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Election News This Week

Automatic for the People: Since automatic voter registration launched in late April, the state says some 15,000 eligible Minnesotans have been registered to vote while renewing a state-issued ID, like a driver’s license. Legislation passed last year paved the way for the Department of Public Safety to build an automatic voter registration system. In a news conference marking the rollout, Secretary of State Steve Simon praised the new system saying it ”strengthens election security and increases voter access.” Previously, applicants needed to opt-in for voter registration by checking a box on their driver’s license renewal form. Now the registration process will be automatic without any extra steps required of eligible voters. “The process shifts the responsibility of registration from voters to elected officials,” said Simon, who added that voter eligibility will be determined by multiple layers of review and verification by the Secretary of State’s office in partnership with local election officials. He estimates the new system could register 120,000 Minnesotans by election day. The system also pre-registers 16 and 17-year-olds applying for their first driver’s license, or other state-issued ID. Since April, 13,000 teens have been pre-registered to vote.

Native Voter Education: The Arizona secretary of state’s office is working to reach Native voters across the state with Native Voting Hour, a way to hear from voters within Indigenous communities directly as well as provide them with information about their voting rights. Native Voting Hour is a monthly virtual meeting series held on Zoom on the last Tuesday of every month at 2 p.m. Mountain Standard Time. The meeting is open to the public and dedicated to empowering and educating Native voters across the state. “The program was established as a way for our office to be approachable from the community,” said Millicent Michelle Pepion, the outreach coordinator and tribal liaison for the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office. Pepion understands that meeting virtually in the middle of the afternoon may not be ideal for many people. However, having the program set for a regular time every month helps with consistency and reliability. Each monthly virtual meeting is an hour long and focuses on a theme. It features three to four guest speakers with various backgrounds related to the month’s theme. Pepion said that the Secretary of State’s Office often works with different organizations, universities, school departments and tribal councils. However, the Native Voting Hour program is different.  The program is a way for the Secretary of State’s Office to reach out directly to Indigenous community members, she said, and let them know the office is trying to learn what issues are happening within Native communities and how to best address them.

Trust in Elections: Diverse groups are working in several states in an attempt to build trust in elections. In Nevada two former prominent Republican political figures in Nevada have launched an organization dedicated to rebuilding trust in the state’s secure election system. RightCount, led by former Governor Bob List and State Senator Heidi Gansert, was founded in an effort to restore trust in the electoral process and to support public officials swore to uphold the rule of law and ensure legal and accurate vote counts. “The integrity of our electoral process is the bedrock of our nation’s strength. However, recent years have witnessed a concerning decline in trust in our elections,” List said. “As a former Governor of this magnificent state, I’m proud to partner with RightCount and local Nevadan leaders, particularly my fellow Republicans, as we work to restore trust and confidence in our state’s electoral system.” In Utah the nonprofit group Trust Utah Elections hopes to reassure everyone that they can trust the process. Former Utah County Clerk Josh Daniels said Trust Utah Elections is working to prevent a repeat of the election four years ago. “You had self-appointed experts asserting that they know what is and isn’t true about election administration,” Daniels said. “You know, way out over their skies asserting all kinds of wild things about what happens behind the scenes of election administration.”  Stan Lockhart, a former Utah Republican Party Chair noted that there is some fraud that occurs, but not like the disinformation that was spread in 2020. “It’s not huge, but there are mothers of missionaries that vote for their kids. That is the greatest source of fraud we’ve discovered in our audits. And there is a well-defined process for remedying that problem … They do not want to send a bunch of moms to jail.”

Election Observation: The Montana Election Observation Initiative has released its preliminary findings of how the election process in Missoula County was conducted for the June 4 primary.  The initiative posted 22 non-partisan observers at 19 of the voting locations across the county to monitor “the overall quality of the election process,” not the results of the election, according to the MEOI findings statement.  The preliminary findings from the MEOI show in-person voting in Missoula County was “generally well-conducted,” with observers looking at aspects of the process like the opening and closing of polls, any disruptions to voters, the functioning of equipment and procedures followed by election judges. Observations noted that human-run elections cannot be completely free of errors but found “nothing undermining the overall integrity of the election process” for the Missoula County primary.  With the success of the program, supported by the Carter Center, the MEOI now plans to recruit and train upwards of 100 more observers to carry out the same oversight for several more counties in the November election. In North Dakota, Primary election polling sites received high marks from the League of Women Voters’ volunteer election observers, according to an announcement from the organization. Volunteers on election day monitored more than 30 voting locations in Bismarck, Mandan, Fargo, West Fargo, Dickinson, Grand Forks, Jamestown, Devils Lake and Wahpeton. Their goal was to document how smoothly the polls operated — like whether there were long lines, clear signs pointing voters in the right direction and if the location was accessible for disabled voters. They had a lot of good things to say. “Our nonpartisan observers sent us reports of friendly poll workers, positive voting experiences, and democracy in action at the local level,” Mary Tintes, vice president of the League of Women Voters of North Dakota, said in the announcement.

Suffrage News: Cartoonish Caitlin Cass has a new graphic novel out called “Suffrage Song: The Haunted History of Gender, Race and Voting Rights in the U.S.” In it, Cass unpacks the active role that some White women played in suppressing voting rights for all — and the lessons today in the ongoing fight for universal ballot access. Cass covers the history of women’s suffrage in the United States from the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, through the stories of organizers like Susan B. Anthony, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, Alice Paul, Mary Church Terrell, and later Fannie Lou Hamer and Ella Baker. “I did not want to focus on only a few people because that seems like it misses one of the most important things about how these movements function. They require group effort. The cult of personality that is so prevalent in our culture is kind of antithetical to these movements and yet we continue to celebrate well-known individuals,” she told The 19th. “It’s easier to choose a figurehead than to celebrate all of the people who put in the work at once. I really wanted to try to celebrate them all.” In other Suffrage news, “Suffs”, the Broadway musical about the Suffrage movement and co-produced by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, won two Tony Awards–Best Book and Best Original Score. 

Sticker News: The Cultural Alliance of York County and the County of York, Pennsylvania announced this week that they have selected three winning designs submitted by over 200 K-12 grade students for York’s “I Voted!” stickers, which will be used in the November 5, 2024 Presidential General Election and the 2025 Primary Election. A committee of local educators, a Judge of Elections, and artists chose a winning design from each age group to be produced into the commemorative 2-inch “I Voted” stickers given to York County residents who vote in November and in the 2025 primary. The winners are: Grades K-5th winner: Kylie Fisher, Logos Academy; Grades 6-8th winner: Estella Dugger, Home Schooled; and Grades 9-12th winner: Madeline Zarate, Northern York High School. “This was a tough decision for our panel,” said Kelley Gibson, President of the Cultural Alliance of York County. “We had so many talented submissions that really showcased the uniqueness of York County and civic pride in our elections process by these students. We were thrilled with the participation of so many students around the county in the first-ever competition.”

Personnel News: Tehama County, California Clerk/Recorder Jennifer Vise has announced she is retiring. Glen Gilzean, the appointed Orange County, Florida supervisor of elections, has announced that he will not run for the position. Nadene Alford is the new Kerr County, Texas clerk. Donald Oakes is retiring after 39 years on the Warren County, Mississippi election commission. Lily Woo is New Hampshire’s first civic and voter education coordinator. Andrew Cochran, who’s served as Roanoke, Virginia’s voter registrar since 2013, says he will retire in September. Beth Lechman is resigning as the Centre County, Pennsylvania elections director. Bonnie Hakkola and LeeAnn Oman have resigned from the Delta County, Michigan board of canvassers after they refused to certify a May recall election. Vallejo City, California Clerk Dawn Abraham was recently installed as the president of International Institute of Municipal Clerks.  After a public interview process, Tom Toller has been appointed the new Shasta County, California registrar of voters. Gary Kilpatrick is retiring after 25 with the Cherokee County, North Carolina board of elections. 

New Research and Resources

Intimidation: This week The Brennan Center released “A Guide to Laws Against Intimidation of Voters and Election Workers”.  The resource guide identifies the kinds of intimidating conduct that Brennan thinks are most likely to arise and outlines legal tools to deter, mitigate, and respond to such tactics. The guide covers: Blockading, Following, Menacing, or Shouting at Voters and Volunteers; Intimidation by Poll Watchers; Intimidation by Poll Workers; Intimidation by Door-to-Door Canvassers; Intimidation by Law Enforcement Officers; Intimidation through; Online or Telephonic Targeting; Intimidation through Mass Voter Challenges; Guns at Polling Places; and Harassing Election Workers Online and In Person.

Election Laws: This week, Movement Advancement Project released a new report, Diverging Democracy: The Battle Over Key State Election Laws Since 2020. The report surveys policy trends over the last four years that have impacted not only how voters cast their ballots, but also the security and independence of our elections.  These emerging trends are poised to significantly impact election outcomes, voter turnout, and public confidence in the electoral process. The report finds that while some states have emphasized voter access and expanding opportunities for voters to become registered, other states have prioritized restrictive measures that undermine the democratic functioning of elections. New analysis shows that since 2020, only 18 states have become more expansive in terms of the policies tracked in this report that provide equal access to the ballot and combat violence and divisiveness. Over the same period, almost half of all states (24) have become more restrictive, signifying their prioritization of efforts to limit access to voting. An additional five states have enacted both expansive and restrictive policies since 2020. “It is evident that the continued polarization of states has the potential to sow confusion among voters and lead to potential disenfranchisement, particularly for marginalized groups who already face ingrained barriers to the ballot box,” said Brian Hinkle, Senior Voting Policy Researcher at MAP. “For this reason, the importance of advocating for federal voting rights legislation and the basic principles of democracy cannot be understated.” Using MAP’s Democracy Maps and bill tracking, this report shows the progression of these opposing trends in recent years and forecasts how this continued polarization will likely impact the upcoming 2024 election—and American democracy for years to come.​​​ ​

Legislative Updates

Capitol Hill Update: House Administration Chair Bryan Steil (R-Wisconsin) sent subpoenas to 15 Cabinet officials requesting documents related to an executive order aimed at promoting access to voting. It’s the latest move by Steil and House Administration Republicans, who have spent the bulk of this Congress highlighting perceived threats to election security and advancing a series of conservative proposals that would encourage states to adopt policies like mandatory voter identification. Steil gave the department heads until June 26 to comply. The executive order, issued by President Joe Biden in March 2021, sought to remove barriers to the ballot for historically marginalized groups, in part by expanding voter registration efforts. It instructed executive departments and agencies to partner with local officials “to protect and promote the exercise of the right to vote, eliminate discrimination and other barriers to voting, and expand access to voter registration and accurate election information.” Steil called it nothing more than a “voter mobilization” effort intended to tilt the scales in favor of the presumed Democratic presidential nominee. He also suggested it could violate federal law that prohibits agencies from spending money without congressional approval.

California: The Senate’s Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee approved three elections-related bills this week. Assembly Bill 544, written by Los Angeles Democratic Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, would offer grants to three counties for a program that helps ease the voting process for people in prison or jail who have the right to vote. “Democracy thrives when it includes everybody,” Bryan said. The bill now proceeds to the state Senate Public Safety Committee. Assembly Bill 2642 — an anti-harassment bill written by Assemblymember Marc Berman, a Menlo Park Democrat, responds to a trend of election workers facing harassment across the country, Berman said. His bill would create a presumption that someone openly carrying a firearm or imitation firearm while in an elections setting would be trying to intimidate someone. It also would allow a victim, elections official or state attorney general to file a civil action to enforce the law. The legislation now advances to the Senate Judiciary Committee after Tuesday’s vote. Assembly Bill 2839 from Assemblymember Gail Pellerin, a Santa Cruz Democrat, is trying to address disinformation in political ads. The bill would prohibit someone from knowingly disseminating a campaign ad or other election-related message with deceptive and digitally altered images, audio or video four months before an election. It wouldn’t apply to satire or parody. Leora Gershenzon, with the California Initiative for Technology and Democracy, asked committee members to consider an ad showing an elected official accepting a bribe, which was in fact a video created by artificial intelligence. Once seen, it can’t be unseen. Pellerin’s bill now moves to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Delaware: An effort to constitutionalize no-excuse and permanent absentee voting, as well as early voting, failed to pass in the Delaware House. In 2022, Delaware’s Supreme Court ruled no-excuse mail-in voting to be unconstitutional, and earlier this year, Superior Court struck down permanent absentee voting and early voting. The latter ruling was appealed to the state’s Supreme Court, which recently heard arguments, but Democratic lawmakers are pushing forward with an attempt to add all three voting procedures to Delaware’s Constitution. House Minority Whip Lyndon Yearick (R- Magnolia) explains several of his Republican colleagues would opt not to vote on the constitutional amendment in order to wait for the Supreme Court’s ruling. “We feel it’s rather disingenuous to disallow that — we want the court decision to happen first and foremost. It may make this completely a moot point. They may overturn the Superior Court [decision] and say what was initially voted on is going to come back into play,” he said. Yearick also expressed disappointment with combining early voting and absentee voting in the constitutional amendment, saying they should be considered separately. The Democratic-endorsed amendment’s sponsor, State Rep. Sherae’a Moore (D-Middletown), says acting on all three voting procedures now is appropriate. “As we sit and we wait for the pending decision, we still have the responsibility to our constituents and making sure that we’re doing something because the court decision came because this wasn’t in our constitution,” she said. While the amendment failed to receive a two-thirds majority vote, House Majority Leader Melissa Minor-Brown (D-Bear) changed her vote from yes to no — a procedure that now allows her to bring the bill back for consideration within three legislative days.

Michigan: The House has approved legislation that will reshape the state’s recount laws. The package aims to clean up the post-election process and prevent frivolous recount attempts. It would only allow candidates to file for a recount if they believe in good faith that an error in the canvass or returns of the votes kept them from winning. Current state law also gives that opportunity if the candidate believes “fraud or mistake” cost them the election. Candidates would also have to certify that the number of challenged votes would be enough to sway the outcome of an election for a petition for a recount to go through. Representative Penelope Tsernoglou (D-East Lansing) said the legislation also changes how much candidates would have to pay for a recount. “This fee structure includes per-precinct fees which charge less for precincts where the results are closer and more for precincts where the margin is so large that it is unlikely a recount could change the outcome,” Tsernoglou said. Another part of the package deals with which ballots are eligible to be recounted. Under the current system, if the number of ballots a precinct has in its possession is out of balance with records, every ballot in that precinct becomes ineligible to be recounted. The legislation would provide a way to still count those ballots should there be a good reason through a sworn affidavit for why things are off.

New Hampshire: The House voted down a bill  that would have made sweeping changes to how would-be voters register at the polls. But a similar bill is awaiting action from the governor. The measure that failed sought to eliminate the system of sworn affidavits, which allow someone to sign a legally binding document if they don’t present certain documents. Instead, it would have required those registering to vote for the first time to have documentation in hand that they’re eligible, including proof of citizenship. would have also created an Election Day hotline run by the Secretary of State’s office, the Attorney General’s office and Department of Motor Vehicles. Supporters pointed to the hotline as a potential resource for local election officials to confirm someone’s voting eligibility in real time, though it wasn’t clear based on the text of the bill how the system would have worked. Another bill that also requires stricter proof of citizenship for first-time registrants on Election Day but doesn’t include the hotline already cleared the Legislature earlier this session. But the fate of that bill is uncertain. Earlier this week, Gov. Chris Sununu said he had concerns about the timeline of both measures, which would go into effect immediately. That would give state and local election officials less than three months to prepare before the state primary in September. Opponents of the bill, including Rep. Connie Lane, a Democrat from Concord, said that requiring a would-be voter to bring certain documents to the polls would be a hardship, given that many people either don’t have a passport or may not have easy access to their birth certificate.

Texas: A coalition of watchdog and voter advocacy groups asked the U.S. Department of Justice to use “all available legal authorities” to protect the secrecy of ballots after Votebeat and The Texas Tribune confirmed that the private choices some voters make in the voting booth can in some instances be identified using public, legally available records. The two news organizations reported on the limited ability to identify how some people vote after an independent news site published what it said was the image of the ballot a former state GOP chair cast in the March 5 Republican primary. The League of Women Voters of Texas, American Oversight, the Campaign Legal Center, and Southern Coalition for Social Justice cited the investigation by Votebeat and The Tribune that replicated a series of steps that could identify a specific person’s ballot choices using public records. The outlets did not detail the precise information or process needed to do so. The advocacy groups said the ability to identify how people vote could lead to voter intimidation. The groups’ request to the Justice Department comes a week after the Texas Secretary of State’s Office issued emergency guidance to local election officials, telling them, among other things, to “redact any information on the precinct election records or on the ballot image that identifies the location at which a voter voted.”

Legal Updates

Alabama: Attorneys for the plaintiffs challenging a law restricting absentee voter assistance argued in a filing this week that they were likely to succeed because the assistance is covered under the First Amendment. The filing was in response to the state’s arguments that a preliminary injunction against the law should not be granted. In the 31-page filing, attorneys for the plaintiffs wrote that they are “substantially likely” to succeed on the merits of their speech and association claims. They wrote that assistance is covered under the First Amendment and that the state’s testimonies were not convincing. They said that the bill would fail under First Amendment scrutiny. The Alabama Legislature this spring passed a law that criminalized some forms of absentee ballot application assistance. Civil rights groups, including the ACLU of Alabama, filed a lawsuit in April, saying the law amounts to voter suppression. The state argued in its response that absentee ballot application assistance did not amount to speech. In their filing, plaintiffs argued the new law is “unconstitutionally vague” and “unconstitutionally overbroad.” “Defendants’ arguments only underscore SB 1’s fatal deficiencies: in both their motion to dismiss and opposition brief here,” the filing said. “Defendants can only attempt to explain the scope and meaning of SB 1 by inferring words and meaning that do not exist anywhere in the statute or conjuring their own definitions from thin air.”

Alaska: Alaska failed to accommodate people with disabilities who were trying to cast votes in various 2022 and 2023 elections, a violation of federal law, the U.S. Justice Department said on Tuesday. The findings, described in a letter to the Alaska Division of Elections, resulted from an investigation spurred by voter complaints, the Justice Department said. The department said it has asked the division to correct the problems. “Voting is a fundamental right for all American citizens and ensuring they have full access to the election process is a hallmark of our democracy,” Lane Tucker, U.S. attorney for the District of Alaska, said in a statement. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to collaborate with the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division to work toward accessibility in voting for all Alaskans.” According to the findings, certain polling places in the state lacked accessible machines that would have allowed people with disabilities to cast their votes privately, a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Justice Department said. Physical barriers blocked access in some cases, the department said in its letter to state officials detailing the violations.

Arizona: Maricopa County Judge Geoffrey Fish denied multiple motions to dismiss and remand charges against two Cochise County supervisors accused of interfering with an election officer in 2022.  Tom Crosby and Peggy Judd, two Republican supervisors were indicted in November — barely a year after they voted to delay canvassing the county’s general election results past the legal deadline. Arizona prosecutors say the delay interfered with then-Secretary of State Katie Hobbs’ job to certify the statewide results. Defendants say the case should be dismissed because, while the countywide canvass was completed after the Nov. 28, 2022, deadline, Hobbs still certified the results before her own deadline of Dec. 5. They also claim the state grand jury that indicted them has no jurisdiction over the crimes they’re said to have committed. Fish disagreed and denied their motions through multiple opinions that hit the docket this week. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said in a press release that her office is prepared to move forward with the case. “This is a serious case, and the charges have merit,” she said. “Today’s ruling by the court supports that.”

California: After a two-day hearing on whether to dismiss a lawsuit that claims Shasta County elections officials intentionally tried to affect the outcome of an election, a lawyer for the county said he plans to ask a judge to issue what amounts to a summary judgment. Laura Hobbs, who lost in the March 5 Board of Supervisors District 2 primary, filed a lawsuit in Shasta County Superior Court claiming it was the county elections office’s fault she lost the contest. Based on that suit, Judge Stephen Baker ordered a hearing to give Hobbs’ lawyers a chance to persuade him why he shouldn’t dismiss the lawsuit. After hearing two days of witness testimony and seeing evidence of alleged irregularities in the March 5 primary, the county plans to file a “motion for judgment” with the court, “which means they didn’t state a clear reason to win the case,” said Christopher Pisano, an attorney hired by the county to represent it in the case. Pisano said his motion would be similar to requests to either dismiss the lawsuit or receive a summary judgment — a decision by the judge, without a full trial — in the case.

Florida: Secretary of State Cord Byrd and Attorney General Ashley Moody appealed a federal judge’s decision blocking part of a 2023 Florida elections law that placed new restrictions on voter-registration groups. As is common, a notice of appeal filed Monday did not detail arguments that lawyers for Byrd and Moody will make at the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. But they are challenging a final judgment issued May 15 by Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker involving part of the law that would prevent non-U.S. citizens from “collecting or handling” voter-registration applications. In issuing a permanent injunction, Walker said that part of the law violated the U.S. Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause. The groups Hispanic Federation and Poder Latinx and individual plaintiffs filed the challenge in May 2023 after Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Republican–controlled Legislature approved the restrictions. “Here plaintiffs have suffered — and continue to suffer — irreparable injuries,” Walker wrote in explaining the injunction. “Indeed, the individual members in this case have been unconstitutionally discriminated against based on their non-citizenship status. This discrimination has prevented plaintiffs from registering new voters — a lost opportunity that cannot be remedied with monetary damages.” The state also is appealing a July 2023 ruling by Walker that placed a preliminary injunction on the part of the law related to non-citizens and another part that would make it a felony for voter-registration group workers to keep personal information of voters. A panel of the appeals court heard arguments in January but has not issued an opinion.

Maryland: United Sovereign Americans — a nonprofit Missouri corporation targeting election officials across the country — and Maryland Election Integrity, a limited liability corporation founded by a South Carolina lawyer, have filed an appeal in a case thrown out by U.S. District Judge Stephanie Gallagher. In her dismissal of the case, Gallagher said the group lacked standing because they did not allege any “concrete or particularized injury … but simply generalized grievances applicable to the community as a whole.” “Courts routinely find such grievances insufficient to demonstrate standing to sue,” Gallagher wrote. In a response letter filed at the same time as the appeal, the plaintiffs wrote they were “confused and disheartened” by the decision and called the judge’s reasoning “more of an excuse not to hear claims of evidence.” “We are confused because voting is a right, a civil right, not a privilege, and as United States citizens we have a right to question issues that concern us about our rights. Citizens always have ‘standing’ when they know their civil rights have been abridged,” they wrote. An opening brief in the appeal is due July 9, with the state’s response due Aug. 8, according to court records. Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown’s office is representing the elections board. A spokesperson for his office declined to comment about the appeal because the litigation is ongoing.

Michigan: Michigan Court of Claims Judge Christopher Yates has ruled that a directive by Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s office for clerks to initially presume the validity of absentee ballot signatures was “a foul under Michigan law.”  The 10-page opinion from Yates struck down that guidance, a victory for Republicans who sued and have repeatedly contested various election protocols from Benson’s department.  But Yates, an appointee of Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, preserved other state rules that offer clerks broad discretion to accept signatures that don’t exactly match what’s on file. Both sides of the suit cast the decision as a win. Benson spokesperson Angela Benander said the court decision “reaffirmed that it was legal for the department to implement signature verification rules.”  Clerks “carefully review every ballot signature to ensure they agree sufficiently with the signature on file before accepting any ballot,” she said.  At issue is how local election officials should review signatures on absentee ballot applications and envelopes to ensure they were submitted by the actual registered voter.  Under a state law amended last year by the Democratic-led Legislature, a signature is “invalid only if it differs in significant and obvious respects from the elector’s signature on file.” The Michigan Department of State’s subsequent December 2023 guidance told election clerks that “voter signatures are entitled to an initial presumption of validity.”  But Yates ruled that guidance was “incompatible with the Constitution and the laws of the state of Michigan.” “With apologies to Gertrude Stein … a presumption is a presumption is a presumption,” he wrote in the order. “Whether the guidance includes a gentle nudge instead of a hip check, it’s still a foul under Michigan law.”

Montana: The State of Montana wants the U.S. Supreme Court to hear an appeal of the Montana Supreme Court’s March decision striking down four voting laws passed by the 2021 Legislature, and a filing last week shows the state plans to advance portions of the controversial “independent state legislature theory” that has mostly already been rejected by the nation’s high court. Last week, an attorney with the Montana Department of Justice wrote to the Supreme Court that utilizing the four election laws in another challenge would be “an ideal vehicle” for the court to address what the administration believes are holes in the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision from last summer that could allow for the mostly right-wing theory to take hold in the U.S. court system. “Because the Montana Supreme Court has assumed a de facto new role as the final arbiter of all election legislation in Montana, this court’s review is urgently needed,” Montana Department of Justice Counsel of Record Peter Tortensen wrote in the filing. The Montana Department of Justice, led by Attorney General Austin Knudsen, filed a request for an extension of time last Wednesday with the U.S. Supreme Court asking the court to give the office until Aug. 26 to file its petition with the court calling on it to take up the appeal, referred to a petition for writ of certiorari. The Attorney General’s Office is representing Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen in the request.

Nevada: U.S. District Court Judge Cristina Silva approved a motion to dismiss a GOP-led lawsuit alleging that Nevada had insufficiently maintained its voter rolls, but will allow for an amended complaint addressing standing issues to be re-filed with the court. After a two hour hearing in Las Vegas Silva ruled that the Republican National Committee (RNC) and Nevada GOP lacked standing to file the lawsuit. She also ruled that there was no way for the state to resolve the alleged issues when the lawsuit was filed, owing to federal guidelines on the timing of amending voting roll programs to remove ineligible voters. The groups have 14 days to amend their complaint. The ruling marks an initial legal defeat for Republican groups that have already launched a trio of election-related lawsuits in Nevada this year, including efforts to stop the counting of mail ballots after Election Day, as allowed in state law,  and the alleged inclusion of non-postmarked mail ballots.

Ohio: The U.S. Department of Justice has intervened in a lawsuit filed over an Ohio law that makes it a felony for someone other than a postal worker or close relative to handle a person’s absentee ballot. Justice Department attorneys argued in a filing that Ohio’s 2023 law violates federal law because it restricts people with disabilities from having equal access to cast absentee ballots. That mirrors accusations in the lawsuit filed in federal court in Cleveland by the American Civil Liberties Union and League of Women voters against two Republican state leaders, Secretary of State Frank LaRose and Attorney General Dave Yost. The lawsuit seeks a federal judge to strike down the law. “No voter should be denied access to the ballot based on a disability,” U.S. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke said in a statement. “The right to vote is fundamental to our democracy, and the Justice Department will take action to safeguard that right for all eligible voters, including those with disabilities who need assistance casting absentee ballots.” The move gives federal attorneys standing to help argue for striking down Ohio’s 2023 law. They can do that because the Justice Department is charged with enforcing the Voting Rights Act that requires, among other things, states to avoid discriminating against voters with disabilities. U.S. District Judge Bridget Brennan is overseeing the Ohio case.

Pennsylvania: A Dauphin County judge ordered no further penalty for David Lassiter, 74, of Harrisburg who brought several unloaded firearms to a polling place on Election Day last year. Lassiter pleaded guilty to a single charge of disorderly conduct on March 27. He had to pay $330 in court costs, according to his online docket. Lassiter showed up to the polling place at Covenant Community Church on Derry Street on Nov. 7, 2023 saying he lost his wallet there. After he found the wallet, Lassiter thought it was missing $100, so as he reported the theft, he told police he’d go home, get a gun, and “handle it himself,” city police said in court documents. Lassiter returned and pulled a 9mm pistol from an ankle holster while still in his car, according to police. As Lassiter exited his vehicle, he appeared to point the pistol at an empty Bureau of Police vehicle, court documents said. Lassiter’s attorney, Mike Palermo, chalked the situation up to a misunderstanding. Police initially charged Lassiter with two more misdemeanors that were dropped: making terroristic threats, possession of an instrument of crime.

Vermont: Restoring Integrity and Trust in Elections, a national organization, is suing to stop noncitizens from voting on Burlington school budgets. The city amended its charter last year to allow anyone who is not a U.S. citizen but is a legal resident to vote in all local elections. The Vermont Supreme Court previously upheld similar voting rights in Montpelier and Winooski. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of two Burlington residents by the group, and specifically targets school district elections. They argue that since education is funded at the state level, noncitizen voting on school matters violates the state constitution, which requires voters to be citizens.

Analysis & Opinions This Week

National Opinions: Funding | Illegal voting | Federal election legislation | 2020 

Alaska: Voter registration

Arizona; Election workers 

California: Automatic voter registration 

Colorado: Ballot access | Ranked choice voting | Voter confidence; 

Connecticut: Election security 

Florida: Primaries; Vote by mail 

Indiana: Vote by mail

Michigan: Election reform 

Mississippi: Ex-felon voting rights | Turnout 

Montana: Open primaries 

Nevada: Voter ID | Vote by mail 

New Hampshire: Election legislation | Voter ID 

New York: Open primaries

Pennsylvania: Poll workers | Pre-canvassing 

South Carolina: Runoffs 

Texas: Ballot secrecy | Election dates

Virginia: Ranked choice voting 

Washington: Secretary of state race

Wisconsin: Media coverage

Wyoming: Drop boxes

Upcoming Events

Election Security: Best Practices for Safeguarding Elections:  Noah Praetz, president of The Elections Group, will lead a panel discussion about election security best practices and safeguarding elections. Panelists: Derek Bowens, Director of Elections, Durham County, North Carolina Board of Elections; Elizabeth Cassin, Campaigns and Project Manager, Election Protection, IssueOne; and Justin Berardino, Deputy Director of Operations, Orange County, California Registrar of Voters. Don’t miss this opportunity to ask questions and learn more about election security practices. When: June 25, 12pm Eastern. Where: Online

The Court v. The Voters: A Conversation with Joshua Douglas: In recent decades, we have witnessed an alarming trend at our nation’s highest court. From headline-grabbing cases like Bush v. Gore and Citizens United to lesser-known but still impactful cases like Crawford v. Marion County Elections Board, the Supreme Court of the United States has significantly changed American elections. “The Court v. The Voters: The Troubling Story of How the Supreme Court Has Undermined Voting Rights” examines each of these cases in turn and explains how each decision impacted our democracy and the voting rights of everyday Americans. In plain, accessible language, “The Court v. The Voters” uses real human stories to allow readers to understand the real and present danger of an activist court that consistently undermines those it is meant to serve — while highlighting solutions that will empower readers to plot a course for change. In conversation with Campaign Legal Center Senior Vice President Paul Smith, professor and author Joshua A. Douglas will take his knowledge of election law to lead attendees behind the scenes of the most significant cases in the history of voting rights in America. Douglas is a professor at the University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg College of Law. He is the author of “Vote for US: How to Take Back Our Elections and Change the Future of Voting,” which provides hope and inspiration for a positive path forward on voting rights. When: June 25, 1pm Eastern. Where: Online. 

NASS Summer Conference: The National Association of Secretaries of State will hold its summer conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Agenda is subject to change. Committee meetings and sessions are open to all attendees, unless otherwise noted. Sessions marked CLOSED and all evening events are not open to press/media. Business attire for all meetings. Valid conference ID badge is required for entry to ALL meetings and events. All meeting times are listed in Atlantic time. There is no virtual option to attend. Press Registration (free): Media access is July 10-12 and applies to public portions of the conference. Closed sessions are clearly noted on the below agenda. To begin registration for one of the 40 media slots, please email NASS Director of Com­munications, Maria Benson at mbenson@nass.org. Admittance is subject to NASS approval. The media registration deadline is Monday, June 24 at 12pm ET or until the slots have been filled, whichever comes first. There will be no on-site or day of registration available. There is also no virtual attendance or live stream option available. When: July 9-12. Where: San Juan, Puerto Rico

IGO 2024 Annual Conference: The International Association of Government Officials (IGO) will hold its 2024 Annual Conference in New Orleans in July. The conference theme is NOLA: Networking, Opportunities, Learning, Advancements. The agenda will be packed full of education, networking, and of course time in the trade show. When: July 19-24. Where: New Orleans

Job Postings This Week

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

Assistant Elections Director, State of Connecticut– The State of Connecticut, Secretary of the State (SOTS) is currently seeking dynamic, passionate individuals eager to contribute their experience within the Legislation and Election Administration Division (LEAD) as the Assistant Elections Director (Assistant Division Director). Join our team and embark on a rewarding career that offers growth, superlative benefits, and a culture that encourages work/life balance. The Legislation and Election Administration Division (LEAD) administers, interprets and implements all state and federal laws pertaining to elections, primaries, nominating procedures, and the acquisition and exercise of voting rights. The Division encourages and monitors the implementation of the National Voter Registration Act and other voter registration efforts in Connecticut. In addition, the division is the official keeper of all acts, orders, grants, and resolutions of the General Assembly, receives and maintains legislation, regulations and a wide range of other public documents as required by statute, and administers Connecticut’s notary public program. Salary: $100,149 – $136,544/year. Deadline: July 5. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

Customer Success Contractor, Voting Works– The Customer Success Contractor will work under the Head of Customer Success to ensure the success of all VotingWorks customers by providing remote and in-person support and product feedback to the hardware and software teams. If you consider yourself a solution-driven or process person with strong election administration experience, and a desire to support election officials, this position is for you. The ideal candidate will have a strong election administration background and an interest in supporting election officials. They will be able to build trust with customers. To succeed in this role you’re ready to wear multiple hats. Work will shift between remote audit support, responding to general customer inquiries, and peak election support, both remotely and in-person. You know how to roll up your sleeves and get things done – whether it’s a job responsibility you were expecting or an emergency that suddenly materializes from a customer call or email. You are detail-oriented, self-driven, and good at multitasking. You can work autonomously with little direction and a fair amount of ambiguity but also know when to ask for help or clarification. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

Cybersecurity Junior Analyst, Palm Beach County, Florida– The Cybersecurity Junior Analyst is responsible for monitoring the organization’s log aggregation tools and triage suspicious activity or detection alerts generated by the security controls implemented within the Supervisor of Elections Office network environment. Additionally, this position will serve as the first line of defense and response for identified security events in accordance with the Information Security Policy, and cybersecurity procedures. Candidate must be organized and personable with a great attitude, be able to work well in a team environment, calmly respond to identified security incidents, and meet deadlines under pressure. Excellent work ethic, including consistent performance, integrity, reliability, and attendance, is a must. Candidate must be detail-oriented and understand the importance of security and safety for all. Must be available 24/7 365, be able to handle simultaneous projects, be a self-starter, and remain informed on emerging threats and technologies. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Deputy City Clerk, North Las Vegas, Nevada— Under general supervision, performs specialized administrative and technical work related to the operation of the Office of the City Clerk. Prepares, processes and distributes City Council Regular, Special and Redevelopment agendas: publishes, mails, and posts agendas as required by the Open Meeting Law. Maintains agenda mailing list. Maintains invocation log and schedules for the City Council meetings. Prepares correspondence including memos to department directors and letters to applicants, representatives and property owners describing the action taken at the various City meetings. Confirms documentation needed on all contracts approved by the City Council and advises  contractors of the requirements. Obtains City signatures as necessary. Follows-up on contract expiration dates and notifies appropriate department staff. Attends bid openings. Prepares and distributes meeting minutes, action reports, and summary minutes of public meetings. Publishes, mails, and posts public hearing notices as required by the Open Meeting Law. Prepares City Council Regular, Special and Redevelopment meeting follow-up letters, memos and final action notices; provides administrative support for City Council, commissions, committees, and boards. Performs all related duties in compliance with Nevada Revised Statutes, Nevada Administrative Code and North Las Vegas Municipal Code. Responds to inquiries from the public regarding procedures, activities and other matters that require knowledge of the department’s operations. Ordinance follow-up and log maintenance. Administers agreements which do not need to be approved by City Council. Processes vacations of streets and rights-of-way and annexations; processes bonds, both financial and construction. Responsible for preparing daily, monthly, and annual statistical reporting. Assists in producing election and election related brochures and materials in all necessary languages, including requirements, important dates, methods and means of voting opportunities and necessary documentary evidence required by federal law; acts as filing officer for candidate filing, applications and expense reports. Receives payment from the public in the form of cash, check or money orders; utilizes appropriate cashiering procedures for accepting money, safeguarding the received money and accurately balancing at the end of each day. Performs other related duties as assigned. Salary: $27.01- $42.59/hr  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. Responsibilities of the Election Protection Hotline Specialist include but are not limited to: Support the Election Protection contact center, ensuring top-notch assistance to voters using the 866-OUR-VOTE hotline. Organize schedules and workflows for numerous legal volunteers, ensuring exceptional assistance and collecting essential data. Craft volunteer communications such as newsletters and emails, and promptly respond to volunteer inquiries Maintain proper staffing levels based on anticipated call volumes and direct volunteers to necessary resources. Aid volunteers with technical queries related to Twilio, Rocket Chat, Okta, and troubleshoot connectivity and login issues. Collaborate on updating voting rights reference materials and conduct volunteer training. Conduct research to enhance resources addressing caller questions and update volunteer references.Monitor interactions in the Election Protection database to ensure information accuracy and identify trends. Create daily reports summarizing call data to inform Election Protection coalition activities.Identify and engage volunteers for leadership roles and assist in post-election analysis. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Elections & Recording Manager, Lane County, Oregon– In Lane County, the County Clerk serves as the County’s Chief Election and Recording Official. As the Elections and Recording Manager, under the direction of the County Clerk, you will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of both the Election and Recording offices. This role involves planning and administering all federal, state, and local elections for 300,000 registered voters in Lane County, Oregon, where all elections are conducted by mail. Key Responsibilities: Manage the day-to-day operations of the County Clerk’s Office, including: Administering all Federal, State, and local elections. Maintaining the voter registration of 300,000 active Lane County voters. Recording real property records, including indexing and document retention. Issuing marriage licenses and domestic partnerships. Coordinating civil ceremonies. Overseeing the Property Value Appeals Board process. Administering the Archives Program. Developing, administering, and monitoring the Clerk’s Office budget. Providing expert guidance to other departments, the general public, and other agencies. Salary: $78,312.00 – $115,128.00 Annually. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Elections Coordinator, Kaufman County, Texas– The Elections Coordinator position plays a pivotal role in our operations, coordinating and supervising the daily operations and overseeing the productivity and quality of the work done by the elections staff. Receive and process applications for ballot by mail and maintain all such records. Assist Elections Administrator in preparation and conduct of county elections and early voting. Required to work compensatory time on election night to report election results to Secretary of State’s Office. Also required to work Saturday and/or Sunday during extended Early Voting hours. Responsible for assisting with the preparation of each election, including ordering ballots and other supplies; preparing electronic poll books; conducting voting schools for all election judges annually; hiring presiding and alternate judges appointed by the Commissioners’ Court. Responsible for providing unofficial election results on election night, reporting to Secretary of State on election night and after canvass, and providing results to IT Department for website posting. Assist the public in person, by telephone, and by mail concerning department information, researching records, filling out forms, and resolving relevant problems. Receive and distribute PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) to judges and clerks. As the Elections Coordinator, you will be responsible for creating and maintaining complex database files for all elections conducted by the department. You will also coordinate and establish the use of the polling locations and the placement of election officials for each election. In addition, you will oversee compensating election officials and customizing and procuring specific procedures, equipment, and materials for them. Your role may also involve handling difficult problems, developing and documenting programs/curriculum, monitoring work unit resources, and ensuring compliance with policies and laws. You will play a key role in the process of Federal, State, and local elections pursuant to the Texas Election Code, which includes tasks such as preparing ballot formats, ordering and furnishing election equipment and supplies, preparing election returns for canvassing, and filing all reports for the Secretary of State. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job functions herein described. Since every duty associated with this position may not be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not explicitly spelled out in the job description, but which may be reasonably considered to be incidental in the performing of their duties just as though they were written out in this job description. Salary: $52,769 – $52,869. Deadline: Aug. 10. Application: For the complete listing and to apply, click here. 

Elections Logistics Coordinator, Multnomah County, Oregon– Multnomah County’s Department of Community Services is looking for a professional and innovative full-time Elections Logistics Coordinator to join our team! In this role, you will directly support the Elections Division to provide operational support for conducting elections through facility arrangements for the Duniway-Lovejoy Elections Building, Voting Center Express, and other Elections sites; moreover, you will also provide operational support for all ballot boxes throughout the County and lead the team of on-call Election Workers that are responsible for collection of ballots from all ballot boxes. You will provide financial support to the Elections Division directly through purchasing, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and cost accounting. As the ideal candidate, you will have exemplary communication skills, attentiveness to details, and agility in responding to the needs of the division. Your strong leadership skills, creativity, innovation and collaborative nature will help you to succeed in this role, as will your ability to efficiently perform high-level administrative support, such as research, handling information requests independently, preparing correspondence, and managing calendars. Additionally, you will have complex organizational skills to manage numerous different projects with tight deadlines and will apply an equity lens in your communication strategies and throughout your work. You will be the resourceful person who can get everything for the Elections Division and can get it where it needs to be before it needs to be there. Salary: $33.69 – $41.35 Hourly. Deadline: June 30. 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.

Investigations Manager, Oregon Secretary of State’s Office– We are recruiting for an individual to join our Elections team. In this role, you will help enforce Oregon election laws and rules by overseeing all investigations-related work of the Division. This is accomplished in part by, but not limited to: Serving as a program expert to help implement campaign finance limits. Assisting division leadership and making recommendations on strategic goals, initiatives and short- and long-term objectives related to investigations. Overseeing the ongoing and existing operations, training, and public-facing enforcement-related interactions between the investigations team and external stakeholders. Reviewing investigation requests/complaints alleging possible violations of Oregon election laws/rules. Interpreting state and federal laws, administrative rules, case law, policies, and procedures, and applying them to Division’s investigatory determinations and enforcement actions. Supervising and providing direction for investigations staff. Salary: $6,551 – $10,640/per month Non-PERS Rate/$6,945- $11,280/per month PERS Rate. Deadline: June 30. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.  

IT Assistant Manager, Palm Beach County, Florida– The Assistant IT Manager plays a supportive role in the smooth operation of the IT department, ensuring that both the technical infrastructure and the team are aligned with the organization’s goals. This position involves collaborating closely with the Election Technology Director to oversee the implementation of technology solutions that meet the needs of the organization. The Assistant IT Manager helps maintain an efficient and effective IT environment. Oversee daily operations of the IT department, including help desk operations and performance, troubleshooting issues, and ensuring efficient workflow. Hold department meetings and provide weekly performance summary. Manage IT projects under the direction of the Election Technology Director, ensuring timely completion, budget requirements, and organizational needs. Enforce IT policies and procedures to ensure data security, network access, and system availability. Assist in the management of IT staff by developing skills, coaching, and communicating job expectations. Coordinate vendor renewals, assist with IT budget development, and manage grant applications. Evaluate and assist in maintaining the organization’s disaster recovery and business continuity plans for IT. Assist with IT Public Records requests research and fulfillment. Assist the Election Technology Director in all facets of IT operations. Lead projects and mentor team members. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Organizing Manager, Advocacy, Center for Tech and Civic Life–When you think about elections, you might think about popular candidates, “I voted” stickers, and all sorts of paperwork and deadlines. But behind the scenes are thousands of people in state and local governments who are working hard to make sure accurate election information is published, ballots are counted, and voices are heard. We are seeking a dedicated and experienced community organizer and advocate to help foster valuable and lasting relationships with local elections offices across the country. As CTCL’s Organizing Manager, you will implement CTCL’s nonpartisan advocacy strategy to support elections officials in administering inclusive and secure elections. The ideal candidate thrives in social environments and is eager to get out from behind a screen and into the field. You will visit small towns and major cities across the country to connect with local election administrators and their staff at association meetings, recruit and cultivate partnerships with state and national nonprofit organizations, and build relationships with government agencies to better understand how to connect elections offices with helpful information and public resources. You’ll report to the Advocacy Director and work in collaboration with other members of the CTCL team. This is a new role in a growing department that is focused on the resiliency of election infrastructure and securing public funding for local election offices. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

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

Physical Security Specialist, Palm Beach County, Florida– This position is responsible for administration of the physical security programs in a manner consistent with Supervisor of Elections Office policies, procedures, quality standards, and applicable local, state, and federal regulations. These programs include conducting facility security risk assessments, assisting with access control, monitoring alarms and CCTV systems, and providing security related training. Must be organized and personable with a great attitude, be able to work well in a team environment, and meet deadlines under pressure. Excellent work ethic, including consistent performance, integrity, reliability, and attendance, is a must. Candidate must be detail-oriented and understand the importance of security and safety for all. Must be available 24/7 365, be able to handle simultaneous projects, and be a self-starter. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Regional Coordinator – Observe New Mexico Elections –Observe New Mexico Elections, funded by The Carter Center, is a nonpartisan election observation effort designed to increase trust and transparency in elections. The effort is led by and for New Mexicans. Observers will be trained about relevant laws, procedures, and safeguards in New Mexico’s electoral process and will verify that those procedures are followed consistently. Nonpartisan election observers represent all voters, do not interfere in the election process, and report what they see. Observers’ findings throughout the state will be aggregated to assess the quality of elections in New Mexico. The Carter Center has led similar efforts internationally for decades and is now engaging in related efforts here at home. We are honored New Mexico was among the handful of states they selected to participate this year. Observe New Mexico Elections, a project of the Carter Center, is seeking a detail-oriented Regional Coordinator. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

Senior Counsel, Voting Rights Program, The Brennan Center– The Brennan Center’s Voting Rights Program seeks a talented attorney to join our team working to build a robust, participatory, and inclusive democracy. Reporting to the Director of the Voting Rights Program, the attorney’s focus will be to combat voter suppression and advance pro-voter reforms at the state and federal levels. Our Voting Rights Program advocates for free, fair, and accessible elections, with special focus on the ways systemic barriers impede electoral participation by communities of color. The past ten years have seen a renewed brazen and widespread assault on the right to vote. Elected officials at the highest levels have deployed disinformation and misinformation to scapegoat communities trying to assert their rightful place in the electorate. And the Capitol attack made plain that some are even prepared to reject the use of elections as the arena to contest political differences. We meet these challenges, and others, head on. We do so with partners ranging from community-based organizations to election administrators to pro bono counsel. The Brennan Center’s methods include legal and empirical research and writing, litigation, legislative and policy advocacy, media and communications, and public education. Salary:  $145,100 – $185,800. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Senior Director, Election Law Program, William & Mary–The Election Law Program (ELP), a joint initiative of the William and Mary Law School and the National Center for State Courts, has a mission to provide resources for judges deciding election disputes. This vacancy is for an experienced attorney to serve in the role of Senior Director of the Election Law Program. The Senior Director will be an attorney with experience in election law. Reporting to the ELP Co-Directors, the portfolio of responsibilities will include, but not be limited to: Developing resources for judges deciding election cases; Supporting projects that enhance understanding of federal and state election laws and the role of courts in resolving election disputes; Sharing research findings and legal resources through a variety of mechanisms such as publications and educational programs (e.g., webinars, presentations, and conferences); Overseeing ELP project implementation; Identifying and capturing trends in election litigation; Engaging in collaborative projects with trusted partners; Supervising student research; and Participating in fundraising efforts to support existing and future ELP initiatives as required. NOTE: If interested, an opportunity for appointment as an adjunct professor to teach a relevant course within the field of election law is available. Salary: $110,000 to $125,000, commensurate with experience. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Senior Regional Engagements Specialist (Remote), EI-ISAC– CIS is in search of a proven, capable, confident, competent, and dynamic self-starter who is passionate about working collaboratively to achieve meaningful and lasting impacts on the security maturity of State, Local, Tribal and Territorial (SLTT) government agencies and entities, including public sector education. This position is within the Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EI-ISAC), a division of CIS. The ideal candidate will be comfortable building and supporting relationships within an assigned region of the United States; interfacing with State Chief Information Officers (CIOs), State Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs), executive level staff, as well as technical staff and US DHS Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) partners. This position will provide exceptional service to SLTTs while expertly informing on the solutions and services that can protect their technology. The Center for Internet Security (CIS) makes the connected world a safer place for people, businesses, and governments through our core competencies of collaboration and innovation. We are a community-driven nonprofit responsible for industry leading best practices for securing IT systems and data. We lead a global community of IT professionals to continuously evolve these standards and provide products and services to proactively safeguard against emerging threats. Salary Range: $69,100 – $104,600. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

Voting Rights Associate, Common Cause– We are looking for a Voting Rights Program Associate to lead a statewide coalition of civic engagement and democracy reform organizations as we seek to reform primary elections at the local level within California. This is an exciting opportunity to improve voters’ voice and power within local communities, support our work to protect voting rights, and help us achieve our overall vision of a more inclusive and representative democracy in California, especially related to primary reform. In this role, you will work closely with members of the California Common Cause team to implement strategies to ensure that all voices, especially those from marginalized communities, are heard and considered in campaign planning and execution. You will also serve as the main point of contact and project manager for our work with our coalition partners, to ensure local elected officials and governing institutions are more representative of and responsive of their communities, guiding this work and our stakeholders to impactful outcomes. This role reports to the Voting Rights and Redistricting Program Manager; this role is remote within California, though we have a preference for someone in either the Central Valley or Sacramento. This is a grant-funded role; we hope to have someone start in August and this role is funded through June 2026. Salary: $70,000 – $85,000 a year. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

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