. The breach was revealed during a presentation this week at the RSA Conference in San Francisco, which is focused on cybersecurity. Officials did not identify the local government that was targeted. If not expelled from the site, the hackers could have altered or otherwise disrupted the public-facing results page — though without affecting ballot-counting. Major Gen. William J. Hartman, commander of U.S. Cyber Command’s Cyber National Mission Force said his team identified the intrusion as part of what he termed a “hunt-forward” mission, which gathers intelligence on and surveils adversaries and criminals. The team quickly alerted officials at the U.S. cybersecurity agency, who then worked with the municipality to respond to the intrusion. Hartman said his team then acted “to ensure the malicious cyber actor no longer had access to the network and was unable to come back into the network in direct support of the elections.”

Cascade County Follow-Up: The Election Protection Committee, a new local elections group in Great Falls filed an ethics complaint against newly elected Cascade County, Montana Clerk and Recorder Sandra Merchant and other county officials alleging electioneering and more than 20 untrained volunteers working in the Elections Office. The complaint was filed with the Commissioner of Political Practices. “The voters of Great Falls have the greatest interest in clear, timely, and certain information regarding the election, and in its successful operation,” the letter from attorney Ralph Graybill read. “Failure to conduct the library election or failure to adhere to your full responsibilities to conduct it fairly and in accordance with Montana law will likely severely damage the Great Falls Public Library and may result in legal action against you.” The complaint, which was made against Cascade County Commission Chair Rae Grulkowski, Merchant, and Cascade County Election Specialist Devereaux Biddick, said the elections office was involved in distributing anti-library levy stickers within the office during business hours. The complaint said she threatened calling law enforcement against people taking photos, as well as “allowed her staff to taunt and harass elections observers, and the press; (and) allowed her staff to chant and sing religious songs.” The complaint also said Merchant and Grulkowski were enlisting the help of volunteers that self-identified as election deniers and the volunteers had no oversight by the county.

Shasta County Follow-Up: The Shasta County, California board of supervisors is working through what it will take to hand-count the county’s ballots. This week, the supervisors approved hiring seven more people to help move to a full hand count of ballots. According to the Record Searchlight, with the approval, the price tag to do a hand count of ballots now exceeds $1.5 million ― about three times more than if the county would have kept its contact with Dominion Voting Systems and continued with electronic ballot tabulations. Supervisor Patrick Jones pondered whether volunteers could be used to help count the ballots. Registrar of Voters Cathy Darling Allen has said that counting staff and poll workers must be paid, according to California Election Code 12310 and 15103. In mapping out future costs, during her presentation to supervisors, Deputy County Executive Officer Erin Bertain said the total estimated cost increases to go to a hand count through fiscal year 2024-25 would be at a minimum $3.8 million. She called it a conservative estimate. “I’m really angry. What I’m angriest about is this decision was based on a feeling because people don’t trust a machine and I have a hard time wrapping my head around that,” Supervisor Mary Rickert said. “I also feel that the board should have considered all this information prior to making a decision. I think it’s reckless and irresponsible. I’ve used those words before, that the decision to terminate the Dominion machines happened so quickly without this information coming forward.”

Election Office News: The Delaware County, New York board of elections moved into a new location earlier this year. “We are thrilled with our new space,” Democratic Commissioner Judith Garrison said. “We received a small grant from the O’Connor Foundation to buy new tables.” Garrison said some of the tables in the old office were 70 years old and in need of updating. Cherokee County, Georgia Elections and Voter Registration has opened its new headquarters. The building was purchased for $1.5 million by the Cherokee Board of Commissioners in August to comply with Georgia State House Bill 202. To meet the requirements of the new law, which mandates increased viewing areas, parking capabilities and storage, the Elections and Voter Registration department needed more square footage strategically designed, according to a county statement. Washington County, Tennessee voted designate a portion of funds previously earmarked for the renovation of the former Princeton Arts Center in Johnson City to go to purchasing furniture for the county Election Commission’s new offices. Washington County, Arkansas’ election offices will soon be moved from the County Courthouse to a new home in the building housing the Road Department. The elections office is being moved so the county can expand the IT offices at the courthouse. County Judge Patrick Deakins said his goal is to put the Election Commission in the proposed Emergency Operations Center the county is planning to build near the Road Department. Hamilton County, Tennessee Election Administrator Scott Allen is asking the county commission for $500,000 to a new parking lot at the elections office. The Montrose County, Colorado Clerk and Recorder’s Office has moved into a new space. “We’re very much looking forward to the new building, getting out of the old courthouse and into that building. It has been a very difficult, rocky road, getting through it, but all in all, it’s going to be great,” Clerk and Recorder Tressa Guynes said.

Personnel News: Christina Adkins has been named the new director of elections for the state of Texas.  Chris Pritt (R) has his candidacy for West Virginia secretary of state. Bob Bartelsmeyer is the new Cochise County, Arizona elections director.

In Memoriam: Roy G. Saltman, a voting expert with the National Institute of Standards and Technology has died. He was 90. Saltman is best known now for writing a report warning about the issues with hanging chads on punch-card ballots more than 10 years before the 2000 election. In a 132-page report published in 1988, Saltman detailed how hanging chads — the tiny pieces of cardboard that sometimes aren’t totally punched out on ballots — had plagued several recent elections, including a 1984 race for property appraiser in Palm Beach County, Florida. “It is recommended,” Mr. Saltman wrote, “that the use of pre-scored punch card ballots be ended.” “It has always puzzled me why my report never got a wider acceptance,” he told USA Today in 2001. “It takes a crisis to move people, and it shouldn’t have.”

Legislative Updates

Colorado: For the first time in more than a decade, Colorado counties could get more money from the state to help cover the cost of elections. Election officials from both political parties requested the change and say it’s especially important to help counties meet new demands. Senate Bill 276 would nearly double the funding counties receive from the state. Colorado currently chips in $0.80 for each active voter in large counties. Smaller counties get $0.90. Clerks say that covers only about a fifth of what it actually costs to run their elections. Under this new measure, the state would pick up closer to half or 45 percent of the total cost. Democratic Secretary of State Jena Griswold’s office was asking for key changes. One concern is where the additional money will come from. Griswold supports the idea of counties receiving more financial help for elections but isn’t happy that the bill would take that money from her office’s funds.  The secretary of state’s office is primarily funded through business licensing fees. The as-introduced bill would force it to come up with an additional $5 million the first year it takes effect. During the final Senate vote, the chamber agreed to commit $2.5 million from the general fund to help reimburse counties for the 2024 general election. The measure now heads to the House.

Florida: The Senate approved a sweeping elections bill aimed at continuing Republican leaders’ efforts to crack down on voter-registration groups and ensuring Gov. Ron DeSantis doesn’t have to resign from office to run for president. Under the bill, approved along party lines, voter-registration groups could face a maximum of $250,000 in fines each year — five times the current $50,000 annual cap — for violating laws such as failing to submit completed registration applications to elections supervisors within 10 days. The bill (SB 7050), which now will go to the House, also would shorten the time for voters to request mail-in ballots. The measure also includes a contentious provision that would change the wording on voter-registration cards. The proposed change came after about 20 people were arrested for voting illegally, including some who believed they were eligible to vote because county supervisors of elections had provided voter ID cards. The bill would change the wording on voter-registration cards to make it clear that the onus is on individuals -– not on state or local elections officials — to determine voting eligibility. The bill also would require county clerks of court to provide weekly reports to elections supervisors identifying registered voters who have been convicted of felonies and whose voting rights haven’t been restored. Currently, the state Division of Elections sends lists of flagged voters to local officials, who are responsible for removing people from the voting rolls.

Kansas: Lawmakers have failed to override Governor Laura Kelly’s veto of a bill that would get rid of the three-day grace period for advance mail-in ballots. The Senate voted 25-15, failing to reach the constitutional majority needed to override the Governor’s veto. Senate Bill 209 would have eliminated the three-day grace period for advance voting ballots, requiring all advance voting ballots to be returned by 7 p.m. on election day. During debates, Republicans argued that the change would boost voter confidence in elections. “We had ballots that continued to come in for three days and flipped a couple of races before it was all over, and that erodes voter confidence,” said Rep. Pat Proctor, R-Leavenworth, who carried the bill in the House. However, some Democrats argued the grace period should stand so that mail has time to be processed at the post-office.

Louisiana: House Bill 212, that would reform Louisiana’s recall process split the House and Governmental Affairs Committee along party lines with 10 Republicans voting for it and three Democrats against. The new legislation would further lower the trigger for a recall and change how it’s measured. Under the latest version of his proposal, recall organizers would have to collect the greater of either 1,000 signatures or 30% of the number of votes in the most recent contested election for the office being recalled. Committee members also voted to adopt an amendment preventing recall campaigns from starting during the first six months after a politician is sworn into office, to prevent a defeated candidate from immediately turning around to launch a recall.

Maryland: The General Assembly session is now complete in Maryland and these are the elections-related bills that were approved:

SB379/HB535: This was the largest bill that lawmakers approved, and it does several things. First, it gives voters more options to fix a common mistake with mail-in ballots – a lack of a signature or an unclear one. Without that signature, the ballot would not be counted, says Senator Cheryl Kagan of Montgomery County. The same bill also makes a significant change that could bring final results quicker. Maryland is currently the only state that doesn’t allow local boards of election to start processing – much less counting – mail-in ballots until two days after Election Day. For next year, those boards can start processing ahead of time according to Kagan. She explains the difference between processing and counting. The bill also changes the primary election date for 2024. It initially was supposed to be April 23rd, but that date conflicts with Passover. It will now be May 14th.

HB1200: Lawmakers also approved paying election judges more. They’ll be paid at least $250 per day depending on experience. They’ll also be paid for each training course they complete. Kagan says that’s needed to recruit more judges. “We don’t pay them enough, and there’s a lot of stress that day and the hours are extremely long,” Kagan explains. “We also need people from both parties. And unaffiliated people are welcome too.”

SB863: This bill changes how the Maryland Board of Elections could potentially remove the Maryland Administrator of Elections, who oversees voting in the state. Currently, it only takes three of the five board members voting yes. Democrats and Republicans each get two members on the board, with the final seat (which decides the majority) going to the party of the sitting Governor. That means a party-line vote could remove the administrator. SB683 requires four of the five now vote in favor of removal, something Kagan says will require bipartisan agreement for such a drastic step.

SB287/HB509: These measures require the Maryland Board of Elections to post municipal election results on its website. Municipalities have 30 days to send results once they’re certified to the state board. Supporters say it will make it easier to find local election results having them on one site, as opposed to 24 individual local pages.

Michigan: The Senate passed a bill last week to give military members and their families more time to return absentee ballots, the first piece of legislation implementing last year’s Proposal 2. Senate Bill 259, which appears in a House committee hearing Thursday afternoon, would allow servicemembers and overseas voters to return their mail ballots up to six days after Election Day as long as ballots are postmarked by Election Day. Previous law treated them like any other voter, requiring ballots be at local clerk offices by the time polls close. Military spouses and voting-age dependents also fall under the bill. The six-day ballot extension was among a laundry list of voting access expansions put in the state constitution after Proposal 2 passed with 60% of the vote in November. SB 259 and other bills to follow aim to implement what passed.

Missouri: The House rejected a plan to reinstate the state’s presidential preference primary for 2024. For voters, that likely will mean heading to closed party caucuses to choose who will be at the top of the ballot next year, rather than casting a vote for a candidate at a traditional polling place. The measure, sponsored by Rep. Cyndi Buchheit-Courtway, R-Festus, faced little debate before it was rejected on a 65-56 vote, with 31 members voting “present.” Legislation needs 82 votes in the House to become law. In arguing in favor of restoring the primary, Buchheit-Courtway said forcing people to attend caucus meetings will suppress turnout. Party leaders on both sides of the aisle earlier called on lawmakers to approve the switch in order to include as many people as possible in the election process. But lawmakers were reluctant to reverse course after they eliminated what is considered a nonbinding “beauty contest” last year.

Montana: HB 774, promoted by sponsor Mike Hopkins, a state representative from Missoula, sought to limit the number of elections by mandating that city, school and special district elections be held in conjunction with the General Election in November. Under current Montana law, city and school elections are purposefully not held on with the general election, and the same is true for special district elections, such as fire boards.  “I don’t think it’s a great idea to constantly be having elections. Voters are tired and confused,” said Hopkins. The bill failed in committee after testimony from local elections officials. Fergus County Clerk and Recorder Janel Tucek said Hopkins never discussed his bill with the Montana Association of Clerk and Recorders. Tucek worried that piling so many different elections onto one date was a recipe for error, and she doesn’t think it will improve voter numbers, either. “Someone said the ballot would be 6 feet long if all the elections were on it,” she said. “I know ours would be four or five pages long. How many voters will care enough to get to the bottom, which is where all the local elections will be?”

Portland, Oregon: The Portland City Council has approved spending $675,000 to educate Portland voters about ranked-choice voting before they use it to elect a new council, mayor and auditor at the November 2024 general election. The city is seeking proposals from qualified individuals, teams, organizations or firms to create and coordinate what it calls a “vigorous voter education campaign” that includes an education, partnership and outreach plan. According to the city, the focus is on hard-to-reach voters. The winner will also manage sub-grants to community partners. The council approved spending the money at the same April 19 meeting it voted to change the City Charter to implement the voting system approved by the passage of a series of reforms at the November 2022 general election.

Pennsylvania: Legislation that would give counties a seven-day head start on getting ballots ready for tabulating and require voters be given the chance to correct minor issues to ensure their ballot gets counted won passage by a state House committee on Monday. The bill, sponsored by House State Government Committee Chairman Scott Conklin, D-Centre County, passed out of committee on a 12-9 party-line vote, positioning it for consideration by the full House of Representatives. The changes are among those requested by county commissioners and election officials for more than three years to speed up the tabulation of votes and to help clear up voter confusion surrounding absentee and mail-in voting process. Republican lawmakers on the committee, who voted as a bloc against the bill, raised concerns about provisions that they feared would violate the secrecy of the ballot and would potentially allow for voters to vote twice. Along with moving the start time for getting ballots ready for tabulation sooner than the 7 a.m. Election Day start currently allowed by law, the legislation would leave the use of the inner, or privacy, envelope for returning a ballot up to the voter’s discretion. The measure also would require counties to notify a voter if they fail to sign or date the outer envelope containing their ballot to give them a chance to correct it so their votes can be counted. Another change in this bill is it alters the deadline for applying for mail-in ballot by mail to 11 days before an election from the current seven days. But it would open up the opportunity for a voter to go in person to the county election office to apply for a ballot up until 5 p.m. the day before the election.

Texas: Countywide polling locations on Election Day would be banned in Texas under a bill approved by the Senate last week. Senate Bill 990, authored by Republican Sen. Bob Hall of Edgewood, passed 17-12 along party lines. The bill — if approved by the state House — would eliminate countywide voting centers on Election Day and require residents to vote at an assigned precinct, typically in their neighborhood. Larger voting centers would be permitted through early voting. Currently, 90 counties — including large metro counties like Harris and Dallas as well as rural ones — are approved by the secretary of state’s office to use countywide voting centers on Election Day. Officials with the secretary of state’s election division have said the program — which began in rural counties — is popular among voters because it allows them to vote anywhere in the county. The bill now moves to the House, where an identical bill introduced by Rep. Tony Tinderholt, R-Arlington, has not moved in the Elections Committee.

A bill that would dissolve the Harris County elections administrator position and return election duties to other county offices was passed by the Texas Senate on April 18. Senate Bill 1750 proposes giving voter registrar duties to the Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector and election administration duties to the Harris County Clerk. The bill was proposed by state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston. The bill was passed during the ongoing 88th legislative session in a 20-11 Senate vote.

Passed on party lines, a bill would create state “election marshals” from the Texas Department of Public Safety. The officers would report to the secretary of state. The marshals would have the power to intervene in local elections and issue orders if they believe an election administrator is running afoul of the law. Sen Paul Bettencourt said he introduced the proposal to stop rogue election administrators from contravening Texas law while conducting elections. The Houston Republican has filed several bills in response to an unfolding legal battle over how Harris County conducted the November 2022 election Bettencourt called a “fiasco.” Under the proposed law, the secretary of state would appoint a “chief election marshal” for geographical regions of roughly one million people. The chief marshal would have the authority to deputize other law enforcement officers as long as they are with DPS. Designated election marshals would have the power to issue commands to local election administrators to halt any conduct they believe violates the law, initiate investigations and make arrests. While the proposal targets county officials who conduct elections, critics of the bill believe it could have a chilling effect on nonwhite voter turnout and lead to discrimination. Democratic senators from Harris County were the most vociferous in their opposition to the bill. Sen. Carol Alvarado, D-Houston, said Bettencourt’s bill was “like taking a sledgehammer to swat a fly.”

Legal Updates

Federal Litigation: Smartmatic USA Corp on fended off a patent infringement lawsuit brought by competitor Election Systems & Software LLC, persuading a federal judge that the last patent remaining in the case is invalid. U.S. District Judge Richard Andrews in Delaware said the voting-machine patent covered unpatentable abstract ideas related to “the individual steps of voting.” “Our position has been vindicated and we look forward to putting this matter behind us,” Smartmatic general counsel Colin Flannery said in a statement Omaha, Nebraska-based ES&S sued the U.S. branch of London-based Smartmatic in Delaware in 2018. It said Smartmatic infringed two patents related to improved voter-assistance terminals and ballot-marking devices in voting machines that allow for “more accurate, secure, and efficient voting,” especially for users with physical impairments. ES&S said it learned of Smartmatic’s alleged infringement when the companies both submitted bids for a project to modernize Los Angeles County’s voting system, which Smartmatic won. It asked the court for an undisclosed amount of damages, including lost profits from the Los Angeles County project. ES&S dropped one of the patents from the case last year. Andrews ruled that the relevant parts of the remaining patent relate to the basic process of voting, covering the abstract idea of “giving voters a choice of returning or depositing their ballot.” The judge also said the patent did not include an “inventive concept” that would save it.

Arbitration: An arbitration panel has ordered MyPillow chief executive Mike Lindell to pay $5 million to a software engineer for breach of contract in a dispute over data that Lindell claims proves that China interfered in the U.S. 2020 elections and tipped the outcome to Joe Biden. Lindell launched a “Prove Mike Wrong Challenge,” in August 2021, to further his election conspiracy theories. Lindell offered through one of his companies a $5 million reward for anyone who could prove that “packet captures” and other data he released there were not valid data “from the November 2020 election.” Robert Zeidman entered the challenge with a 15-page report that concluded the data from Lindell did not “contain packet data of any kind and do not contain any information related to the November 2020 election.” A panel of contest judges that included a Lindell attorney declined to declare Zeidman a winner. So Zeidman filed for arbitration under the contest rules. After conducting an evidentiary hearing in Minneapolis in January, the three arbitrators ordered Lindell to pay Zeidman $5 million. “He proved the data Lindell LLC provided, and represented reflected information from the November 2020 election, unequivocally did not reflect November 2020 election data,” the arbitrators wrote. “Failure to pay Mr. Zeidman the $5 million prize was a breach of the contract, entitling him to recover.” Lindell told The Associated Press that he has no intention of paying and that he expects the dispute to land in court.

Alabama: A panel of 11th Circuit judges dismissed a constitutional challenge to Alabama’s mail-in voter registration form, In the 106-page decision , 60 pages were reserved for the partial dissent of one judge who argued the precedent supporting the decision was flawed. The underlying class action was filed by a nonprofit organization in 2016, claiming language on the state’s mail-in voter registration forms was discriminatory because it blocked from voting anyone convicted of a “crime of moral turpitude.” At times, the state has attempted to further define the phrase to include convictions for specific violent crimes, thefts, human trafficking and crimes against children, but it remained open to interpretation.  The majority opinion, written by Senior U.S. Circuit Judge Gerald Bard Tjoflat, who was appointed to the court by Gerald Ford in 1975, recognizes that the 1901 Alabama Constitution was “intentionally enacted to discriminate against and disenfranchise Black Alabamians.” But it also acknowledges the language leading to the “moral turpitude” clause ultimately adopted by the Legislature in 2017 received the support of 76% of voters on a constitutional amendment in the 1996 primary election and was subsequently granted preclearance from the U.S. Department of Justice.

Arizona: The Arizona Court of Appeals has rejected a bid by the Arizona Republican Party and its lawyers to undo $18,000 in attorneys’ fees that they were ordered to pay for bringing one of the party’s failed lawsuits challenging the 2020 election results. In an order he Arizona Court of Appeals affirmed the dismissal of the party’s lawsuit, concluding that evidence supported a lower-court judge finding that the party’s legal claims were groundless and rejecting its allegation that the judge stuck them with the attorneys’ fees for primarily political motives.  The appeals court wrote, “The First Amendment does not shield attorneys or parties from a court’s obligation” under a law requiring judges to impose attorneys’ fees against those who bring claims to court without substantial justification or to delay or harass.  The lower-court judge found the state GOP had waited too long to file its challenge, and the Court of Appeals concluded that the party had waived any challenge of that portion of the ruling.

Florida: The League of Women Voters of Florida and the Florida State Conference of the NAACP filed a lawsuit in federal court against Florida’s Secretary of State Cord Byrd, claiming that the state’s voter registration application form violates the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA). The groups allege that the form’s lack of information regarding the voter’s eligibility requirements for those with previous criminal convictions “creates confusion, impedes the organizations’ voter registration activities and puts people in danger of criminal penalties,” according to a press release. In addition, the plaintiffs are calling for the court to declare that the current voter application registration form should be thrown out, and for the state to “convey” the revised application and its content to Florida’s Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, so that they “may develop a voter registration application that is the same in content, format and size as the uniform statewide uniform voter registration application” as currently prescribed in state law, according to the lawsuit.

Georgia: Voting rights groups are going to federal court to block part of a law the General Assembly passed two years ago prohibiting volunteers from providing food and water to voters waiting in long lines at the polls. Groups including the Southern Poverty Law Center and the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia are seeking a preliminary injunction as part of a broader lawsuit that challenges changes to state election law Gov. Brian Kemp and Republican legislative leaders pushed through the General Assembly along party lines. Senate Bill 202 requires voters seeking to cast absentee ballots to show a photo ID, a provision that already applied to in-person voting. The law also limits the number of absentee ballot drop boxes and prohibits non-poll workers from handing out food and drinks within 150 feet of voters standing in line. “There can be no reason for denying food or water to people in long polling lines, other than trying to prevent them from exercising their freedom to vote,” Poy Winichakul, senior staff attorney for voting rights with the Southern Poverty Law Center, said Monday. “These barriers to voting must be removed so all Georgians can have a voice to advocate for their communities in the crucial 2024 elections.” Civil rights groups sought to block the line relief ban before last year’s elections. But a federal judge denied the motion last August, arguing changing election laws close to an election would confuse voters.  However, the ruling only applied to last year’s elections, leaving the door open for the law’s opponents to seek court relief before next year’s voting.

Kentucky: Monroe County James “Darrell” Jackson and six other people from Monroe and Barren counties have been indicted in a case of alleged criminal activity related to the 2022 primary election. Jackson and several others are accused of engaging in vote-buying, among other crimes, according to a news release from the Kentucky attorney general’s office. A Monroe County grand jury handed down an indictment Thursday alleging 40 felony counts of election-related crimes, the AG’s office said. The attorney general’s Department of Criminal Investigations began investigating after receiving a tip through the Election Fraud Hotline, the release states. In addition to those charges, James “Darrell” Jackson also faces five counts of making or receiving expenditures for voting. Sherrye Jackson is facing one additional count of first-degree perjury. Lisa Jackson faces 17 counts of making or receiving expenditures for voting and one count of first-degree persistent felony offender. And Mary Jackson faces six counts of making or receiving expenditures for voting and one count of second-degree forgery. Tommy McClendon 69, of Tompkinsville, was indicted on four counts of making or receiving expenditures for voting. 

Michigan: Circuit Court Judge Mark Latchana ordered former Flint Township Clerk Kathy Funk to write a public apology as part of her sentence for “misconduct in office.” Funk entered a “no contest” plea to the charge linked to allegations she tampered with a ballot container just after the 2020 August Primary. At the time, Funk was in a close re-election race. “Misconduct in Office” is a felony, punishable by up to five years in  prison. But as part of a plea deal, prosecutors agreed to no jail time for Funk. Latchana sentenced Funk to 24-months probation, along with a fine and court costs. She’ll also be on an electronic tether for 180 days In handing down the sentence, the judge stressed the importance of “election integrity.” Sherry Ann Duntley, a clerk for Little Traverse Township is facing willful neglect of duty charges related to the 2022 election. The Michigan Attorney General alleges that Duntley attempted to influence voters’ decisions on three ballot proposals. She was arraigned last month in the 90th District Court in Emmet County on one count of common law offenses, which is a felony, and one count of willful neglect of duty, which is a misdemeanor. An arraignment is a formal reading of the charges. Duntley has not been convicted of a crime.

New Jersey: A Teaneck resident is suing Bergen County election officials after a public records request for ballot test decks and logic and accuracy tests for all equipment used in the 2022 general election was denied. “Transparency is the cure for conspiracy,” Yehuda Miller said. “While I believe our elections should be conducted Amish style, paper ballots with hand count, if we are going to use electronic equipment it should be as transparent as possible.” The lawsuit lists the Bergen County Board of Elections, Superintendents of Elections Debra Francica and Jamie Sheehan-Willis, Chairman and Commissioner of the Board of Elections Richard Miller, secretary of the Board of Elections Denise Ross, Commissioners of the Board of Elections Margaret Frontera, Jamie Lagana, Angela Malagiere and John Schettino, and Bergen County Clerk John Hogan. Miller filed an open public records request in February for access to copies of all ballot test decks used to conduct logic and accuracy tests for all equipment related to Election Day, early voting and mail-in voting for the 2022 general election, which he believed should be available through the common law right of access. The request was denied on March 1 because “ballot test decks are exempt from disclosure pursuant to N.J.S.A. 47:1A:1.1 as technical information regarding computer hardware, software and networks which, if disclosed, would jeopardize computer security for future elections,” according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit argues that the OPRA request was valid and the information records are public and not subject to any privilege or exception. “The test decks are public records because they are created and received by public officials,” the lawsuit said.

Ohio: James Dalton Saunders, 57, an attorney from Shaker Heights, has been indicted for voter fraud for voting in both Ohio and Florida in 2020 and 2022. Sec. of State Frank LaRose confirmed he was flagged by the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), a leading national source for making sure citizens aren’t voting in multiple states. ERIC brought the case to the secretary’s office, who referred it to the attorney general, who then referred it to Cuyahoga County, according to LaRose’s team.

South Dakota: Daniel J. Schoonhoven, 57 of Brookings, has been found guilty of voter fraud by a Brookings County jury. Court documents show that between the dates of Sept. 30, 2022 and Nov. 4, 2022 Schoonhoven attempted to vote more than once, having voted absentee, and then attempted to vote again in-person. The documents specify that Schoonhoven either did vote, or offered to vote twice. He pled not guilty, claiming that he’d forgotten he had already voted. Under 12-26-8, any person who “votes more than once at any election or who offers to vote after having once voted, either in the same or in another election precinct in South Dakota or elsewhere, is guilty of a Class 6 felony.” According to documents, jurors were instructed at the time of trial that Schoonhoven had indeed voted or offered to vote twice, that any person who does so is guilty of a crime, and that for the crime to have been committed, the perpetrator must have intended to vote or offer to vote more than once.

Texas: Frederick Francis Goltz signed a plea deal. He was accused of issuing threats on the internet to kill children, Jews and election workers. In November 2022, Goltz, age 51 at the time, was a Canadian citizen living in Lubbock, according to previous court records. He was using Gab.com and Patriots.win to discuss his frustration with the election results in Arizona. Concerning an election official in Arizona he wrote, “Someone needs to get these people AND their children.” As part of the plea deal he admitted he wrote the threat. He also admitted writing, “Yeah, but when it’s me, I’m willing to take lives. That’s the difference. If you’re being unfairly and illegally persecuted, it’s built right into the Constitution that you are supposed to protect yourself against a tyrannical government. This means their children are not off limits either.” The plea deal said Goltz admits he sent the threats on the internet from his home. They were meant to be true threats and understood as true threats. Goltz took a deal on the first count against him a federal indictment, namely, Interstate Threatening Communications. The other counts against him were dropped. If a judge accepts the deal, Goltz will be sentenced at a later date to no more than five years in federal prison.

Opinions This Week

National Opinions: Dominion v Fox, II, III, IV | Election deniers | Senior polling places | Election officials | Election lies | Youth vote | Voting practices

Arizona: Election reform

California: Ranked choice voting

Colorado: Larimer County

Florida: Election legislation

Georgia: The Big Lie

Kansas: Primaries

Louisiana: Election rigging | Voting equipment

Michigan: Election legislation | Guns at polling places

Minnesota: Election reform | Ranked choice voting | Automatic voter registration

Mississippi: Election laws

Nebraska: Voter ID

Nevada: Future elections| National Popular Vote

Ohio: Special election

Texas: Election legislation, II | Tarrant County, II

Virginia: Ex-felon voting rights

Upcoming Events

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. 

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.

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.

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.

Operations Associate, NASED— This position is part-time and fully remote, but the candidate must live in the United States. Travel to support NASED’s Winter and Summer conferences is required (approximately 10 days per year). This position reports to NASED’s Executive Director. This role does not supervise any staff. A part-time (approximately 20 hours per week), fully remote, Operations Associate for a small nonpartisan, nonprofit membership association. Reporting to the Executive Director, this new role will support all the organization’s operational needs. The responsibilities of this position will include, but are not limited to, the following: Help update and maintain website content; Help maintain NASED’s social media presence, including developing content and creating basic graphics; Work with NASED’s controller on monthly financial reports and with the auditor and accountant on annual reports and filings; Monitor and assist with responses to inquiries sent to NASED’s shared inboxes; Maintain organization distribution lists; Assist with scheduling Board and Committee meetings; Assist with conference planning, including developing the conference website via the conference management platform, creating and proofing materials, planning activities, and budgeting; Support the execution of two national conferences per year; Create and send annual invoices to organization members and Corporate Affiliate members; Other duties and special projects as assigned. 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.

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.

Marketplace

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