electionline Weekly

electionline Daily News Email

What’s the best part of waking up? electionline Daily News in your inbox of course so be sure to sign up for your daily dose.

Each morning you’ll receive the top headlines of the day, plus a listing of states featured in that day’s news round up.

To sign up, simply visit our site and provide us with your email and you’ll begin receiving the news in your inbox each morning.

We Google so you don’t  have to!

Election News This Week

2024 Primaries: Next week is Super Tuesday with voters in 15 states casting ballots for president and in some states other offices as well. Early voting has been varied from state to state and in some places issues have arisen due to the weather, the U.S. Postal Service and new laws. In Northern California, counties are finishing up early voting and bracing for a potentially historic snowstorm. The Placer County Elections Office said in a statement they are “always ready with contingency plans, especially when it comes to navigating extreme weather conditions.” Registrar of Voters Ryan Ronco “There are concerns that we need to put in place to make sure we’re ready and have our procedures dialed in,” said Ryan Ronco. He said they already have the equipment in place: power generators, snow blowers, ice melt and light towers. Ronco said they will also use work release inmates to shovel sidewalks and parking lots and will rely on Cal Trans snow plows to help deliver the ballots to the election office. “That we have a path to getting the ballots back down to the mothership,” he said. In Virginia, some jurisdictions, including Richmond, were encouraging Super Tuesday voters to avoid using the U.S. Postal Service to cast their ballots. General Registrar Keith Balmer said some residents still have not received their ballots, sent Jan. 10. However in nearby Chesterfield and Henrico counties, no problems have been noted with mail delivery. “Any problems we’ve seen, it’s not been going out to the voters coming back in,” Henrico Registrar Mark Coakley said. “The rates are lower, but again, the voters can be holding onto their ballots or just not voting for this election. I’ve heard more people do not get Christmas cards than absentee ballots.” In North Carolina, which is implementing voter ID statewide for the first time this primary, there have not been reports of many issues. In Forsyth County, there have been no major problems during early voting so far this year, according to Elections Director Tim Tsujii. “With it being a primary election in an even-numbered year cycle, we’ve yet to experience any major issues or challenges with any of the law changes,” he says. While the new-ish ID law seems to be rolling out smoothly, officials in the Tarheel State are warning that new law which may delay the reporting of results is spawning conspiracy theories about a stolen election. The North Carolina State Board of Elections official Xwitter account responded to one post: “No, we are saying that changes in the law necessitate changes in process. Please read the law, which is available via links in the press release. Talk to someone who understands the process. Spreading misinformation and conspiracy theories about elections helps no one.” While those states are gearing up for their primaries, the 2024 presidential primary is now in the books in Michigan. About 1 million Michiganders voted in advance of the Feb. 27 primary, either by mail or taking advantage of the first year of early voting. This led to a relatively quiet and problem-free primary day. Ann Arbor had the highest early voting turnout of any jurisdiction in the state. “Early voting is here, on-demand voting is a reality and in Ann Arbor it is incredibly successful,” Mayor Christopher Taylor said. Livingston County Clerk Elizabeth Hundley said it was quiet and went pretty smoothly. She said they had a little issue with one electronic poll book in a jurisdiction and Green Oak Township had a transformer go out and four precincts there lost power but “the local clerks do what the local clerks do” – meaning they assess the situation and adapt. Hundley said three of the precincts were on automatic back-up generators and the fourth had a generator delivered in short order and voting was never interrupted. With national conversations around voters being skeptical of the voting process, poll worker Kathleen Edwards said working the behind-the-scenes of the polling location in Ferrysburg has ruled out that question for her. “Especially in Ottawa County, to think there’s any kind of fraud is just ridiculous because we go through so many checks and balances,” Edwards said. “It’s just impossible. Even to make a mistake here, you don’t want to do it.

Artificial Intelligence: The Associated Press has an interesting and alarming piece about a new report on the impacts AI may have on the 2024 election. Elections officials and AI researchers took Chatbos for a test run to see how well they responded to queries about voting. “The chatbots are not ready for primetime when it comes to giving important, nuanced information about elections,” said Seth Bluestein, a Republican city commissioner in Philadelphia. All five models they tested — OpenAI’s GPT-4, Meta’s Llama 2, Google’s Gemini, Anthropic’s Claude, and Mixtral from the French company Mistral — failed to varying degrees when asked to respond to basic questions about the democratic process, according to the report, which synthesized the workshop’s findings. Workshop participants rated more than half of the chatbots’ responses as inaccurate and categorized 40% of the responses as harmful, including perpetuating dated and inaccurate information that could limit voting rights, the report said. In Nevada, where same-day voter registration has been allowed since 2019, four of the five chatbots tested wrongly asserted that voters would be blocked from registering to vote weeks before Election Day. “It scared me, more than anything, because the information provided was wrong,” said Nevada Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar, a Democrat who participated in last month’s testing workshop.

Sticker News: The winner of the elementary school (K-5) Deschutes County, Oregon “I Voted” Sticker Contest is Ivy Sapp, a second-grader from Lava Ridge Elementary.  Deschutes County employees voted to determine the winner. Middle-high school (6-12) sticker design submissions will be accepted through the end of June. The two winning sticker designs will be used during the 2024 Presidential Primary and General elections and featured in each election’s Voters’ Pamphlet.

Podcast News: New episodes of elections-related podcasts dropped recently. At High Turnout, Wide Margins hosts Eric Fey and Brianna Lennon recently chatted with Dane County, Wisconsin Clerk Scott McDonnell. After a number of threats and attempted break-ins, McDonell decided that election officials needed a safer and larger space for election processes.So, after traveling around the country to look at other election offices, McDonell chose the new space at an unexpected location- a local brewery. They spoke about how a County Clerk embarks on a project of this size, keeping election workers safe, and maintaining trust with other clerks across the state. On The Voting Booth, the most recent episode features AEI’s John Fortier and U.S. Election Assistance Commissioner Donald Palmer speaking with Howard Knapp, Executive Director of the South Carolina Election Commission.

Personnel News: U.S. Election Assistance Commissioner Ben Hovland officially began his role as chair of the commission. Natiasha Brown and Laura McCallister are the new deputy voter registrars for Habersham County, Georgia. Amanda Allen is the new Jackson County, North Carolina director of elections. State Rep. Justin Heap will challenge incumbent Stephen Richter in the race for the GOP nom or Maricopa County, Arizona recorder. The Montgomery County, Ohio Board of Elections ordered Deputy Director Russ Joseph to undergo public records training. Kenneth McIver is the new Atlantic Beach, South Carolina election commission chairman. 

In Memoriam: Jane Carroll, one of the longest serving supervisors of elections in Broward County, Florida history, has died. She was 93. Carroll was elected supervisor of elections in 1968, and was reelected to the job until she decided not to run again in 2000. Rico Petrocelli, a former chairman of the Broward Republican Party and former member of the Plantation City Council, told the Sun Sentinel that Carroll “was a staple among the electorate.” The most momentous time of Carroll’s career came at the end. After she narrowly won reelection in 1996, she decided not to run for reelection in 2020. But she was still in office for the ultra-close, contentious, error-plagued George W. Bush-Al Gore presidential election. The Florida results, still disputed by many, made Republican Bush the president. With results undecided, and the county elections canvassing boards (including Carroll) were making decisions as the nation waited, Carroll announced she was leaving for a trip to North Carolina in the days after the election. She returned to Broward, but later resigned from the canvassing board — and was replaced by a judge — saying she was leaving town to visit her son in California for Thanksgiving. She was 70 at the time, and said she was too exhausted to keep going in the canvassing board’s review of 588,000 ballots after six nearly nonstop days of counting. “I don’t feel well,” Carroll said, according to news accounts at the time. “I’m not as young as I used to be. I was feeling very fatigued. I was feeling I wouldn’t be any help to anybody.” Jane Conner Carroll was born on Oct. 26, 1930, in Newport News, Va., the funeral home said. She graduated from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1951, part of one of the first classes with women. She married Herb Carroll on December 27, 1957. He preceded her in death. She is survived by her daughter, Sheri Carroll Mullen of Lincolnton, N.C., and Bill Summer of Aliso Viejo, Calif, two grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

Legislative Updates

Arizona: Republicans advanced a bill in the Legislature to require schools with gyms to serve as polling places as an alternative to voting centers.  The bill allows for both precinct voting places and voting centers.  Precinct voting locations are designated for a certain area, so the election workers know the maximum number of people who can show up to vote. With voting centers, any eligible voter can go vote at a location of their choice. Bill sponsor Sen. Jake Hoffman (R-Queen Creek) said that teachers get off work well before the polls close, so they’ll have plenty of time to vote. He also argued that if they want to, the bill won’t stop them from taking time off to vote. The bill passed the Senate on party lines.

The Senate approved by a vote of 16-13 Senate Bill 1360, which would ban the use of artificial intelligence in software used in Arizona tabulators, for ballot processing and in signature verification.  The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Frank Carroll, R-Sun City West, explained that the bill is the same as one that Hobbs vetoed last year and is based on unverified claims from unnamed witnesses who said artificial intelligence was used in ballot adjudication in past elections.  “If it (the software) picks up on patterns, how do we know that the voter intent is being honored?” he said during a Feb. 5 Senate Elections Committee meeting.  Arizona’s counties support the bill, because none of them currently use artificial intelligence, said Jen Marson, executive director of the Arizona Association of Counties, during the Feb. 5 meeting.

On Feb. 22, the House voted 31-28, along party lines, to pass House Bill 2851, which would create more rigid requirements for documenting the chain of custody when moving ballots from polling places to another location to count them. 

On Feb. 22, the House voted 31-28 along party lines to pass House Bill 2719, which would require that bond elections happen only in even-numbered years and would invalidate those elections if less than 60% of registered voters turn out for the election.

Florida: According to the Tallahassee Democrat, after briefly sparking a political firestorm at the Florida Capitol, legislation that could have brought back the state’s primary runoffs and imposed new limits on ballot drop boxes has quietly died. The measure was unveiled late Feb. 19 but postponed two days later in the House committee that proposed it. By the evening of Feb. 22, House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, said it wouldn’t be heard. “It was worth having the conversation,” Renner said late Thursday. “But I think I heard Carly Simon singing in the background, ‘you must think this bill is about you,’ because we certainly had a lot of feedback from people who thought it was.”

Georgia: The Senate Ethics Committee voted to advance Senate Bill 221, which would require people to opt in to voter registration when they receive or renew a driver’s license. Currently, they’re automatically registered unless they opt out. The bill also makes it easier for voters to be challenged based on where they live, possibly clearing the way for Republican activists who see the state’s voting lists as bloated and fraudulent to knock thousands of additional voters off the rolls. Republicans argue that the system results in too much extra work for election officials and creates duplicate registrations when someone registers again and is not matched with a previous record. “The intent is certainly not to reduce voter registration, the intent is to clarify and make voter registration more accurate,” said Senate Ethics Committee Chairman Max Burns, a Sylvania Republican.

Bills to allow public ballot inspections and fewer voting machines on election day passed a Georgia House committee this week. Under one of the bills that advanced Monday, paper ballots would be accessible to the public after elections are certified, subject to regulations that would be crafted by the State Election Board. Current law keeps ballots sealed after elections unless a judge orders otherwise. The committee also approved legislation that would ease the number of voting booths required in each election day precinct in statewide general elections. House Bill 1370 would allow fewer than one voting booth for every 250 voters.

Idaho: Rep. Vito Barbieri, R-Dalton Gardens is proposing an amendment to the Idaho Constitution that would limit elections to one round of voting. Gardens, is sponsoring the proposed amendment, House Joint Resolution 3. If ratified, Barbieri’s amendment is designed to prohibit ranked choice voting, which is one of the components of the open primary ballot initiative that supporters hope to qualify for the November election. Barbieri also hopes to qualify his proposed amendment for the November election, setting up a potential showdown over election policies and procedures at the ballot box. “The purpose is to head off this ranked choice voting perspective that has been kind of permeating, bubbling up, in some of the states,” Barbieri told the House State Affairs Committee. The proposed amendment states, “ONE ROUND OF VOTING – PERSON WITH THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF VOTES ELECTED. In any election, there shall be one round of voting, and the person having the highest number of votes for an office shall be deemed to have won such election.”

Illinois: State Rep. Maura Hirschauer, D-Batavia, introduced House Bill 4709 that would amend the current state statute that says if a county board chooses a school to be a polling place, then the school district must make the school available for use as a polling place. “At my son’s elementary school, I have to buzz through two doors and show an ID just to talk to the secretary. There’s a disconnect between that safety measure and the safety measures we have in place for polling,” said Hirschauer. Under her introduced bill, Hirschauer said the school board would have a say in whether the district becomes a polling place.  “We will explore all options to make sure we have enough successful places in all sorts of different diverse parts of the state,” Hirschauer said. She said they are still having conversations with county clerks and county boards across the state and she doesn’t want to put up barriers to voting access.

Indiana: Poll worker safety was top of mind at the Statehouse this week as the House Courts and Criminal Code unanimously passed SB 170. The bill, if signed into law, would make threatening, obstructing or injuring a poll worker on election day a Level 6 Felony. According to the bill’s author, the bill attempts to address concerns about election-day staffing. Several people who testified in favor of the bill said poll workers are frustrated and fearful as they head into what could be the biggest presidential election in history. “These are our neighbors and our friends, and they are dropping out of the process,” State Sen. Greg Walker (R, Columbus) said. Under the amended bill, offenses against an election worker that take place in a nursing home don’t count—a change met with disdain by some who otherwise supported the bill. An amendment to the bill also removed the Secretary of State and Election Division employees from receiving those protections. A date for a full House hearing has yet to be determined. If passed into law, the bill would go into effect immediately.

Kansas: Lawmakers advanced several bills on election laws before their Feb. 23 turnaround deadline. The four bills passed by the House last week now head to the Senate. While some got bipartisan supermajority support, one controversial bill did not get enough to override a potential veto. The House passed House Bill 2512 in a ​97-23 vote. Under the bill, in-person advance voting would no longer be offered on the Monday before a Tuesday election, starting in 2025, though local officials could make exceptions. Currently, the advance in-person voting period closes at noon the Monday before an election. The bill, starting this year, would allow in-person advance voting on both the Saturday and Sunday of the weekend before election day. Election offices would be required, at a minimum, to have four hours on such Saturdays. Currently, election offices are allowed but not required to be open on the Saturday before an election. A bill would allow military members, dependents of military members and college students to volunteer in areas that are not the same as where they are registered to vote. House Bill 2616 passed the House on a vote of 93-27. The bill’s carrier, Rep. Jeff Underhill, R-Junction City, explained that the expansion toward military families and college students is because those demographics are often registered to vote outside of their current precinct. The House Election Committee amended the bill to add a qualification that poll workers must be citizens of the United States. The bill was uncontroversial in committee, garnering no testimony in opposition, and a ranking Democratic member of the House asked for it to be passed on the House floor. A bill clarifying language from a 2021 bill that criminalizes impersonating a poll worker passed the House on an 85-35 vote. House Bill 2618 would add that whoever is charged with impersonating a poll worker must be proven to have acted with the intention to deceive someone. The 2021 law is currently tied up in the Kansas Supreme Court, with opponents arguing that the law is written vaguely enough that it could stop volunteers from participating in voter registration drives over fears of prosecution. The House also passed House Bill 2516 in a 68-52 vote, which would make it more difficult for an independent candidate to get on the ballot for statewide office by roughly quadrupling the number of signatures needed. The bill would change the petition signatures required from an independent candidate to get on the ballot from 5,000 to at least 2% of the total votes cast in the preceding election. That would mean more than 20,000 signatures required if an independent wanted to run for governor in 2026.

Maryland: In a move that could alter the voting process in Maryland, proposed legislation aims to introduce a requirement for voters to present identification each time they head to the polls. This change would align Maryland with 37 other states, including Delaware, that already mandate some form of identification for voting. Currently, Maryland voters are only required to show identification during their first-time voting. However, this new bill, backed by 13 Republican lawmakers seeks to enforce a broader ID requirement. The proposed legislation offers flexibility in the type of identification that can be presented, not strictly requiring a photo ID like a driver’s license. Voters could use a utility bill, bank statement, or paycheck among other documents as proof of identity. Additionally, those unable to provide the required ID at the polls would still have the option to cast a provisional ballot.

Minnesota: The Senate Elections Committee heard a bill on Feb. 20 that would allow a postsecondary institution to require a city or county to provide a temporary polling place before election day.  SF 3616 (Sen. Nicole Mitchell, DFL-Woodbury) was amended by the author to make the following changes: Authorize the request for the polling place to come from a postsecondary institution or the student government organization of a postsecondary institution. The request must be made no later than May 31 in the year of the election. Allow the requests only for state general elections. Limit the bill’s applicability to postsecondary institutions with enrollment of at least 1,500 students, not including institutions where students attend courses primarily online. This bill builds upon legislation that passed during the 2023 legislative session that authorizes cities and counties to designate temporary polling places before an election. Under the law, cities may designate polling places for days and hours that differ from those required for standard polling places. The House bill, HF 3447 (Rep. Kristi Pursell, DFL-Northfield), passed the House Elections Finance and Policy Committee on Feb. 14 and was moved to the general register. SF 3616 passed the Senate Elections Committee on Feb. 20 and was re-referred to the Senate Higher Education Committee. 

Mississippi: Legislation has been introduced in the House of Representatives to restore the voting rights of those who were convicted of a non-violent crime and who have served their time and fulfilled their sentencing requirements. In each bill, there is a five-year waiting period that starts at the completion of their sentence or probation, and the individual needs to meet all sentencing requirements such as paying fines and court fees. House Concurrent Resolution 4 would amend section 253 of the state’s Constitution to provide automatic restoration of suffrage to a person convicted of a non-violent crime after a period of five years from the completion of a sentence, probation and payment of restitution. House Bill 1609 requests that change under the state’s code and lists crimes that are exceptions to expungement, which include arson, armed robbery, carjacking, embezzlement of $5,000 or more, murder, rape, or statutory rape. Under HB 1609, such an individual’s voting rights would be restored automatically after five years and when they satisfy the sentencing requirements of the conviction. Restoration of voting rights under HB 1609 will include expungement of the conviction from the Mississippi Central Criminal Database within 45 days of receiving the certified copy of the order of expunction from the circuit clerk’s office, who will then forward it to the Mississippi Criminal Information Center at the state’s Department of Public Safety. A non-public record will be maintained to ensure the court can determine the habitual offender status of the person, should they be convicted of a subsequent crime. HB 1445, authored by Rep. Horan, focuses on first time offenders. Crimes not valid for expunction under this bill include arson, trafficking of a controlled substance, third or subsequent DUI offenses, convicted felon in possession of a firearm, failure to register as a sex offender, voyeurism, witness intimidation, abuse/neglect or exploitation of a vulnerable person and embezzlement. Under this bill, a non-public record will also be retained by the Mississippi Criminal Information Center to determine, if upon future offense, the justice system can determine if the person is a first-time offender. HB 1445 bill will require a person to submit a petition to the circuit clerk’s office for expungement. Under House Bills 1609 and 1445, expungement will only be provided once. HCR 4 and HB 1445 were referred to both Wallace and Horan’s Committees while HB 1609 was referred to only to the Constitution Committee. All three bills await committee action.

The Senate Elections Committee advanced legislation to eliminate the five days local elections workers have to count mail-in absentee ballots. The majority-Republican committee passed Senate Bill 2579 with little debate, sending it to the full Senate.  “In my opinion, when we have votes that are being counted after Election Day like this, whether there’s any bad intent or not, it’s not received by the public well,” Senate Elections Committee Chairman Jeremy England, author of the bill, said. To address concerns with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the GOP-dominated Legislature passed a law to allow local election workers to count mailed absentee ballots for up to five days after the election date, but only if the ballots were postmarked by the election date. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves signed the bill into law.

Nebraska: Two election-related legislative proposals seeking to regulate artificial intelligence and increase penalties for crimes against Nebraska election workers appear to be stalled in 2024. LB 1390, from Sen. Eliot Bostar of Lincoln, would extend a Class III misdemeanor in place for obstructing or hindering deputy registrars to threats and harassment against all election officials and workers, including poll workers. LB 1390 also provides a Class III misdemeanor for disseminating the home address of an election official if done without the official’s consent and intended to aid or assist in a criminal offense reasonably likely to cause death, bodily injury or stalking. Election Commissioners Brian Kruse, of Douglas County, and Tracy Overstreet, of Hall County, each testified in a neutral capacity on LB 1390. They co-chair the election law committee of the Nebraska Association of County Officials, which supported the bill. Both said they liked the ideas in the bill. However, the details are “dicey,” Overstreet said. Kruse said there have been no credible, serious threats against election officials or workers that his association is aware of, while Overstreet pointed to a fake bomb in 2020 that led to an evacuation of her election office and discouraged poll workers from volunteering since then. Overstreet and Kruse encouraged the committee to make penalties year-round. Kruse said this could bring consistency as there’s almost always an election season somewhere in the state. “Election security is a 365-day-a-year issue, not just an election season issue,” Kruse said. Overstreet said disrupting an election is really an “attack on all of society.”  Legislative Bill 1203, from Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha, would regulate AI in political and media advertisements through the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission, requiring clear and conspicuous disclosure for paid state or local advertisements for candidates or ballot questions.

Oregon: The Senate unanimously passed SCR 211 to celebrate late Linn County Clerk Steve Druckenmiller. Druckenmiller’s accomplishments and honor his contributions to the State of Oregon. Steve Druckenmiller was the second-longest serving elected official in Linn County. In his 44 years of public service, he oversaw 141 vote-by-mail elections – the most in the United States – as well as 28 poll elections. Senators said he was a mentor to many who exemplified the qualities of compassion and service to others. “Steve Druckenmiller was a man who believed in democracy and did more than most to make it work. From vote-by-mail to Spanish language ballots, Steve worked to realize the aspiration of every eligible voter having a ballot in hand,” said Sen. Sara Gelser Blouin (D-Corvallis). “He did this in a way that united people on the right and the left, and in so doing, he built confidence in our election system. Oregon is better because of Steve’s service.” “Clerk Druckenmiller always maintained the highest standards of transparency, accuracy, and accessibility in elections for all Linn County residents throughout his four-decades-long tenure,” said Sen. Cedric Hayden (R-Fall Creek). “I know his legacy as an exemplary public servant will be remembered for years to come.” Druckenmiller passed away in September 2023 after a battle with cancer. He was 72.

South Dakota: A bill introduced at the request of the Secretary of State’s Office aiming to protect election workers passed the House State Affairs Committee in an 8-5 vote this week in Pierre. The bill would make it a Class 1 misdemeanor if a person directly or indirectly threatens or intimidates an election official or poll worker “with the intent to improperly influence an election.” A Class 1 misdemeanor is punishable by up to one year in jail and up to a $2,000 fine. Deputy Secretary of State Tom Deadrick hopes the legislation will strengthen elections and encourage people to volunteer as poll workers. County auditors across the state report that it’s difficult to find volunteers, Deadrick said. The bill originally contained an emergency provision so it would go into effect immediately after being signed into law and require a two-thirds majority vote in each chamber, but it failed to garner enough votes in the Senate. After removing the emergency provision, the bill passed the Senate 21-12. If it is signed into law, it’ll go into effect on July 1, after the June 4 primary election but before the Nov. 5 general election. Some lawmakers on the committee expressed concern that the bill would be too broad and redundant after the House and Senate passed a bill making it a Class 2 misdemeanor — which carries lesser penalties than a Class 1 misdemeanor — if anyone “interferes with the duties of poll workers or poll watchers.” That bill heads to the governor’s desk next. 

A legislative committee endorsed a bill that would require voters to register 30 days before an election rather than the current 15. The House State Affairs Committee endorsed the bill with a 9-4 vote. Rep. Kirk Chaffee, R-Whitewood, introduced the bill language on the 28th day of the 38-day legislative session, taking advantage of rules that allow legislators to wholly replace the text of bills after the bill introduction deadline has passed. The legislation that Chaffee amended was previously a two-sentence bill to require the state Board of Elections to meet before each legislative session and recommend changes to election laws; the new, three-page bill still does that, along with the change to the registration deadline and a repeal of a strict 30-day residency requirement imposed last year. Similar residency requirements in other states have sparked lawsuits asserting that an American citizen’s right to vote in a federal election can’t be denied by a local residency law. The bill would also add language into law saying “Only a citizen of the United States may vote in a municipal, county, primary, general, school district or any other election in this state.” It would replace the 30-day state residency requirement with less stringent language saying a person must have “fixed a habitation” in the state to which they intend to return.

Utah: The House voted to remove ranked choice voting as an option for city elections more than a year before the pilot program’s original expiration date. Citing complications with its implementation and lack of enthusiasm for an alternate electoral system, freshman lawmaker Rep. Katy Hall, R-South Ogden, said it was time to abandon Utah’s experiment with ranked choice voting early following state lawmakers’ near unanimous approval of the trial run in 2018. Hall’s bill, HB290, passed the Legislature’s lower chamber of 75 members with 43 yeas and 26 nays. The bill will now be assigned to a Senate committee for consideration. If it passes the Senate, the legislation would change the repeal date for Utah’s voting methods pilot project, HB35, from Jan. 1, 2026, to May 1, 2024. It would remove the measure from Utah code and return the state to a uniform standard of traditional voting for municipal elections in 2025, eliminating one additional election cycle where Utah municipalities would have been allowed to opt into the program. 

Virginia: Lawmakers took an extra week to think about whether there was a way to depoliticize the process of hiring the state’s top election official, who is currently appointed by the governor. But that didn’t change the outcome as a Democratic-led Senate committee voted 8-7 Tuesday to delay consideration of the proposal until 2025, a gentler way of blocking the bill. The proposal, which had passed the House of Delegates 99-0, would have given the State Board of Elections the power to hire and fire the elections commissioner by a supermajority vote. The current system, said Del. Israel O’Quinn, R-Washington, leaves elections commissioners susceptible to political pressure from the governor who hired them. “There’s no perfect way to get at this,” O’Quinn said Tuesday. “It’s been tried in many different ways, in many different times. I think this is a full faith effort to get there.” Sen. Schuyler VanValkenburg, D-Henrico, reiterated his belief that the supermajority rule was a recipe for partisan gridlock that could incentivize the minority party to block the majority from making a decision. VanValkenburg said he respects O’Quinn’s efforts on the bill and agreed to work with those interested in the issue to come up with “a better way” for the 2025 session. “But I can’t support this,” he said. Sen. Danica Roem, D-Manassas, the lawmaker who gave O’Quinn extra time to try to salvage his bill, said she hopes that effort bears fruit. “Let’s see if we can get something on this,” Roem said. “I think the idea is good.”

Arlington, Virginia: After stripping out some sloppy staff phraseology, Arlington County Board members on Feb. 24 voted 5-0 to use a ranked-choice-voting method tabulating results in the November 2024 County Board general election, while declining at this point to make the change permanent. “We’ll see how it goes,” County Board Chairman Libby Garvey said during consideration of the proposal, which switches the County Board election from the traditional winner-take-all format to ranked-choice voting specifically for the November 2024 election. Under the ranked-choice process, Arlington voters will be able to rank their top three preferences in the County Board race, with candidates eliminated if they are at the bottom of the vote tally. Votes cast for those eliminated candidates would be reallocated as instructed by their voters in a process that would continue until one candidate received a total of 50 percent of the vote plus one extra vote. County Board members last December for a second year imposed the voting-method change on the Democratic County Board primary, which is held each June. After concerns were raised about the use of ranked-choice voting in the 2023 primary, County Board members opted against using ranked-choice voting for the November 2023 general election, but agreed to bring the matter up for consideration in 2024.

Washington: The Senate voted overwhelmingly to make harassing election workers a felony, three months after four county election offices received envelopes containing suspicious powder — including three testing positive for fentanyl — and had to be evacuated. “This cannot be something we take as normal,” Democratic Sen. Manka Dhingra said during the vote. “We have to make sure that our election workers are protected, that people who participate and engage in our democracy have faith that the system works well and that we don’t have bad actors that can actually disrupt vote counts. The bill would increase the possible penalty for harassing an election worker in person or by mail from up to one year in jail to up to five years in prison. It would also give targeted workers the opportunity to join a program run by the secretary of state’s office designed to keep their address confidential. The measure has already been approved by the House but will need to go back to that body for verification before heading to Gov. Jay Inslee’s desk. Mike Faulk, spokesperson for the Democratic governor, said in an email that they haven’t reviewed the bill in detail but that Inslee is “generally supportive of efforts to protect our democratic process and the people who carry it out.”

Wisconsin: A bipartisan proposal to give clerks extra time to process absentee ballots will not pass this session, a key lawmaker told WISN-TV this weekend. That means the effort, which advocates say will help large cities like Milwaukee get through Election Day more efficiently and diminish accusations of late-night vote dumping, is all but dead in the Legislature. In order for the legislation to reach the Senate floor for a vote, Sen. Dan Knodl, R-Germantown, who chairs the Senate election committee, would first need to schedule a committee vote. In an interview with WISN-TV that aired this weekend, he said he will not do so. “(It’s) just not the right time to add a new process, a whole new day to process ballots in the presidential election cycle,” he said. The bill passed the GOP-held Assembly in November, and Gov. Tony Evers previously signaled he would sign it if it eventually passed the Senate. It would have allowed communities to begin processing — but not counting — absentee ballots a day earlier than Election Day.

Legal Updates

U.S. Supreme Court: The Supreme Court this week agreed to decide whether former President Donald Trump can be prosecuted on charges he interfered with the 2020 election, calling into question whether his case could go to trial before the November election. While the court set a course for a quick resolution, it maintained a hold on preparations for a trial focused on Trump’s efforts to overturn his election loss. The court will hear arguments in late April, with a decision likely no later than the end of June. That timetable is much faster than usual, but assuming the justices deny Trump’s immunity bid, it’s not clear whether a trial can be scheduled and concluded before the November election. Early voting in some states will begin in September. The court’s decision to intervene in a second major Trump case this term, along with the dispute over whether he is barred from being president again because of his actions following the 2020 election, underscores the direct role the justices will have in the outcome of the election. Trump’s lawyers have sought to put off a trial until after the election.

Arizona: William Hyde, 52, of San Diego was arrested by federal officials for leaving a violent threat on the voicemail of the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office employee’s phone “on or about November 29, 2022,” the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced. According to the newly unsealed indictment, Hyde allegedly left two voicemails a day after the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, and the employee, met that November to certify the 2022 election results in the largest county in Arizona. In the voicemail, Hyde allegedly said “You wanna cheat our elections? You wanna screw Americans out of true votes? We’re coming, [expletive]. You’d better [expletive] hide.” “Intimidation of election officials strikes at the very heart of our democracy,” U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California Tara McGrath said in a statement. “Even just one case can have a ripple effect. This Office will aggressively prosecute any attempt to intimidate, threaten, or frighten election officials as they engage in these critical duties.” Hyde has been charged with one count of communicating an interstate threat. If he is convicted, he could face a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, the DOJ said.

Brian Jerry Ogstad, 59, of Alabama, was arrested on suspicion of sending threatening messages to election workers with Maricopa County Elections, according to a Department of Justice news release. Otstad made an initial appearance in federal court Feb. 28. An indictment, which was unsealed Wednesday, alleges Ogstad sent messages over social media that explicitly threatened the lives of election workers, the release stated. The indictment alleges Ogstad referenced claims of voter fraud in Arizona’s 2022 gubernatorial race and allegedly made threats to election workers and officials. U.S. Attorney Gary M. Restaino for the District of Arizona said in the release he refuses to allow threats of vigilante justice by election skeptics. “We will continue to prosecute true threats against Arizona’s election officials and other public servants, including direct messages sent on social media, or communications in any other format,” Restaino said.

Delaware: Delaware Superior Court Judge Mark Conner found early voting and permanent absentee voting statutes in the state to be unconstitutional. Conner struck down a request by the state election commissioner, Anthony J. Albence, alongside the Delaware Department of Elections, to dismiss a complaint stating that Delaware’s early voting and permanent absentee voting statutes were violating the First State’s constitution. The plaintiffs in the case were Michael Mennella and Republican Sen. Gerald Hocker. In his opinion, Conner stated: “The enactments of the General Assembly challenged today are inconsistent with our Constitution and therefore cannot stand.” In his ruling, the judge noted the following about early voting: The Delaware Constitution designates only one day for general elections, but the state’s early voting statute allows for voting at least 10 days before that one day. He stated that the “Constitution will prevail” when conflicts with statutes exist. The judge found that the state’s early voting statute failed to meet the constitution’s mandate to “secure secrecy and the independence of the voter, preserve the freedom and purity of elections and prevent fraud, corruption and intimidation” and that early voting went beyond the Legislature’s limited authority granted by the constitution. Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings said her office will appeal.

Florida: Christofer Frederick Patrick, 54 of Wildwood, has been charged with voter fraud after an elections official lodged a complaint against him. Patrick is facing a felony charge of voter fraud as a result of the complaint from Sumter County Supervisor of Elections William Keen. Patrick, who is a convicted felon, registered to vote in 2011 and voted in Sumter County in 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2022, according to the complaint. He was arrested on a warrant on Feb. 13 and booked at the Sumter County Detention Center. He remains free on $2,500 bond.

Attorneys for Secretary of State Cord Byrd last week filed a motion seeking the recusal of Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker, pointing to parts of a ruling he issued Feb. 8 in a separate court battle about a 2021 elections law. In the motion for recusal, the state’s attorneys cited parts of the Feb. 8 ruling, such as Walker’s description of a “persistent and pernicious practice” related to Black voters. “Plaintiffs in these consolidated proceedings must prove that the state of Florida intentionally targeted third-party voter registration organizations because Black voters prefer to use them,” the motion said. “But this court (Walker) has seemingly concluded that the state of Florida engages in discrimination against Black voters. On the discriminatory-intent issue, therefore, this court appears to have a closed mind.” The motion acknowledged that the “bar for recusal is high,” usually involving such things as comments made by judges to the news media or judges’ relationships. “But there’s no rule limiting recusal to such instances. The analysis turns on whether a reasonable observer might perceive this court to have a ‘fixed opinion, a closed mind’ on the discriminatory-intent issue,” the motion said, partially quoting a legal precedent. Walker denied the request for recusal. 

Illinois: Cook County Judge Tracie Porter ruled this week that former President Donald Trump’s name should be struck from the March 19 Illinois Republican primary ballot because he engaged in insurrection in the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol and is disqualified from holding the office of president. orter made her ruling based on the case law surrounding the Colorado Supreme Court’s 4-3 decision in December that removed Trump from that state’s ballot based on the “insurrection clause” of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The U.S. Supreme Court is reviewing the Colorado decision. While Porter ruled primary votes cast for Trump should not be counted by Illinois election officials, she stayed the effect of her ruling in anticipation of an appeal in higher state courts and a ruling from the nation’s highest court in the Colorado case. The Trump campaign vowed to appeal Porter’s ruling shortly after it was issued.

Kansas: A Kansas law that makes it a crime to impersonate an election official unconstitutionally interferes with voter outreach efforts, voting rights groups told the state Supreme Court. Their argument was met with opposition from state officials, who say the law helps curb fraud. Attorneys for both sides sparred in a court hearing over the constitutionality of a key component of Republicans’ efforts to restrict voting rights in the wake of unfounded claims of voter fraud during the 2020 election. Lawmakers overrode a veto by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly to pass House Bill 2183 in 2021 amid criticism it amounted to voter suppression. Under the law, it’s a felony to pretend to be an election official or to engage in conduct that causes other people to falsely believe someone is an election official. Four voting rights groups say that effectively bans voter registration drives. That’s because their volunteers are often mistaken for election workers, despite identifying themselves otherwise — putting them at risk of prosecution. Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab and Attorney General Kris Kobach are defending the law. Bradley Schlozman, an attorney arguing on their behalf, said the law was meant to crack down on what he described as “nefarious actors” gathering information from voters during the 2020 election and using it to commit identity theft. Several justices appeared wary of the state’s argument. 

Maine: The campaign of independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is suing Maine’s secretary of state over access to polling places next month. In a lawsuit filed Feb. 21 in U.S. District Court, Kennedy’s campaign claims that Secretary of State Shenna Bellows is wrongly denying his campaign the ability to gather petition signatures inside polling locations during the March 5 presidential primaries. His attorneys argue that, because Kennedy is not on the ballot that day, his campaign’s presence would not potentially influence voters. The lawsuit points out that the campaigns for several Republican and Democratic candidates for president were able to set up signature-collection operations at tables inside polling places last November. The campaign’s attorneys contend that by denying Kennedy the same opportunity, Bellows is violating the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. But Bellows stood by her instructions to clerks to not to allow the Kennedy campaign to collect signatures at polling places on March 5. “Maine law is very clear: within the voting place itself, a person may not influence another person’s decision regarding a candidate for an office or question that is on the ballot for the election that day,” Bellows said in a statement. “That’s why no presidential campaign can collect signatures on presidential primary day. That being said, when a candidate’s office is not on the ballot, they can absolutely collect signatures. There’s a statewide election in June. Certainly Mr. Kennedy can collect signatures then.”

Michigan: Andrew Nickels of Carmel, Indiana pleaded guilty this week to threatening to kill then-Rochester Hills Clerk Tina Barton in November 2020. Nickels left a voicemail saying Barton deserved a “throat to the knife” because she had “frauded out America of a real election.”  Steven Scharg, an attorney representing Nickels, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Washington Post.. Scharg told the Detroit News that the case shows “how mental health affects so many people.” Nickels, 37, pleaded guilty to one count of making a threatening interstate communication, according to the news release, and he faces up to five years in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced July 9. Barton called the plea “a win for election officials all over the country.” She added that the threats she received had “permanently impacted me and my family’s lives.” “I will never be able to turn back the clock and go back to living in a sense of peace and security as I had done prior to this incident, “Barton wrote. “I strongly believe that election officials should never be intimidated, threatened, or harassed for doing their jobs serving the public.”

Nevada: Carson City Judge William Maddox said a ballot measure to require and implement voter identification is constitutional because its description of effect (a 200-word summary of the measure included on signature forms) effectively conveys to voters what the petition does. The judge also said it does not contain an unfunded mandate — dismissing arguments the legal challenge levied against the petition. “I think it’s probably time for voters of the state of Nevada to decide if they want this or not,” Maddox said from the bench this week. The initiative was proposed by Repair the Vote, a political action committee led by former Nevada Republican Club president and former Clark County GOP Chair David Gibbs. The petition aims to amend Nevada’s Constitution by requiring in-person voters to provide valid photo identification and those voting by mail to provide a personally identifiable number — such as part of a driver’s license number or Social Security number — alongside their signature.  Nevada does not require voters to provide any type of identification before voting, but each voter is required to provide a signature that must match the one in the state’s files.

Pennsylvania: A rural Pennsylvania county and its elected officials may have to pay the state elections agency hundreds of thousands of dollars to reimburse it for legal fees and litigation costs in a three-year battle over allowing outsiders to examine voting machines to help former President Donald Trump’s claims of election fraud. Last week, Secretary of State Al Schmidt asked a “special master” appointed by the Supreme Court to order the Republican-controlled Fulton County government, Commissioner Randy Bunch, former Commissioner Stuart Ulsh and their lawyer Thomas Carroll to repay the state an updated total of $711,000 for outside counsel’s legal fees and related costs. Most of the latest set of $263,000 in fees, wrote Schmidt’s lawyers, came about because the Fulton officials “requested an evidentiary hearing regarding the appointment of a third-party escrow agent to take possession of the voting machines at issue — and then did everything in their power to delay and obstruct both the hearing itself and, more generally, the impoundment of the voting machines ordered by the Supreme Court.” The reimbursement request was made based on a decision against the county issued by the high court in April.

Wisconsin: Republican lawmakers are planning to appeal a ruling that blocked their efforts to oust Wisconsin Elections Commission Administrator Meagan Wolfe. In a court filing, an attorney for Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu and Senate President Chris Kapenga said GOP leaders will ask a state appeals court to decide whether state law requires the Wisconsin Elections Commission to “appoint a new administrator regardless of whether a vacancy exists.” Despite recounts, audits and investigations, Wolfe has become a focus of Republican supporters of former President Donald Trump, who has repeated false claims of extensive voter fraud in Wisconsin’s 2020 election. In response, Republican lawmakers have launched multiple failed attempts to remove Wolfe from office.

Opinions This Week

National Opinions: Voting rights | Poll workers | Early voting | Voting age | Ranked choice voting 

California: Ballot errors | Certification

Florida: Voter fraud | Vote by mail 

Georgia: Protecting election workers

Hawaii: Election reform

Iowa: Election law changes

Nevada: Ranked choice voting, II

New Hampshire: Military & overseas voters 

New York: On-campus voting sites

North Carolina: Data problems 

Ohio: Poll workers 

Pennsylvania: 2020 election

Utah: Ranked choice voting, II, III

Virginia: List maintenance | Protecting election workers

Wyoming: Secretary of state, II

Upcoming Events

A Real Right to Vote: A Conversation with Rick Hasen: For many Americans, the freedom to vote is unfairly conditioned on where they live, the color of their skin, or how much money they have. Several amendments to the U.S. Constitution have been passed over the decades extending this fundamental freedom to voters of color, women and citizens who are 18 years of age. However, the lack of an overarching amendment guaranteeing the right to vote leaves our democracy vulnerable because the freedom to vote is treated differently depending on where voters live and how courts handle disputes over their rights.  In his new book, “A Real Right to Vote,” Law Professor Rick Hasen explains why a constitutional amendment is necessary, and why now is the time to begin a campaign in support of such an amendment. As Professor Hasen explains, enshrining voting rights in the Constitution will benefit all Americans, no matter which side of the political aisle they sit on.   In discussion with Campaign Legal Center President Trevor Potter, Professor Hasen will describe his vision for the freedoms an amendment on voting rights would protect, its potential impact on our democracy, and why he believes it’s possible to pass such an amendment, despite a challenging political climate. When: Feb. 29, 3pm Eastern. Where: Online

Field Hearing: The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution holds a field hearing entitled, “Modern-Day Voting Discrimination in Alabama.” When: March 1, 5pm Eastern. Where: Montgomery, Alabama and online.

Exploiting Our Emotions: How social media is designed to divide and what we can do about it: Our democratic republic is under greater stress than it has been in generations. Why? What are the driving forces? And who’s working on viable solutions? Join Issue One for regular engaging conversations with authors, reporters, scholars, and philanthropists about the challenges facing our democracy and what we can do about it. Issue One Founder and CEO Nick Penniman will sit down with writer, designer, technologist, and media researcher Tobias Rose-Stockwell. The author of “Outrage Machine,” Rose-Stockwell unpacks how social media has evolved from a tool designed to connect society to one with unchecked influence on news, discourse, and democracy. Tune in as the two discuss both the threats posed by social media and potential solutions. When: March 6, 4pm Eastern. Where: Online. 

The Election Workforce: The Front Lines of Democracy: It’s full steam ahead to 2024’s general election. What are lawmakers and election administrators thinking about now to prepare? Find out in this four-part series, hosted  by the National Conference of State Legislatures in partnership with the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. We’ll focus on the elections workforce; counting and recounts and more post-voting work; the voters’ perspectives and voter confidence. Trustworthy elections are not possible without the work of thousands of front-line workers: election officials and poll workers. Tune in to the first of a four-part webinar series on election administration to hear U.S. Election Assistance Commissioner Ben Hovland describe the responsibilities these public servants hold, the perils they face, the benefits of civic engagement and state policies that support them. Bonus: what role do poll watchers or election observers play? When: March 8, 2pm Eastern. Where: Online.

The dangers posed by AI and disinformation during elections: The last year has seen an explosion of accessible generative AI tools, which allow virtually anyone to rapidly and inexpensively create synthetic images, video, audio, and text. As the presidential election approaches, there are serious concerns about an explosion of disinformation and synthetic content that could impact what is expected to be a very close race. Political campaigns have already begun implementing generative AI tools to create advertisements, send robocalls and contact voters, prompting policymakers to propose major legislation and guardrails to protect the integrity of our elections.   On March 13, join the Center for Technology Innovation at Brookings for a discussion moderated by Senior Fellow Darrell West along with a panel of experts, about the dangers posed by AI and election disinformation and ways to protect the general public. When: March 13, 2pm Eastern. Where: Washington, DC and online.

Race and Risk of Election Subversion: The Safeguarding Democracy Project at UCLA promotes research, collaboration, and advocacy under the leadership of UCLA Law Professor Richard L. Hasen; one of the nation’s leading election scholars. The Safeguarding Democracy Project is built upon the premise that tackling issues of the U.S. election integrity must be collaborative: across ideologies, across scholarly disciplines, and as a bridge between theory and practice. Speakers: Matt Barreto, Lecturer in Law UCLA School of Law; Sophia Lin Lakin, Director of the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project ACLU; and Spencer Overton, The Patricia Roberts Harris Research Professorship and Professor of Law George Washington Law. When: April 9, 3pm Eastern. Where: Online and Los Angeles

After the Voting is Over: Counting, Results Reporting, Recounts (and More): It’s full steam ahead to 2024’s general election. What are lawmakers and election administrators thinking about now to prepare? Find out in this four-part series, hosted  by the National Conference of State Legislatures in partnership with the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. We’ll focus on the elections workforce; counting and recounts and more post-voting work; the voters’ perspectives and voter confidence. The election doesn’t end when the polls close. Counting (and confirming the count) comes next—along with reporting results and, sometimes, recounts. Join us for the second installment of NCSL’s four-part webinar series on election administration to learn about what happens after voting is over. U.S. Election Assistance Commissioner Donald Palmer will consider how all states address these tasks that ensure accurate and verifiable results. When: April 12, 2pm Eastern. Where: Online. 

Election Center Special Workshop: TThe Election Center will hold a Special Workshop in Portland, Oregon with a focus on state trainings, certifications and conferences. Covered topics will include AI and election management, training new employees,  working with interns, volunteers and law students, executive staffing and working with the Legislature. There will also be presentations by the U.S. Elections Assistance Commission and CISA. The workshops will kick off with a tour of the Multnomah County elections office. Additionally several CERA classes will be held in conjunction with the workshop. When: April 24-28. Where: Portland, Oregon.

Focus on the Voters: It’s full steam ahead to 2024’s general election. What are lawmakers and election administrators thinking about now to prepare? Find out in this four-part series, hosted  by the National Conference of State Legislatures in partnership with the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. We’ll focus on the elections workforce; counting and recounts and more post-voting work; the voters’ perspectives and voter confidence.  Who are the most important people in an election? The voters. In the third installment of NCSL’s four-part webinar series on election administration, U.S. Election Assistance Commissioner Tom Hicks will address questions voters often ask and how states “get out the information” to voters. He’ll cover how states ensure the right to vote for people with disabilities and citizens living abroad (military and otherwise). When: May 10, 2pm Eastern. Where: Online. 

ESRA 2024 Conference: The 8th Annual Summer Conference on Election Science, Reform, and Administration (ESRA) will be held in person from May 16-17, 2024 at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. Call for Proposals The 2024 conference Call for Proposals is now open through February 16! Learn more about this year’s conference and submit your proposal here. Registration: Registration to attend the 2024 conference has not yet opened. To hear the news first when it does, please sign up to join our mailing list. When: May 16-17. Where: Los Angeles

Voter Confidence: What Can Move the Needle: It’s full steam ahead to 2024’s general election. What are lawmakers and election administrators thinking about now to prepare? Find out in this four-part series, hosted  by the National Conference of State Legislatures in partnership with the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. We’ll focus on the elections workforce; counting and recounts and more post-voting work; the voters’ perspectives and voter confidence.  Voter confidence is top of mind for elections stakeholders this cycle. In the final part of NCSL’s spring webinar series, U.S. Election Assistance Commissioner Christy McCormick will delve into state policies that can increase voter confidence. Perfecting processes and procedures comes first: clarifying all policies before the first vote is cast; cleaning voter lists; adopting strong chain-of-custody procedures for ballots and equipment; updating emergency plans; using pre- and post-election audits; and more. The next job is to ensure all that good technical work is transparent and communicated well to voters and the public. When: June 14, 2pm Eastern. Where: Online.

Job Postings This Week

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

Administrative Specialist II, King County, Washington– This is an amazing opportunity to be engaged in the election process! The Department of Elections – is searching for energetic and resourceful professionals who like to “get stuff done”. The Administrative Specialist II positions in the Election Services Division combine 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 believes in working in a very agile working environment. Creating a team that delivers now and in the future is very important. There may be various job duties that you could be assigned to including: Provide excellent customer service to internal and external customers in person, via telephone, and via e-mail by processing voter registrations, communicating election program information and explaining election procedures, guidelines and regulations. Perform production-level computer work which includes accurate data entry and retrieving and editing records. Organize and coordinate work activities and assist with providing training and one-on-one instruction to diverse staff. Provide assistance with ballot delivery including proofing Voter’s Pamphlets and ballots. Set up records and file documents in both electronic and paper formats. Review documents for proper format, accuracy, completion, eligibility, and other legal guidelines. Utilize spreadsheets, word documents and reports to track and document performance data. Research and resolve questions from staff, citizens and stakeholders. Document and improve work processes, procedures and instructions. Assist with ballot collection by accompanying a driver to empty ballots from ballot drop boxes and securely transport them back to the Elections office. Salary: $25.59 – $32.58 Hourly. Deadline: Feb. 29. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

Advocacy Campaign Strategist, Elections and Government Program, The Brennan Center– The Elections and Government Program is looking to hire an experienced campaign strategist. The Advocacy Campaign Strategist position reports to the DC-based Deputy Director of the Elections and Government Program. Responsibilities: Contribute to planning and execution of advocacy campaigns to achieve Elections and Government Program goals, including: Provide project management, organization, logistical solutions, and administrative support, as needed. Identify tools and methods to increase effectiveness and efficiency of team’s work. Coordinate communications between program staff and internal/external stakeholders. Engage in field advocacy, including: Participate in coalition meetings, convenings, briefings. Develop and maintain productive relationships with election officials, grassroots allies, civic partners, government staff, elected officials, and other outside stakeholders. Identify and create opportunities to advance program goals in the field, as well as to improve the program’s advocacy with learning and perspectives from the field. Conceive and execute advocacy products, such as blog posts, digital media products, public comments, FAQs, and other assets, in collaboration with communications colleagues where appropriate, with focus on broadening and increasing partner engagement with program’s work. Contribute research and writing for policy and empirical research reports that will form the basis of advocacy campaigns. Contribute to program’s media and public education work, including strategy, talking points, and speaking engagements. Help to train new program support staff, including program associates, and serve as their first point of advice on routine matters. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

Chief Electoral Officer, Government of Nunavut, Canada– Applications are invited for the position of Chief Electoral Officer of Nunavut. This is a seven-year, full-time statutory appointment. The Chief Electoral Officer is an Independent Officer of the Legislative Assembly. The office-holder is appointed on the recommendation of the Legislative Assembly, pursuant to the Nunavut Elections Act. The position exercises a range of powers and responsibilities under the Nunavut Elections Act and the Plebiscites Act. Copies of the statutes are available at: www.nunavutlegislation.ca. The Chief Electoral Officer is responsible for the conduct of territorial general elections and by-elections, as well as elections to municipal councils and other bodies. The next territorial general election is scheduled to be held on October 27, 2025. The successful candidate will be an experienced senior manager with proven professional success in managing complex administrative operations. Knowledge of electoral administration and legislation is essential. This position requires a high degree of attention to detail, including the ability to accurately interpret, administer and explain complex statutes and regulations. The successful candidate will possess the ability to communicate clearly and consistently with the general public, stakeholder groups and the news media. Excellent writing skills, including the ability to draft comprehensive annual reports to the Legislative Assembly, are required. Understanding of Inuit societal values, language and culture is a definite asset. The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (Elections Nunavut) is located in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut. A detailed Position Profile is available from the Office of the Legislative Assembly and may be downloaded from the Legislative Assembly’s website at www.assembly.nu.ca. Salary: $145,094.00 to $207,277.00 per annum. Deadline: March 22. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

City Clerk, Palos Verdes Estates, California– The City of Palos Verdes Estates is a 4.75 square mile city in southern California, offering beautiful ocean and hillside views, urban forest, and recreational opportunities. With approximately 13,500 residents, the City is known for being a planned community with tranquil neighborhoods and is the oldest of four cities on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Residents enjoy magnificent views of the Los Angeles Basin and Pacific Ocean, low density, rural character, preserved open space, low crime, and excellent schools. The Office of the City Clerk is responsible for coordination and preparation of City Council meeting agendas and back-up materials, maintenance of the Municipal Code, and election administration, along with publishing legal notices, ordinances, and resolutions, as required by law. The City Clerk also receives, and processes subpoenas, prepares, and coordinates responses to public records requests, prepares and certifies Certificates of Residency (pensioners), and administers the Oath of Office. The City is seeking a collaborative, organized, and highly motivated individual to serve as the next City Clerk. The ideal candidate will bring record-keeping experience, problem solving capabilities, and a proven track record of exercising confidentiality. An honest, ethical, and technically savvy team builder who is cooperative and flexible is essential. The incoming City Clerk should be adaptable and politically astute, promoting a culture of transparency and integrity. Salary: $99,756 to $125,028. Deadline: March 24. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

City Clerk, San Mateo, California– The City of San Mateo (pop. 105,661) is the largest municipality in San Mateo County, located on the San Francisco Bay Peninsula. This culturally and economically diverse community offers an extraordinary quality of life characterized by safe neighborhoods, quality city services and assets, friendly people, and an ideal location. The City’s increasingly vibrant and walkable downtown area continues to attract a wide array of small-to-medium-sized businesses, some of which, according to community members, include many of the best dining options in the Bay Area. The municipality has benefitted from a steady history of leadership, with just five city managers over the last 30 years and three city attorneys over the last 36 years. The current City Clerk is retiring from her position after twelve years and the City is focused on hiring a qualified candidate that is outgoing, reliable, and professional with an adaptive, solution-based work ethic. The incoming City Clerk must have excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to remain politically astute without being politically aligned. A kind, uplifting, and approachable candidate will be successful in this role. The ideal candidate will value the community and possess high emotional intelligence as an ambassador of the City and liaison to the public. The nature of this position requires an individual who is creative, discerning, and constantly striving to improve. Salary: $195,288 to $215,306. Deadline: March 3. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

Counsel, Elections and Government Program, The Brennan Center– The fight for a more secure, responsive, and equitable democracy has never been more urgent. The Brennan Center seeks a talented early career attorney to join its team in the Elections and Government Program, working on a range of issues related to defending the security of our elections, breaking down barriers to political participation, restraining campaign finance abuses, countering disinformation, and bolstering the integrity and responsiveness of government. The Brennan Center’s methods include legislative and policy advocacy, legal and empirical research and writing, litigation, media communications, and public education. This is an in-person position based in New York City or Washington, D.C. It will require occasional travel. Responsibilities Include: Assisting with policy advocacy, sometimes through work in coalitions, to change policies and laws at the local, state, and federal levels. Participating in litigation, including research, brief writing, and strategy development, with team members, allied organizations, and/or pro bono law firm counsel. Authoring and otherwise supporting the preparation of written work (including articles, opinion pieces, speeches, reports, policy proposals, and organizational materials), with opportunities for named authorship. Providing research support for reports and policy proposals, including research (legal, social science, and news-based), fact checking, legal cite checking, and proofreading. Representing the Brennan Center in meetings and other interactions with external stakeholders, including government officials, allies, donors, and journalists. Helping to supervise and mentor program associates and legal and undergraduate interns. Taking on special projects and other duties as assigned. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

Counsel, Elections and Government Program (Research and Policy), The Brennan Center– The fight for a more secure, responsive, and equitable democracy has never been more urgent. The Brennan Center seeks a talented attorney to join its team in the Elections and Government Program, working primarily on empirical research and policy advocacy around campaign finance and related money in politics issues (for examples of the type of work this position would do, please see here, here, and here), with opportunities to work on a range of other matters that are the focus of the program’s work. The Brennan Center’s methods include legislative and policy advocacy, legal and empirical research and writing, litigation, media communications, and public education. This is an in-person position based in New York City or Washington, D.C. It will require occasional travel. This position will report to the directors of the Elections and Government program, and work under the supervision/in close collaboration with a senior attorney who leads campaign finance research initiatives. Responsibilities Include: Designing and executing empirical research projects involving campaign finance and similar data, in collaboration with social scientists and other researchers. Advocacy, sometimes through work in coalitions, to change policies and laws at the local, state, and federal levels. Authoring and otherwise supporting the preparation of written work (including articles, opinion pieces, speeches, reports, policy proposals, and organizational materials), with opportunities for named authorship. Public speaking and other representation of the Brennan Center in meetings and other interactions with external stakeholders, including government officials, allies, donors, and the media. Legal strategy, research, and writing. Helping to supervise and mentor junior lawyers, program associates, and legal and undergraduate interns. Taking on special projects and other duties as assigned. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

Deputy Director, Swain County, North Carolina– The Swain County Board of Elections is now hiring for its Deputy Director of Elections position. An employee in this position performs clerical functions, voter registration procedures, and other election-related tasks in the daily operations of the Swain County Board of Elections, as may be assigned by the Director or Chair/members of the Board of Elections. This position is open until filled. Desirable Experience and Training: 1. Graduation from high school/GED or higher. 2. Considerable experience in one of the following fields: elections, public administration, clerical work involving public contact, or another field related to this position. OR 1. An equivalent combination of education and experience. Located in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains, Swain County is an excellent place to live and work and is a popular destination for tourists across the Southeast. It contains nearly half of America’s most-visited national park and is home to the Nantahala Outdoor Center, Fontana Lake, and the vibrant communities of Bryson City and Cherokee. Apply to join us today! Salary: $38,850 – $51,445 per year. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.   

Deputy Director, Miami County, Ohio— The Miami County Board of Elections is looking to fill the position of Deputy Director. The position of Deputy Director, under the direction of the Director, is responsible for overseeing, directing and managing the Board of Elections staff; conducting fair and impartial elections; managing operational procedures; devising, recommending and adhering to the annual budget; implementing changes required by the Ohio Secretary of State, federal legislation, and Ohio Revised Code, implementing policies of the Board of Elections, and reporting to the Ohio Secretary of State. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Director Board of Elections/Voter Registration, Bucks County, Pennsylvania— Are you ready to play a pivotal role in the election processes in Bucks County, the fourth largest county in the State of Pennsylvania? Are you committed to ensuring the efficient and accurate administration of elections while also maintaining the integrity of vital records of 470,992 registered voters? If so, we invite you to consider the role of Director of the Bucks County Board of Elections/Voter Registration. The Board of Elections office is at the heart of our community’s election governance, overseeing critical functions that impact every Bucks County resident. As a member of our team, you will collaborate with a dedicated group of 20 full-time and 40+ seasonal part-time employees, working under the direction of the Board of Elections/Voter Registration Director. Bucks County has an excellent benefits package including medical, vision, dental, and prescription as well as an employer-matched retirement program. Bucks County is a wonderful community to live, work, and play and is uniquely located along the I-95 Corridor. Directs operation of the offices of Board of Elections, Voter Registration, and Voting Machines. This includes planning and conducting elections, voter registration management, and ensuring compliance with election laws and regulations. The Director is responsible for training election staff, overseeing technological security measures to safeguard voting integrity as well as creating an annual budget. Communicates election information to the Board of Elections, County administration, and the public. Addresses any issues or concerns that may arise during the election process. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Election Protection Hotline Specialist, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law– Are you passionate about safeguarding democratic processes? Join us as an Election Protection Hotline Specialist! This pivotal role involves collaborating with hundreds of legal volunteers to address voter concerns reported to the 866-OUR-VOTE hotline. As part of our dynamic hotline infrastructure team, you’ll be at the forefront of managing day-to-day operations. Expect a fast-paced environment, multitasking, and a commitment to early mornings, evenings, and weekends. Embrace the opportunity to learn and employ cutting-edge technology. The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law stands at the forefront of national racial justice legal advocacy. Established in 1963 at the behest of President John F. Kennedy, our organization employs legal advocacy to champion racial justice. We strive, within and beyond the courtrooms, to ensure that Black individuals and people of color have a resounding voice, equal opportunities, and the power to materialize the promises of our democracy. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

Election Services Representative, Fort Orange Press— The Election Services Representative is an onsite position at our Albany, NY facility. It acts as a liaison between clients and internal Fort Orange Press teams (i.e., Estimating, Sales, Prepress, Production, Shipping, etc.). The primary focus is gathering election details, and artwork from numerous clients across the United States while coordinating all aspects of day-to-day processes to ensure a successful election cycle. The ideal candidate will have excellent communication skills and thrive in a high-pressure environment. Providing timely solutions for clients’ ever-evolving needs while building/maintaining quality relationships. Identifying new business opportunities within assigned accounts. This role is a brand ambassador to both current and prospective clients and requires an energetic personality, the ability to multitask, manage multiple clients and elections at the same time and serves as the internal client advocate. Salary: $23– $32 per hour.  Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Election Training Coordinator, Denton County, Texas– The Elections Training Coordinator performs professional level work organizing, managing, developing and implementing training for all Denton County Elections Administration (DCEA) employees, temporary staff, and election workers.  Employee is responsible for assessing the training needs within the DCEA and implementing a curriculum to meet those needs.  Employee is responsible for coordinating, managing, implementing and executing training with minimal supervision with specific deadlines in place. Examples of Duties: Develops, manages, and/or coordinates required training for all election workers. Prepares, schedules, coordinates, and teaches election training for election workers (Election Judges, Alternate Judges, Elections Department, clerks, etc.). Manages CERA, REO, IGO, and other professional election certifications and reporting requirements. Prepares and schedules CERA, REO, and IGO approved training classes for employees of DCEA. Manages the training of help desk personnel and other temporary employees. Schedules, announces, and conducts registration for training classes.Researches changing laws and trends and modifies or revises existing training programs as necessary, based on the need for new material. Manages and maintains training material and tools used for the various types of training and makes recommendations for additional resources. Prepares all necessary handouts for the attendees. Regular and punctual attendance is required. Performs other related duties as required. Salary: $53,909.00 – $62,534.00 Annually. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

Elections Analyst (Bilingual-Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Vietnamese or Ukrainian), Clackamas County, Oregon– Do you want to be essential to ensuring our elections are accurate, transparent, and inclusive? The Clackamas County Clerk’s Office seeks a bilingual and service-oriented individual with Vote by Mail elections experience to join our Elections team as an Elections Analyst. You will contribute to coordinating and managing customer service, voter registration and ballot processing. Proficiency in English and a second language (Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Vietnamese or Ukrainian) is required, as you will actively participate in customer service efforts and technical processes during each election cycle. As an Elections Analyst, you will serve as subject matter expert for redistricting, candidate and jurisdiction filing, coordination, voter registration and election technology. Your responsibilities will extend to supporting the County Clerk’s office through interpretation, translation and customer service, contributing to the accessibility of the democratic process. Salary: $64,564 – $81,982. Deadline: March 11. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

Elections Candidate Coordinator, Buncombe County, North Carolina– Buncombe County Election Services is hiring for a Candidate Coordinator position that will be responsible for campaign finance duties, assisting candidates with candidate filing and petitions, and providing support to the department’s front desk and finance division when needed. The goal of the Candidate Coordinator position is to be an informational resource and point of contact for potential candidates and currently elected officials. This includes auditing campaign finance reports, creating campaign finance and filing materials, training staff in candidate filing, and assisting candidates and treasurers with compiling campaign finance reports. The Candidate Coordinator will also provide the general public with valuable information regarding campaign contributions and expenditures allowing them to make informed voting decisions with knowledge of campaign fundraising and spending. Salary: Hiring Range: $23.38 – $27.31. Deadline: March 1. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

Elections Compliance Officer, Pima County, Arizona— Are you an experienced professional specializing in elections? The Pima County Elections Department is looking for you! Join our team and bring your expertise to the forefront of our mission. Your background in city, county, state, or federal agencies, coupled with your in-depth knowledge of election processes, will make you an invaluable asset. Be a part of our dedicated team, shaping policies, and ensuring the integrity of our electoral system while making a lasting impact on our community. If you’re ready for a rewarding challenge, apply today! (Work assignments may vary depending on the department’s needs and will be communicated to the applicant or incumbent by the supervisor) Independently plans, coordinates, monitors and participates in administrative and operational activities required to maintain compliance with state and federal election regulations; Verifies department director and staff operate within full compliance regarding any and all applicable legal regulations and timelines; Maintains a listing of legally required deadlines for the unit via a cyclical timeline; Manages campaign finance, including correspondence for late filings and violations; ensures candidate filing compliance, including challenges; Ensures federal and state voting equipment compliance; Responds to public records requests; Assures separation of duty compliance required by Pima County; Completes periodic compliance audits and provides findings with recommendations to the Director and Deputy Director; Prepares requisite drafts of new procedures or processes for preclearance by regulatory agencies in compliance with state or federal laws or other regulatory requirements;  Coordinates the compilation and submission of required reports to regulatory agencies; Ensures Department compliance with all poll worker regulations; Determines Department compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with respect to facilities utilized in the elections process; Assists with grant requests; Develops and maintains public feedback tracking systems to capture voter complaints and concerns, allocate them to the appropriate division for resolution and record actions taken to rectify issues identified. Salary: $57,607 – $63,367. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

Elections Equipment/Operations Analyst, Jackson County, North Carolina— This position performs intermediate skilled technical and operational support work assisting the Director with planning, directing, coordinating, and supervising the elections process. Duties and Responsibilities: Assists in Implementing changing election laws, coordinating elections, and supervising activities of the office. Oversees set up of One-Stop voting sites and network. Sets up all E-poll books according to polling place. Assists in machine logic and accuracy. Administers Campaign Reporting schedule. Provides requested information such as registration analysis, voting analysis, lists of precinct officials, precinct locations, precinct political committees, and campaign reports to the various candidates, campaign committees, party chairs, news media, and the general public. Provides requested information   regarding the North Carolina Campaign Reporting Act to prospective candidates, candidates, elected officials, media, and the general public, provides and notices of required reports to Candidates. Assists with audits submitted campaign reports, reviews, and verifies records to ensure that required information is provided and correct. Assists with polling sites database. Prepares campaign reports for public viewing. Assists with planning for and coordinating all early voting site, including the set up and close out of all sites.  Assists in training of one-stop workers.  Assists in canvassing the returns of all elections. Explains policies, laws, rules, regulations, and procedures to the public and other inquiring parties. Assists with voter registration verification procedures. Assists in ADA compliance and Campaign zones at polling places. Assists in processing and verifying petitions. Assists in preparing and conducting elections. Assists with state reporting requirements. Interacts with elected officials, candidates, the North Carolina Campaign Reporting Office, the general public, and the media. Performs other related job duties as assigned. Salary: $40,694. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Elections Operation Manager, Pima County, Arizona— Pima County Elections Department is actively seeking a highly qualified candidate with a unique blend of skills and experience to join our team as an Elections Operations Manager. The ideal candidate brings extensive expertise in voting equipment and e-poll books, ensuring the seamless functioning of critical election infrastructure. Your familiarity with online inventory systems will be instrumental in maintaining accurate and efficient inventory management. Additionally, your proven ability to collaborate with political parties and high-ranking officials sets you apart. Your past interactions with these stakeholders have showcased your exceptional communication and diplomacy skills, essential in the realm of elections. If you’re ready to leverage your expertise and contribute to the democratic process, we encourage you to apply. Join us in shaping the future of elections, where your skills and experience will make a significant impact. This classification is in the unclassified service and is exempt from the Pima County Merit System Rules. Duties/Responsibilities: (Work assignments may vary depending on the department’s needs and will be communicated to the applicant or incumbent by the supervisor.) Develops program goals, objectives, policies, and procedures, and establishes short- and long-range program performance plans subject to management review; Manages and administers program activities and evaluates program effectiveness and success; Manages the activities of professional staff and evaluates their performance; Develops, negotiates, monitors, and administers contracts, intergovernmental agreements, and/or financial and service agreements for the program managed; Monitors program contract compliance and takes corrective action as required; Performs as a program representative within the community, delivers informational news releases, serves as a program contact person, and participates in community awareness activities; Develops and maintains effective working relationships and coordinates program activities with other County departments, public and private agencies, organizations and groups to promote the program and its goals; Analyzes local, state and federal legislation and ensures program compliance with applicable regulations and policies; Directs organizational and management studies for the purpose of identifying problems and alternative solutions to the problems; Develops, writes and administers the program’s annual budget, prepares program-related financial forecasts, and identifies funding sources to support program activities; Reviews and analyzes routine and special reports detailing the status and/or success of the program, prepares recommendations, and/or initiates corrective action; Evaluates management problems and makes decisions regarding the proper course of action; May make recommendations to the Board of Supervisors regarding program objectives; May direct the preparation and submission of proposals and grant applications; May access or maintain specialized databases containing program-specific information to review information or generate reports. Salary: $57,607 – $63,367. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Elections Specialist, Bilingual (Chinese, Russian, Vietnamese or Ukrainian), Clackamas County, Oregon – Do you want to be essential to ensuring our elections are accurate, transparent, and inclusive? The Clackamas County Clerk’s Office seeks bilingual individual and service-oriented individuals to join our Elections team as Elections Specialists. In this role, you will serve as a crucial technical expert on election processes, providing clerical support and exceptional customer service to a diverse array of stakeholders. Fluency in English and a second language (Chinese, Russian, Vietnamese, or Ukrainian) is essential, as you will engage with the public in person, over the phone, and online. As an Elections Specialist, your responsibilities include detailed data entry of complex voter registration records, petition verification, ballot issuance and processing, and handling inquiries during each election cycle. Additionally, you will be pivotal in providing interpretation, translation, and culturally responsive customer service in English and a second language. The position extends beyond election-specific tasks to supporting the County Clerk’s office in various functions, such as interpretation and translation for services beyond elections, recording services, marriage licenses, wedding ceremonies, and public access to government services. Your role will also involve collaborating with coworkers, other division and department staff, and various county and state elections stakeholders to foster an inclusive, positive, and supportive work environment. You will actively participate in workplace preparedness, safety, and security procedures, working towards maintaining an environment where everyone feels a sense of safety, trust, and belonging. If you are ready to contribute to the elections process and engage with a diverse community, we invite you to apply and join our dedicated Elections team. Salary: $44,641-$56,179. Deadline: March 11. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

Elections Technician II, Pima County, Arizona— Participates in the supervision and training of elections personnel and the administration of elections activity. Duties/Responsibilities: Supervises and participates in activities involved in inventory control, ordering, receipt, delivery, and storage of election equipment and supplies; Researches election laws and regulations and prepares reports regarding impact on County election procedures; Supervises the preparation of the ballot order; Participates in preparing forms; Receives and files nomination forms; Assists in generating signature requirements necessary for the candidate or proposition to be placed on the ballot; Supervises and coordinates requisite training of election office and warehouse personnel; Coordinates the transportation and delivery of voting machines, supplies and equipment to polling places; Makes minor adjustments to voting machines to ensure functionality and operability prior to use by the public; Demonstrates voting machine operation and explains voting procedures to the public and elections workers; Participates in updating precinct and district maps; Assists State and local agencies in administering election activities; Participates in coordinating elections activities with other government agencies or departments; Assists in the training of subordinate and volunteer staff. Salary: Hiring Range: $19.14 – $22.49/hr. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Elections Technology Specialist, McLennan County, Texas– Under supervision of the Elections Administrator, the Elections Technology Specialist performs complex and technical duties related to activities in overseeing the County’s voting equipment by creating each election’s ballot using ballot origination software, programing and testing the County’s voting equipment with each elections ballot, processing and scanning returned mail-in ballots with the Ballot Board, and maintaining the County’s voting equipment after each election. Salary: $19.92 – $31.72 Hourly. Deadline: June 20. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

Field Operations Coordinator, Hays County, Texas– Reporting directly to Election Network Engineer, responsible for overseeing the inventory, distribution, maintenance, warehouse storage, and logistics of all equipment, voting ballots, and department assets for Hays County Elections Department. Responsible for identifying and reserving polling sites including overseeing the coordination of all polling site compliance and usage. Ensures polling locations follow the Texas Election Code for early voting and election day. Oversees the day-to-day tasks of the election technicians’ program. Salary: $46,378 – $50,678. Annually Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

Precinct Manager, North Charleston, South Carolina— Are you passionate about democracy and civic engagement? Join us as a Precinct Manager at the Board of Elections and play a pivotal role in ensuring smooth and efficient elections! Welcome to the Board of Voter Registration and Elections, where we are not just an agency, but a dynamic force committed to excellence in democracy. As an award-winning organization, we pride ourselves on our relentless pursuit of improvement to better serve the voters in our community. A major way this is done is through the recruitment and management of those who serve as poll managers. At the heart of our mission is an unyielding dedication to organizing elections with precision, fairness, and strict adherence to the law. Salary: $64,209 – $84,146. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Registration & Elections Manager, DeKalb County, Georgia– The following duties are normal for this position. The omission of specific statements of the duties does not exclude them from the classification if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment for this classification. Other duties may be required and assigned. Manages, directs, and evaluates assigned staff; develops and oversees employee work schedules to ensure adequate coverage and control; compiles and reviews timesheets; approves/processes employee concerns and problems and counsels or disciplines as appropriate; assists with or completes employee performance appraisals; directs work; acts as a liaison between employees and management; and trains staff in operations, policies, and procedures. Organizes, prioritizes, and assigns work; prioritizes and schedules work activities in order 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 ; and assists with the revision of procedure manuals as appropriate. Conducts elections; manages personnel to ensure that all elections are conducted in accordance with state and federal laws and regulations; secures early voting locations and recommends schedules; appoints site managers and determines staffing requirements for early and election day voting; works with polling location personnel and county information technology and GIS staff to ensure provision of technology training and services; develops and reviews training for compliance with election laws; monitors early voting traffic; recommends changes in procedures to resolve issues; conducts election night precinct check-in, election audit and preparation of precinct statistics; monitors election tasks lists; monitors election software programming; and oversees financial filing process. Implements, monitors and maintains registration functions and processes; reviews registration functions and processes including felon registrations, duplicate voters, citizenship verifications, jury summons questionnaires, provisional voting, election night precinct check-in and election audit; monitors and ensures compliance with established protocols and procedures; and updates protocols and procedures as needed. Prepares and completes a variety of registration, production and election reports; compiles and/or tracks various administrative and/or statistical data; generates and prepares data; submits all mandated reports to local, state and federal regulatory agencies or others as required; and maintains related records. Maintains training and procedure manuals; and develops, updates, and revises procedural manuals for voter registration and election functions. Interprets, applies, and ensures compliance with all applicable codes, laws, rules, regulations, standards, policies and procedures; initiates any actions necessary to correct deviations or violations; maintains comprehensive, current knowledge of applicable laws/regulations and pending legislation that may impact department operations; and maintains an awareness of new products, methods, trends and advances in the profession. Assists in developing and implementing department budget; reviews budgetary needs and makes recommendations to executive management; and monitors expenditures against approved budget. Salary: $66,132 – $106,473. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

Registrar of Voters, San Bernardino County, California– The Registrar of Voters will foster an environment that promotes civic participation and ensures transparent and fair elections. They will design and implement voter education programs tailored to the needs of County residents. This position requires a deep understanding of the County’s diverse demographics, its unique challenges, and the ability to implement strategies that promote voter engagement, education, and participation. The Registrar will oversee voter registration efforts, ensuring that registration processes are accessible, efficient, and in compliance with state and federal regulations. They will work closely with local community organizations, schools, and governmental entities to create outreach initiatives and workshops to increase countywide engagement. Engaging with the community is at the heart of this role. Building and maintaining strong relationships with various stakeholders, including community leaders, advocacy groups, and residents, is paramount. Organizing town hall meetings, forums, and public discussions will be essential to address concerns, gather feedback, and disseminate essential information related to voting procedures, ballot measures, and electoral reforms. By actively listening to the community’s needs and concerns, they will play a pivotal role in shaping policies and initiatives that resonate with the diverse population of San Bernardino County. This position offers a unique opportunity for development and growth within the realm of civic engagement and electoral processes. As the landscape of voting rights, technologies, and methodologies continues to evolve, staying abreast of emerging trends, best practices, and legislative changes is essential. Participating in training programs, conferences, and workshops will enhance the knowledge base, skill set, and capacity to navigate the complexities associated with administering elections in the County. Salary Range: $153,504 – $218,004 DOE/DOQ. Deadline: Feb. 29.  Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

Senior Policy Associate, Verified Voting– As we head into an election year, the SPA will play an integral role on Verified Voting’s programs team, helping the organization ramp up work in priority states and respond effectively to new developments as they arise. The SPA will lead our engagement in several priority states related to Verified Voting’s key issue areas, including robust tabulation audits, ballot accounting, chain-of-custody documentation, and other best practices that support public confidence in elections. (The states will be determined in coordination with other team members who serve as state leads.) The SPA will not lobby, but will advocate for improved policies in priority states, engaging with various stakeholders. They will also collaborate closely with election officials, providing procedural and technical assistance related to implementation of risk-limiting audits and other best practices. The SPA will also provide election officials with strategic messaging support to help them effectively communicate the impact of their work to voters. The SPA will work closely with team members on other policy work and may lead research and writing projects. In particular, the SPA will help develop new materials and resources to capitalize on the upcoming conclusions of a new messaging research project. We are a fully remote organization — the only requirements are that you are eligible to work in the US, that your location is in the US, and that you have a workspace that allows you to complete the demands of the position. Verified Voting’s official operating hours are 9am-5pm Eastern Time, but we work together to accommodate team members’ various time zones, circumstances, and work styles. Occasional in-person meetings and travel opportunities are possible. Salary: $85,000–$90,000. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

Temporary Elections Staff Attorney, Public Rights Project— Public Rights Project (PRP) is a public interest legal nonprofit, headquartered in Oakland, with a remote team based throughout the United States. Our mission is to close the gap between the promise of our laws and the lived reality of our most vulnerable communities. Since 2017, we have been working at the intersection of community organizing and state and local government enforcement to build a scalable, equitable community-based enforcement model to protect civil rights and advance economic justice. In the run-up to the 2024 presidential election, PRP is launching its Elections Hub to stand with progressive state and local governments, especially local elections officials, as they fight to protect the voting rights of their residents and secure safe and fair elections. PRP is building a rapid response litigation hub to support up to 200 election officials across 12 or more states. The goal of the hub is to provide training, technical assistance, and legal backup to election administrators to enable them to respond to election threats quickly and effectively. Public Rights Project seeks to hire a Temporary Staff Attorney to join the new Elections Hub. The Temporary Staff Attorney will staff PRP’s in-house efforts to represent and advise state, local, and tribal governments and elected officials in support of election administration and the expansion of voting rights.  Although this position does not incorporate formal supervisory responsibilities, the Temporary Staff Attorney will sometimes lead case teams and may review the work of other attorneys, alongside more independent work or work as a contributor to other case teams. This position reports to the Senior Staff Attorney and 2024 Election Hub Program  Manager. This position will also work closely with the Chief Programs Officer and the Legal Director. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Training and Education Coordinator, Pima County, Arizona— Researches, coordinates and develops materials for use in training staff and educating clients on procedures, rules, regulations, forms, requirements and equipment for area of assignment; Assists management in the identification of training needs for staff and education for clients; Collects, compiles, prepares, updates and assembles training and presentation materials and manuals; Designs new training and education materials and/or updates materials on a regular basis; Conducts initial training/orientation for newly hired staff to increase understanding of procedures and position responsibilities; Delivers training to classes and individuals through lectures, demonstrations, exercises and workshops; Conducts continuing education to comply with changes in federal, state and local regulations, policies and procedures, and to resolve specific performance deficiencies; Coordinates and investigates compliance with federal, state and/or local policies, laws and regulations and conducts quality control audits and reports on findings; Participates in the review of productivity levels for activities and staff, analyzes problem areas, identifies training needs and recommends solutions to management; Assesses implementation of policies and/or procedures and makes recommendations to management regarding changes and/or supplemental training; Provides additional training as needed, under management direction; Serves as the technical advisor for interpreting federal, state, and County policies, laws, rules and/or regulations governing are of assignment; Compiles statistical data and prepares reports for area of assignment for presentation to management and the Board of Supervisors. Develops and evaluates student surveys/assessments on training/education provided; Coordinates and maintains training/education materials, audio-visual equipment, laptops, tablets and supplies utilized for training and education; Maintains manual and computer based documentation on training and/or education conducted, competency checklists and assessment files. Salary: Hiring Range: $54,863 – $65,836. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Training Manager, Charleston County, South Carolina— Are you passionate about democracy and coaching people to their fullest potential? Join us as a Training Manager at the Board of Elections and play a pivotal role in ensuring smooth and efficient elections! Welcome to the Board of Voter Registration and Elections, where we are not just an agency, but a dynamic force committed to excellence in democracy. As an award-winning organization, we pride ourselves on our relentless pursuit of improvement to better serve the voters in our community. A major way this is done is through the training of those who serve as poll managers. At the heart of our mission is an unyielding dedication to organizing elections with precision, fairness, and strict adherence to the law. Responsibilities include: Comprehensive training development, training coordination, community engagement, year-round training program, performance tracking, new hire training, continuous improvement, collaboration with precinct manager.  Salary: $64,209 – $84,146. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Training Program Coordinator, Charleston County, South Carolina— This position is responsible for the recruiting, coordinating, and training of Election Day poll managers on the policies, procedures, and SC State law regarding the administering of fair, honest, and accurate elections within the polling places on Election Day and during early voting. This position will also train all temporary Early Voting staff. This position will be responsible for developing all instruction manuals and materials. This position reports directly to the Deputy Director of Election Operations. Salary: $53,248 – $69,784. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Work Elections Fellowship Coordinator, Campus Vote Project– Fair Elections Center’s Campus Vote Project seeks a WorkElections Fellowship Coordinator. The Fellowship Coordinator is a key member of our team. They are charged with quickly solidifying and deploying a program to recruit students to serve as poll workers across five states ahead of the November 2024 elections. The Fellowship Coordinator will supervise a team of five Supervising Fellows who will assist them and CVP State Coordinators in training and support CVP Democracy Fellows who receive an additional stipend to complete state-specific WorkElections recruitment for poll workers.  This position reports to the CVP Curriculum and Research Manager with additional support from the National Special Projects Manager.  Fair Elections Center’s Campus Vote Project (CVP) was launched in 2012 to expand our work on student voting issues.We work with universities, community colleges, faculty, students, and election officials to reduce barriers to student voting. CVP helps campuses institutionalize reforms that empower students with the information they need to register and vote. Campus Vote Project has three main areas of focus: institutionalizing voter engagement, providing up-to-date election information, and developing student leaders. Fair Elections Center also began WorkElections.org to address a struggle that many local election officials face: recruiting a sufficient number of poll workers – particularly those with in-demand technological and language skills, to help voters on Election Day. The online tool collects poll worker requirements and applications for thousands of jurisdictions across the country, providing a central source of simplified information for interested individuals who may not know how or where to apply.  WorkElections seeks to facilitate poll worker recruitment to ensure that this year’s elections go as smoothly as possible. This position brings these two projects of Fair Elections Center together to further the missions of both: 1) by recruiting a pool of poll workers that are more representative of the communities they will serve, and  2) reducing barriers to student voting and welcoming more young voters into the democratic process. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

Marketplace

electionline provides no guarantees as to the quality of the items being sold and the accuracy of the information provided about the sale items in the Marketplace. Ads are provided directly by sellers and are not verified by electionline. If you have an ad for Marketplace, please email it to: mmoretti@electionline.org