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Election Security Updates

Foreign Interference: This week, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released the following statement:  “As each of us has indicated in prior public statements, Iran seeks to stoke discord and undermine confidence in our democratic institutions. Iran has furthermore demonstrated a longstanding interest in exploiting societal tensions through various means, including through the use of cyber operations to attempt to gain access to sensitive information related to U.S. elections. In addition to these sustained efforts to complicate the ability of any U.S. administration to pursue a foreign policy at odds with Iran’s interests, the IC has previously reported that Iran perceives this year’s elections to be particularly consequential in terms of the impact they could have on its national security interests, increasing Tehran’s inclination to try to shape the outcome. We have observed increasingly aggressive Iranian activity during this election cycle, specifically involving influence operations targeting the American public and cyber operations targeting Presidential campaigns.  This includes the recently reported activities to compromise former President Trump’s campaign, which the IC attributes to Iran. The IC is confident that the Iranians have through social engineering and other efforts sought access to individuals with direct access to the Presidential campaigns of both political parties. Such activity, including thefts and disclosures, are intended to influence the U.S. election process. It is important to note that this approach is not new.  Iran and Russia have employed these tactics not only in the United States during this and prior federal election cycles but also in other countries around the world.   Protecting the integrity of our elections from foreign influence or interference is our priority.  As the lead for threat response, the FBI has been tracking this activity, has been in contact with the victims, and will continue to investigate and gather information in order to pursue and disrupt the threat actors responsible. We will not tolerate foreign efforts to influence or interfere with our elections, including the targeting of American political campaigns. As an interagency we are working closely with our public and private sector partners to share information, bolster security, and identify and disrupt any threats.  Just as this activity demonstrates the Iranians’ increased intent to exploit our online platforms in support of their objectives, it also demonstrates the need to increase the resilience of those platforms. Using strong passwords and only official email accounts for official business, updating software, avoiding clicking on links or opening attachments from suspicious emails before confirming their authenticity with the sender, and turning on multi-factor authentication will drastically improve online security and safety.

Ransomware: As part of their public service announcement (PSA) series to put potential election day cyber related disruptions during the 2024 election cycle into context for the American people, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) jointly released Just So You Know: Ransomware Disruptions During Voting Periods Will Not Impact the Security and Resilience of Vote Casting or Counting. FBI and CISA are issuing this PSA to inform the public that while ransomware attacks against state or local government networks or election infrastructure could cause localized delays, they will not compromise the security or accuracy of vote casting or counting processes. To date, any successful ransomware attack on election infrastructure tracked by the FBI and CISA has remained localized and successfully managed with minimal disruption to election operations and no impact on the security or accuracy of ballot casting or tabulation processes or systems. In prior U.S. and foreign elections, malicious actors have sought to spread or amplify false or exaggerated claims about cyber incidents in an attempt to manipulate public opinion, discredit the electoral process, or undermine confidence in U.S. democratic institutions. We could see foreign actors attempt to mislead American voters about the actual impact of a ransomware event on elections in this election cycle as part of their larger foreign malign influence campaigns. It is important for the public to know that election officials use a multi-layer approach to security that employs a variety of technological, physical, and procedural controls to prevent cyber intrusions, like ransomware, from impacting the security and resilience of vote casting and counting systems. “While ransomware continues to be a significant cybersecurity concern, it is important to note that security measures put in place by election officials and election vendors ensure these incidents will not impact the security of the vote casting or tabulation systems and processes,” said CISA Senior Advisor Cait Conley. “We will continue to work tirelessly with our election infrastructure partners to uphold the American people’s confidence in 2024 elections and our democratic process.”

New Research and Resources

Ballot Design: In a new fact sheet and accompanying policy recommendations report, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) has issued evidence-based guidance on how to improve ballot and polling place design, language accessibility, disability accessibility, and voter education materials.   The resources compare current policies in three states—Michigan, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. Ballot design varies widely across states. Some states use machines to record in-person votes digitally, while others require voters to mark a ballot to be scanned. Every state has different requirements for absentee and mail ballots. But every state can improve the usability of their ballots using science-based design principles to ensure fairer elections.   The following recommendations, created in collaboration with our Election Science Task Force, show a path forward for state and local election officials to make sure every eligible voter can fully participate in elections: 

• Conduct pre-election usability testing that’s inclusive of voters with limited English proficiency and voters with disabilities 
• Offer multiple ways to return mail and absentee ballots, including designated local drop boxes 
• Provide sample ballots with instructions, layout, and content identical to the actual ballots voters will use 
• Offer ballots and voter materials in more languages, with lower population thresholds for requiring materials for language groups in the area 
• Provide clear instructions in a horizontal format, separate from vertical candidate lists  
• Make sure candidate lists for an office are on a single page in a single column  
• Use the U.S. Election Assistance Commission’s guidelines on fonts, font sizes, page numbering and instructional illustrations 

The fact sheet is designed to be an educational resource for community organizations and our partners on the ground while the policy recommendations report provides an in-depth examination of the science that supports UCS’ recommendations for decisionmakers and election administrators to reference and consider.

Election News This Week

2024 Primary Updates: The 2024 primary season wrapped up in three more states – Alaska, Florida and Wyoming – this week. In Alaska, the U.S. Department of Justice was on hand to monitor the state’s compliance with language requirements. Two rural Alaska polling places never opened at all and a third was able to open for about 45 minutes. “On election day, the region calls every precinct to make sure they are open and everything is working smoothly,” said Alaska Elections Director Carol Beecher. “Unfortunately, despite best efforts, there are instances where election workers quit, or don’t show up on election day, leaving the agency to try to find others in the community to assist.” Besides the results, the biggest story out of Florida on Tuesday was a widespread failure of a reporting system that meant many counties were unable to post their results to the county elections website. The problem didn’t affect how counties reported the primary vote to the state, nor did it affect the state’s ability to provide election updates. But people checking local election websites Tuesday night couldn’t access results as they came in. “We share everyone’s sense of urgency to identify why people may have experienced problems accessing our customers’ websites,” the company said in a brief statement. “First and foremost, the election night reporting of the unofficial results was not impacted, and there is no indication of malicious activity.” The company said an increase in website traffic contributed to the problem. VR Systems didn’t return emails and phone calls from The Associated Press seeking more details on the glitch. Many supervisors of elections were on the ballot on Tuesday. In St. Lucie County, the Republican primary for supervisor of elections will go to a recount. Many incumbent supervisors of elections were able to defeat challengers labeled as election deniers. “It has been pretty ugly, pretty divisive,” added Collier County Republican Supervisor of Elections Melissa Blazier. “A lot of misconceptions and misinformation about elections have been promoted and spread by both of my opponents over the past few months, but I think overwhelmingly the voters in Collier County have kind of squashed it, which is a good thing.” While turnout was low in Florida for the late-season primary, mail voting was down even more. It’s unclear whether the state’s new law requiring voters to re-request a mail ballot contributed to that. And in Collier County, it wasn’t into a polling place, but one poll worker drove her car into a pond at a polling place and had to be helped from the pond by a passerby. The poll worker was reportedly unhurt and walked away. And finally in Wyoming, while there was a lot of angst prior to the primary about equipment testing, voting day on Tuesday went smoothly and there were few reports of problems.This year’s primary attracted the lowest number of Wyoming voters since 2016, according to the unofficial early counts from the Wyoming Secretary of State’s Office. The trend held in the state’s more populous counties, with some like Sweetwater tallying the lowest numbers in 10 years or more. The percentage of voters who turned out for these races were also some of the lowest rates recorded. Voters in Teton County were frustrated about the state’s new crossover voting law that prevented registered voters from switching their party for three months before primary election day. “It’s revenge legislation,” Bobby Thomson, a 39-year-old voter, said Tuesday morning as he left the the vote center at the Teton County/Jackson Recreation Center. “Even though they got who they wanted into office.” In Campbell County, no-show election judges slowed the process down a bit. 

Voter Education/Elections Transparency: Elections officials all over the country are offering up new and sometimes unique ways to educate voters and provide some transparency. In Tarrant County, Texas, Election Administrator Clint Ludwig recently made Ballot Verifier technology available on the county’s website to anyone can reexamine past elections. “In case nobody’s noticed, there’s an election coming up in November that I’m sure people are going to be very, very interested in,” Ludwig said. “We look forward to providing this data and letting them sit at home and peruse at their convenience, not the government’s convenience.” Prince William County, Virginia recently held an open house for voters to get a behind the scenes look. More than 300 people signed up to view the process. In Seminole County, Florida, for the first time ever the elections canvassing board meeting will be broadcast live on county television. “By broadcasting these meetings live, SGTV aims to give residents a clearer understanding of the processes that uphold the integrity of Seminole County elections,” said Chris Patton, Seminole County government director of communications. In Bergen County, New Jersey voters got a chance to test run new electronic voting equipment before the November election. “We don’t want people to be intimidated. We want people to come out to vote. [There are] three ways to vote — by mail, early voting and in an election. We just want people to exercise their right to vote,” said Jamie Sheehan-Willis, the deputy superintendent of elections for Bergen County. The new technology is “better because there is a paper trail now. We never had a paper trial before,” Sheehan-Willis said. Lebanon County, Pennsylvania recently filmed a series of short educational videos using the county courthouse as a mock polling place. The Portland [Oregon] Votes 2024 Grant Program has awarded $210,000 to 11 different organizations to support education efforts about ranked-choice voting.

Size Matters: Voters in some parts of the country will be faced with lengthy ballots this November and nowhere is that more the case than in San Francisco. In addition to all the candidates voters will be voting on 15 ballot measures. City officials told the San Francisco Examiner that this is shaping up to be the largest ballot in the city’s history. San Francisco elections director John Arntz. Arntz said 15 measures is substantial, but it’s “a lot less than we would normally have for a presidential general election.” “We were actually expecting around 30 measures,” Arntz told The Examiner. “That would have put us probably into an eight- or nine-card ballot.” Arntz explained that officials have not formatted the ballot yet, but as it stands, it’s on the border of either a five- or six-card booklet. If it needs to be pushed to six cards, that will be the largest ballot San Francisco has ever had in terms of content. The final length, Arntz said, will be largely determined by the amount of paid arguments the city receives, which have yet to be submitted. Any San Franciscan can submit arguments for or against measures that will appear on the ballot. Entries cost $2 per word in addition to a $200 publication fee. The maximum length is 300 words, meaning paid arguments can cost as much as $800. “We expect a lot of those,” Arntz said. “We’re probably going to have an information guide that’s around 300 pages, which will be the biggest in the state, and one of the biggest in the country, if not the biggest.”

Sticker News: Ellie Brewer, a senior at Mountain View High School won the Stafford County, Virginia “I Voted” sticker contest. Nearly a dozen high school students entered the contest held in conjunction with the county office of elections and the county’s office of community engagement. Brewer won for her hand-drawn design featuring a cardinal perched on a dogwood branch. The design symbolizes the pride and beauty of Virginia. Members of the electoral board voted on each design and said that the detail of Brewer’s design is why she won the honor of seeing her sticker handed out to voters in November. “I am delighted with the results and appreciate the Schools and Stafford Government partnering with me on this effort,” said General Registrar Anna Hash. “Thank you to the Stafford County Electoral Board for their work in selecting the finalists and the winners.” Entries were evaluated on uniqueness of the design in relation to Stafford County and its identity; clarity, strength, and effectiveness of design; and overall aesthetics or eye-catching ability. Students were also awarded gift cards at the meeting.

Personnel News: Amanda Cravey is the new Sebastian County, Arkansas elections coordinator. Morgan County, Illinois Clerk Jill Waggener has submitted her resignation.vRoy Obsorn has been sworn into the Jackson County, North Carolina board of elections. Congratulations to Delta County Clerk Nancy Przewrocki for being named the Michigan Association of County Clerks awarded its 2024 Clerk of the Year.

Ballot Measure, Legislation & Rulemaking Updates

Alabama: Senator Kirk Hatcher (D – Montgomery) and voting rights advocates are introducing Senate Bill 7 (SB7), also known as the Alabama Voting Rights Act. The legislation is being billed by supporters as a way to protect democracy and ensure equal access at the ballot box. SB7 has reportedly gained full support of the entire Senate Democratic Caucus. Identical legislation is expected to be filed in the House by Representative Adline Clarke. Supporters of the bill says the Alabama Voting Rights Act will position Alabama as a state that safeguards democracy by ensuring all eligible voters have access to fair and safe election processes, without undue and unnecessary barriers. Key provisions of the bill: Set-up preclearance protections for election-related changes at the state and local level; Provide for same-day voter registration and no excuse absentee voting; Streamline the process for voting rights restoration; Establish an Alabama Voting Rights Commission to provide non-partisan oversight of changes in election procedures; and create a state-wide database for assisting in the administration of elections and to publicize certain information relating to voting.

Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska: A resolution before the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly this week calls for establishment of a task force to research the use of mail in voting for local municipal elections. The motivation for the resolution is to increase voter turnout. It would direct the borough clerk to work with the clerks from the Cities of Fairbanks and North Pole to identify barriers and solutions for implementing mail in voting … and the impacts it might have on local elections. The resolution asks the task force to report on its findings by December 2025. The vast majority of those who have testified about the resolution at the last two assembly meetings, were opposed to the investigation and mail in voting in general. Mail-in voting is used by Golden Valley Electric Association, the Municipality of Anchorage and the City and Borough of Juneau, and it was used statewide in the fall of 2020 during the pandemic. The mail in voting resolution is on the Assembly’s agenda for its Thursday night meeting. It doesn’t require a public hearing, but residents can comment in the open period at start of the meeting.

Georgia Rulemaking: The Georgia State Board of Elections made several final rulemaking decisions this week. On Monday they adopted a rule that requires county election officials to generate lists of voters who cast ballots in an election, categorized by voting method, and to examine them for duplicates. After any discrepancies have been investigated and resolved as required by law, all returns “which are entitled to be counted” shall be recorded and verified as accurate. The rule also requires county officials to meet by 3 p.m. on the Friday after an election to review precinct returns — that’s before the 5 p.m. Friday deadline for overseas and military ballots to be returned and for any issues with provisional or absentee ballots to be rectified by voters. And it says county election officials “shall be permitted to examine all election related documentation created during the conduct of elections” before they certify results. They rejected calls to implement widespread use of paper ballots filled out by hand in the November election. Election integrity advocates asked the board to authorize the statewide use of hand-marked paper ballots, citing concerns about the security of Georgia’s Dominion Voting System machines. The board unanimously rejected two similar rules calling for the use of hand-marked paper ballots. Among other things, board members said they lack the authority to implement sweeping changes to the way Georgians cast their ballots.

Lincoln County, Montana: There will be no separation of the Election Department from the Clerk and Recorder’s Office in Lincoln County. Lincoln County Commissioners Brent Teske and Jim Hammons voted to keep the Election Department under the purview of the Clerk and Recorder’s Office earlier this month. Commissioner Josh Letcher was absent from the meeting. But Teske said that Letcher had told him he also was against the proposal. Election Administrator Melanie Howell told The Western News that she was hopeful her department could improve relations with the Clerk and Recorder’s Office, which is led by Corinna Brown. “I would hope so,” Howell told The Western News following the meeting. “I’ve been trying for a year and a half and haven’t had any luck yet.” Howell presented the idea of breaking away from the Clerk and Recorder’s Office at the commissioners’ July 10 meeting. She cited election security concerns; communication issues when she and assistant Sierra Gustin had to move from the county annex building on Mineral Avenue to the courthouse on California Avenue; and the stress of handling multiple elections as well as clerk and recorder responsibilities. Tasked with researching the concept, Deputy County Attorney Jeffrey Zwang said he didn’t find anything that would preclude separating the departments, but he did share logistical concerns.

Nevada: The Joint Interim Standing Committee on Legislative Operations and Elections met August 16 to approve its bill draft requests (BDRs) for the 2025 session, which is scheduled to begin on Feb. 3. The committee, which is made up of five Democrats and three Republicans, voted to sponsor four new proposals and reintroduce two bills that were vetoed by Gov. Joe Lombardo in 2023. The committee will sponsor a bill to allow a voter’s cured signature to become the voter’s signature on file and require the secretary of state’s office to mail notices informing people who have been registered via automatic voter registration that their paperwork is missing information, such as an affiliated political party. Rural counties could be allowed to establish dedicated election offices under one BDR approved by the committee. Only counties with populations of 100,000 or more — Clark and Washoe — are currently authorized to have registrars of voters offices whose top administrator is solely focused on elections. The committee also approved a bill to allow former felons to become field registrars — people who help register qualified voters. Currently, felons who have been convicted of theft or fraud are barred from working as field registrars. The committee is backing a proposal to establish a $1,000 filing fee for candidates wishing to participate in the presidential preference primary. The resurrected bills include Assembly Bill 246 from the 2023 Legislative Session would have required the state and counties to provide voting materials in certain languages if their limited-English proficient population reached a certain threshold — 20,000 statewide or 5,000 in a county. Those thresholds for ensuring language access go beyond existing federal requirements.

Ithaca, New York Ballot Measure: A petition to bring ranked-choice voting and open primaries to a referendum in the City of Ithaca was denied by the Ithaca City Clerk, but the effort has spurred the Common Council to explore the election reforms in a working group. The two election reforms could have appeared on the November ballot, but Ithaca City Clerk Alan Karasin told Common Council on Wednesday he was unable to certify the petition “from a strictly legal standpoint.” The petition did not meet one key requirement: petitioners failed to include a plan to pay for the costs associated with switching local elections voter to ranked-choice voting and open primaries.  Tompkins County Board of Elections Democratic Commissioner Stephen DeWitt and Republican Commissioner Alanna Congdon told The Ithaca Voice in a July 18 interview they weren’t sure how expensive adopting the election reforms could be, but they gave a rough guess that it would cost tens of thousands of dollars to pay for training, as well as voting machine changes, like new software. While the petition was not certified, Mayor Robert Cantelmo said on Wednesday he would appoint a working group at the September meeting of Common Council to explore ranked-choice voting. There appears to be broad support among the city’s elected officials to implement some version of ranked-choice voting.

North Carolina Rulemaking: The North Carolina State Board of Elections voted this week to allow UNC’s digital student IDs as a form of acceptable voter ID.  Republican members of the board opposed the change, but they were out-voted by the Democratic majority in a party-line 3-2 vote. The decision comes a week after the board approved a number of other IDs, including state and local government IDs as well as IDs from Duke and Campbell universities. The state now has well over 100 approved forms of ID for use by voters. The decisions last week were unanimous; Republicans said their opposition to the UNC IDs was that they disliked the idea of allowing any digital IDs. That stance could portend a future debate that’s likely to affect the entire state, not just one college campus. The North Carolina legislature recently passed a law allowing for digital driver’s licenses. They’re not expected to be ready and approved in time for this year’s elections, but they could be in use for the 2025 municipal elections, the 2026 midterms or other future elections.

Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: Republican County Councilman Sam DeMarco has introduced legislation that would require the county’s elections office to submit its voter rolls to the Department of Homeland Security in order to check the citizenship status of registered voters. The bill also would direct the elections office to verify the citizenship status of any applicant for voter registration with Homeland Security. DeMarco, an at-large GOP member of council, said after this week’s meeting that he introduced the bill to make sure only citizens are registered to vote in county elections, and to protect any noncitizens who might jeopardize a pathway to citizenship if they vote in any elections. Councilman Bob Macey, a Democrat, joined as a co-sponsor Tuesday. Council President Pat Catena, a Democrat, referred the bill to the government reform committee, chaired by Councilman Nick Futules, another Democrat.

Charlottesville, Virginia: Charlottesville’s about to become the second Virginia city to adopt ranked choice voting Charlottesville’s city council approved a draft ordinance this week that will allow the use of ranked choice voting next year — when primary elections will be held for some council seats.  Though the measure will still need to formally pass at the next council meeting on Sept. 3 (as ordinances must pass twice), it’s slated for the consent agenda at that meeting. The city’s registrar, Taylor Yowell, also recommended its passage in a memo to council. A push for ranked choice voting stems locally from Charlottesville as its former state delegate, Sally Hudson, carried legislation that former Gov. Ralph Northam signed into law four years ago. Now localities can adopt ranked choice voting for city council and board of supervisor elections.

Legal Updates

Alabama: Alabama says a new state law expanding the list of felonies that cause a person to lose their right to vote won’t be enforced until after the November election and asked a judge to dismiss a lawsuit over the effective date. The Alabama attorney general office wrote in a Friday court filing that the new law, which has a Oct. 1 effective date, cannot be used to block people from voting in the upcoming election, because the Alabama Constitution prohibits new election laws from taking effect within six months of the general election. “The Plaintiffs ask the court to order that a new law may not be enforced until after the November 5, 2024 General Election. But there is no need for such an order, because the law in question will not be enforced until after the election,” lawyers for the state wrote in the filing responding to the lawsuit. The Campaign Legal Center had filed the lawsuit last month in Montgomery Circuit Court seeking to clarify that the new law cannot block people from voting in the November election. The center argued that there had been a lack of guidance from the state. Without clarity, they argued, it is setting up a confusing situation for voters and registrars to figure out who can and cannot vote in November.

Arizona: Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Frank Moskowitz has ruled that a ballot proposition to end partisan primaries in Arizona gathered enough signatures to qualify for the November ballot. Proposition 140, a citizen initiative also known as the Make Elections Fair Act, would amend the Arizona Constitution to create an open primary system where all candidates for federal, state and local offices would face off in a single primary election instead of segregated partisan elections. Those primaries would also include candidates who are politically unaffiliated. Moskowitz ruled August 15 that Prop. 140 had 536,216 valid signatures after the committee submitted nearly 560,000. The minimum number of valid signatures for constitutional amendments to make it onto the ballot in 2024 is 383,923. Prop. 140 still faces a legal challenge from opponents to the measure who say it violates the state constitution’s single-subject rule for ballot initiatives. On Aug. 9, the same judge ruled that the initiative does not violate the state constitution’s single-subject rule.

The Biden administration told the Supreme Court on August 16 that parts of the proof-of-citizenship voter law should remain on hold for the coming election. The high court has been asked to intervene in a dispute over the election rules of the battleground state, with a case that hits on a political flashpoint of the 2024 campaign season. In a court filing, US Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar said that “judicial intervention at this stage would undermine the orderly administration of the election, risking the disfranchisement of thousands of voters who have already registered to vote using the federal form.” The contention was backed by Arizona’s Democratic state officials who said in their own court filings that a court intervention at this time would be “destabilizing.” The Biden administration, as well as civil rights groups who have also sued over the 2022 law, argues that it runs afoul of the National Voter Registration Act by requiring that individuals using the federal registration form show documentary proof of citizenship in order to vote in the presidential election and to use mail balloting in the state. The Supreme Court was asked by the Republican National Committee and state GOP lawmakers last week to reinstate the requirement for the coming election, after a trial judge struck it down. West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey is co-leading with Kansas a coalition of 24 states in asking SCOTUS for an emergency stay in the case. The amicus brief filed late Thursday in support of the Republican National Committee and others, argues “To enforce that requirement, Arizona does the logical thing: require that a person registering to vote provide documentary proof of citizenship. This requirement, or something similar, has been around in some form or fashion for at least 20 years.” “It’s about safeguarding the integrity of our elections—the heart of our democratic process,” Morrisey said. “It’s really very simple: you should not be allowed to vote if you’re not a United States citizen, and having proof of your citizenship is vital in making sure we conduct free, safe and lawful elections.”

California: The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held that the complaint by Election Integrity Project of California, Inc. and several unsuccessful candidates for a U.S. congressional seat failed to adequately allege that the state’s election laws and regulations violate the Equal Protection or Due Process clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment. The court held that the complaint—which is largely focused on the expansion of mail-in-ballot procedures and what it cites as a dilution in the voting power of in-person voters due to possible fraud—fails as it does not adequately allege that any disproportionate weight is given to some voters over others and asserts only statistically insignificant irregularities that do not amount to a fundamentally unfair process. The lawsuit was filed on Jan. 4, 2021and asserts claims against Secretary of State Shirley Weber, Attorney General Rob Bonta, and the registrars of voters in 15 counties, including Los Angeles, in which alleged irregularities occurred. The suit seeks a court order declaring nearly two dozen election administration statutes and regulations to be unconstitutional and an audit of all ballots and voting machines used in and after the November 2020 general election. District Court Judge Andre Birotte Jr. of the Central District of California granted the defendants’ motion to dismiss the complaint with prejudice and judgment in favor of the defendants was entered on Aug. 15, 2023. Circuit Judge Kim McLane Wardlaw wrote the opinion affirming the judgment, saying: “The constitutional safeguards we are bound to apply in this case are clear. State and local officials may not unduly burden the right to vote….Elections wholly lacking in integrity cannot stand. Based on the allegations of the complaint, California’s election laws and regulations and Defendant Counties’ practices more than satisfy these constitutional mandates.” Circuit Judges Michelle T. Friedland and Jennifer Sung joined in the opinion.

Colorado: Former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters said she plans to appeal her conviction in a 2020 election security breach while she was clerk and recorder, claiming excluded evidence could have swayed the jury in her favor. Peters was found guilty of seven of 10 counts. Following the verdict, Peters spoke with news affiliate Western Slope Now’s Dalen Brazelton about the trial. “It’s an interesting verdict,” Peters said, before claiming that excluded evidence was kept from the jury. “There’s a lot of excluded evidence that was never presented. I mentioned the CodeMonkeyZ video that they made such a big deal about but never would let the jury see. Also, the 12-minute audio recording that Stephanie Wenholz presented, that was played over and over. But when I presented, and Sherronna Bishop was actually in the room, I had recorded the hour and seven-minute audio recording, and they would not admit that, and that would have given a reference to what that whole meeting was about. But that was excluded. Also, the instructions for the trusted build was excluded,” Peters said.

Florida: On August 16, 18th Circuit Court judge Donna Goerner issued a temporary injunction against Seminole Supervisor of Elections Chris Anderson for potentially violating campaign laws. Anderson was sued August 14 by a resident alleging his efforts to display his name and tout his candidacy at the Supervisor of Elections building and other polling locations violated Florida campaign laws. Goerner ruled that some of Anderson’s signs appear to have violated  statutes, while certain interactions with voters fall under the definition of soliciting, which is prohibited within 150 feet of a polling location. Following a hearing on August 19, the day before the primary, Goerner ruled in favor of Anderson and tossed out the lawsuit. “I was vindicated! We were vindicated. My office was vindicated,” Anderson said outside the courthouse following the hearing. Groener said in court, “I am going to quash the temporary injunction that I issued on Friday.”

Idaho: Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador has refiled his lawsuit seeking to block the ballot initiative that aims to end closed party primary elections from going up for a vote in the Nov. 5 general election.  Labrador filed the suit in Ada County District Court on August 16, two days after the Idaho Supreme Court dismissed an earlier version of Labrador’s lawsuit on procedural grounds. Labrador alleges that supporters and signature gatherers misrepresented the ballot initiative and fraudulently obtained the signatures used to qualify the initiative for the election. “This coalition obtained thousands of signatures for the initiative by telling Idahoans it would restore the open primary system Idaho had before 2011, even after the Idaho Supreme Court ruled that claim was false and that the initiative’s primary system is ‘significantly different’ than an open primary,” Labrador said in a written statement. “In reality, the initiative abolishes party primaries and institutes ranked-choice voting in the general election — an unpopular and complicated system that many petition signers did not know was included in the initiative and would not support on its own.” The supporters of the ballot initiative, which is known as Proposition 1, disagreed, saying that Labrador is using the court system to prevent voters from deciding whether the initiative should pass. “AG Labrador is doing everything in his power to interfere with the election and deny voters a voice,” Luke Mayville, a spokesperson for Idahoans for Open Primaries, said in a written statement. “Fortunately for Idaho voters, Labrador’s case is baseless and his desperate attempt is certain to fail again. The people of Idaho, not the Attorney General, will decide in November whether Idaho should restore the right of all voters — including independents — to participate in every taxpayer-funded election.”

Illinois: A Seventh Circuit panel ended an effort by an Illinois congressman and two political activists to block the state from counting mailed ballots up to two calendar weeks after Election Day. In a divided ruling, the three-judge panel determined the plaintiffs — Michael Bost, a Republican member of Congress representing Illinois’ 12th Congressional District, and two Republican political activists — lacked standing and affirmed a federal judge’s dismissal of the case. Bost and the two other plaintiffs, who served as presidential electors in 2020, sued the Illinois State Board of Elections in May 2022 seeking to enjoin a state law that allows mail-in ballots to be counted up to two calendar weeks after Election Day. U.S. District Judge John Kness tossed their case in July 2023, finding the plaintiffs lacked standing. Kness said the injuries Bost and his fellow plaintiffs claim they’ve suffered under the law — spending more on their campaigns, dilution of votes, the specter of voter fraud — were too hypothetical to justify the suit.

Nevada: Nevada’s Supreme Court declined to wade into an electoral controversy despite pleas from the state’s top election official and attorney general after one county initially voted against certifying recount results from the June primary. The Democratic officials wanted the justices to make clear that counties have no legal authority to refuse to certify election results. The high court said in a ruling that the matter was moot since the Washoe County Commission’s original 3-2 vote against certification was later nullified when it re-voted the following week to certify the results. The court dismissed Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar and Attorney General Aaron Ford’s request for a ruling declaring the commission acted illegally. But the justices also made clear that they have the legal authority to make such a declaration and warned they may do so on an expedited basis if it becomes an issue again. “As petitioner argues, even when an issue becomes moot, we may still consider the issue if it constitutes ‘a matter of widespread importance capable of repetition,’” the court said.

New York: The New York Court of Appeals upheld statewide universal mail-in voting, thwarting a challenge from Republican lawmakers who argue that the practice is unconstitutional. “We now hold that it is not,” Chief Judge Rowan Wilson wrote in an 89-page decision in the New York Court of Appeals.  In doing so, the court affirmed a May ruling from the New York Supreme Court Appellate Division’s Third Judicial Department. Both courts rejected the Republicans’ argument that New York’s state constitution mandates that voting specifically occur in-person on election day and the state’s recent Early Mail Voter Act is therefore unconstitutional. Wilson and the other six judges on the panel conducted an in-depth review of New York’s constitutional history to reach that conclusion. The majority found that, although the state legislature has perhaps assumed otherwise in the past, in-person voting has never been constitutionally required in the state. The seven-judge panel had one dissenter: Judge Michael Garcia, who cited that failed 2021 vote in his opinion. Garcia found that the state constitution limits the authority of the legislative and executive branches to enact absentee voting procedures. “Though the state constitution contains no language that explicitly requires in-person voting, the legislative and executive branches have often proceeded as if our constitution requires as such,” Wilson wrote.

Pennsylvania: Two Butler County residents appealed a court ruling this week that the Butler County Board of Elections was within its rights not to count their provisional ballots in the 2024 primary election.  Both plaintiffs in the Butler County case attempted to vote by mail in the primary, but did not enclose their ballots in an inner secrecy envelope as required. They were made aware of their errors before the final day of voting and filled out provisional ballots in an attempt to have their votes counted regardless. But the county elections board rejected those ballots. The ACLU of Pennsylvania and the Public Interest Law Center sued Butler County on the voters’ behalf in April. They argued that voters who made other mistakes on their mail-in ballots were allowed to cure them, and that the two plaintiffs had just as much right to have their votes counted. The Butler County Court of Common Pleas ruled against the two voters on Friday. The opinion said that it is up to legislators to create a legal pathway for errors like theirs to be corrected. The appeal will be considered in Commonwealth Court.

South Dakota: The U.S. Department of Justice announced this week that it had reached an agreement with Bennett County to open a satellite office to resolve claims that it violated the voting rights of Native Americans. Under the terms of the agreement, Bennett County will operate a satellite office in Allen. It will provide in-person registration and absentee voting services during regular business hours for the full state-mandated 46-day absentee voting period prior to federal, state and county elections. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, of the department’s Civil Rights Division, commented on the agreement in a news release. “It is time to eliminate all barriers standing between Native American voters and the ballot box across our country,” Clarke said. “An inclusive democracy must provide all of its eligible voters access to the full range of voter registration and early voting opportunities required by law.” The Justice Department’s investigation found that Native Americans living on tribal lands in the county disproportionally lacked the ability to travel long distances to the county seat of Martin for in-person voting services. Since 2015, the state has made Help America Vote Act funds available to counties like Bennett to establish a satellite office on tribal lands.

The South Dakota Supreme Court has rejected an effort to exclude more than 100 absentee ballots that had initially been rejected but were later counted in the state’s June election. The leader of a conservative election group and an unsuccessful Republican legislative candidate asked the court last month to order the top election official in Minnehaha County, home to Sioux Falls, to “revert to the unofficial vote count totals” without the 132 ballots, and “to conduct a thorough review” of registered voters in two precincts, among other requests. The court on Friday denied the pair’s request, meaning the ballots, which a recount board later included, will stand. In June, South Dakota Canvassing President Jessica Pollema had challenged ballots in the two precincts. She alleged that voter registration forms were either incomplete or listed addresses that weren’t where voters actually lived, in violation of state and federal law. One precinct board denied her challenge. The other, in a legislative district represented by all Democrats, rejected 132 of 164 challenged ballots. Secretary of State Monae Johnson’s office advised a county official that the challenged items didn’t meet state law.

Tennessee: Judge Eli Richardson dismissed a lawsuit from the League of Women Voters of Tennessee and a bipartisan group of voters challenging a Tennessee statute requiring voters to be “bona fide” members of a political party in order to cast a ballot in the state’s open primary elections or otherwise face a threat of criminal prosecution. The plaintiffs alleged that the law — which does not explain how one can become a “bona fide” political party member — is unconstitutionally vague and was enacted to intimidate and suppress voters.  The legal challenge underscored that the law is especially confusing since Tennessee voters do not register with a particular party under the state’s open primary system. Rather, the state permits any voter to cast a primary ballot associated with the party of their choice on Election Day. Richardson concluded that the plaintiffs lack standing to sue. Richardson reached a similar conclusion in a March 2024 order dismissing an earlier version of the case, which prompted the plaintiffs to re-file their suit in May.  Richardson also held today that even if the plaintiffs did have standing to sue, the defendants in the case, including Tennessee’s Republican secretary of state and attorney general, are entitled to “sovereign immunity” — a legal doctrine that shields government officials from lawsuits without their consent.

Utah: Dustin James Hansen, a Cache County poll worker who was accused of doctoring a voter machine validation report in October accepted a plea deal this week. Hansen was originally charged in 1st District Court with willful neglect of duty by a poll worker, a third-degree felony, after court documents say he was responsible for delivering a doctored report to the Utah Lieutenant Governor’s Office, required to ensure the accuracy of vote tabulating machines. Hansen pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of willful neglect of duty by a poll worker, a class A misdemeanor, as part of a plea in abeyance. The charge will be dismissed after 12 months if Hansen meets the terms of the deal, including not violating any new laws and paying a $400 fee. Hansen’s arrest was part of a larger investigation into the November 2023 Cache County municipal primary and general election, which “exposed numerous and multiple violations of Utah election law, administrative rule, the Utah election handbook, and basic principles of election administration,” according to a report by the lieutenant governor’s office.

Opinions This Week

National Opinions: Voting rights, II, III | Election security | Open primaries | Election night | Voter registration | Poll workers | Noncitizens | Political violence  

Alaska: Ranked choice voting 

Arizona: Voter registration 

California: Voter registration reform 

Colorado: Trust in elections |  Tina Peters 

Florida: Palm Beach County | Election officials 

Georgia: Board of elections, II, III

Michigan: Poll workers 

Nevada: Election workers; | Signature verification | Civics education 

New York: Vote by mail | Voting options 

North Carolina: Voter ID

Ohio: Secretary of state 

Oregon: Ranked choice voting 

Pennsylvania: Political violence 

Texas: Voter ID 

Washington: Election threats

Wisconsin: Poll workers 

Wyoming: Election integrity

Upcoming Events

Election Administration Spending in Local Election Jurisdictions: Register today and join The Elections Group at noon EDT on Friday, August 23, for a conversation about election administration spending. Our panel of experts includes: Martha Kropf, Ph.D. Professor of Political Science and Public Policy, University of North Carolina at Charlotte; Mary Jo McGowan, Ph.D. Teaching Professor of American Public Policy Executive Director of Interdisciplinary Studies Director of American Studies, University of North Carolina at Charlotte; and Zach Mohr, Ph.D. Associate Professor, School of Public Affairs and Administration, University of Kansas. When: August 23, 12pm Eastern. Where: Online. 

Logic and Accuracy Testing: Register today and join The Elections Group for a webinar to discuss tips, tools, and resources for logic and accuracy testing. This webinar will be held at noon ET on Tuesday, August 27. Don’t miss this opportunity to ask questions and enhance your skills. When: August 27, 12pm Eastern. Where: Online

2024 Local Leadership Council Virtual Meeting: The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC)’s Local Leadership Council (LLC) will hold a virtual meeting on August 27, 2024. This meeting will provide agency updates and gather feedback from members on preparations for the election and what is needed leading up to November 5 and afterward. There will be opportunities for members to ask questions.  The meeting is open to the public and will be livestreamed on the EAC’s YouTube Channel. The EAC will only accept written comments and questions from members of the public. If you would like to participate, please email clearinghouse@eac.gov with your full name and question or comment. When: August 27, 1pm Eastern. Where: Online

Closing the Accessibility Gap: Voting in 2024 and Beyond: On August 28, join the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) for “Closing the Accessibility Gap: Voting in 2024 and Beyond” in the agency’s hearing room. This event will be held in person and live streamed on EAC’s YouTube Channel.  Please only register if planning to attend in person. The EAC will host panels featuring election administrators, EAC staff, and election subject matter experts. They will discuss progress made on serving voters with disabilities and new advances in technology, best practices, and funding opportunities to support accessibility efforts. When: August 28, 4pm Eastern. Where: Online

Election Center Annual Conference: The Election Center National Conference will be convening at the Marriott Renaissance Center. CERA Class Dates: Saturday, Sept 7 – Sunday, Sept 8, 2024. Committee Meetings and Evening Reception: Sunday, Sept 8, 2024. Conference Dates: Monday, Sept 9 – Tuesday, Sept 10, 2024. Optional Tour: Detroit Election Facilities – Wednesday, Sept 11, 2024. We will honor the winners of the Election Center’s acclaimed Professional Practices Papers’ Program on Tuesday, Sept 10. All of the 2024 best practices submissions will be posted on the Election Center website post conference. Help us celebrate the 2024 CERA/CERV graduates at the graduation ceremony and hosted luncheon on Tuesday, Sept 10. The Vendor educational exhibits featuring elections suppliers and manufacturers will be available beginning Sunday and continuing through Tuesday. The room block at the Marriott Renaissance Center will sell out quickly so do not delay in making hotel reservations. Additional information can be found on the registration page. One night deposit required. When: Sept. 7-11. Where Detroit

National Voter Registration Day: National Voter Registration Day is a nonpartisan civic holiday dedicated to celebrating our democracy. Since its kickoff in 2012, the holiday and its team of thousands of Partners have worked to get over 5 million Americans registered to vote in time for their next trip to the ballot box. Celebrated each September, National Voter Registration Day involves dedicated Partners of every stripe from all over the country hitting the streets for a single star-spangled awesome day of coordinated field, digital, and media action focused squarely on growing our shared democracy. When: September 17. Where: Everywhere.  

National Voter Education Week: National Voter Education Week (NVEW) is an open-source and nonpartisan campaign to help voters bridge the gap between registering to vote and actually casting a ballot. During this week of interactive education, voters have the opportunity to find their polling location, understand their ballot, make a plan to vote in person or remotely, and inspire others to get involved. NVEW strives to help voters overcome common barriers to become confident voters and ambassadors of voting in their own communities for every election. When: Oct. 7-11. Where: Everywhere. 

Vote Early Day: Vote Early Day is a nonpartisan movement of media companies, businesses, nonprofits, election administrators, and creatives working to ensure all Americans have the tools to vote early. Vote Early Day was founded by MTV as a new civic holiday focused on helping every voter know how, where, and when they can vote early. Launched in the midst of a global pandemic, Vote Early Day became a critical resource to ensure no voter had to choose between their health and casting their ballot. In its first celebration, Vote Early Day attracted 134 premier partners and 2,700 general partners from every state in the nation. Over 3,000,000 voters cast their ballots on Vote Early Day alone. When: October 29. Where: In states that allow early voting

Election Hero Day: Election Hero Day recognizes the important work and contributions of poll workers, election administrators, and clerks to ensure efficient and secure elections. Join business leaders, elected officials, nonprofit leaders, and citizens from around the country the day before Election Day to celebrate these heroes of our democracy. When: November 4. Where: Everywhere.

2024 Elections Summit: In an electoral landscape unlike any other, how can we harness this period of rapid change to support the Americans at the front lines of our democracy and build a more resilient electoral system for generations to come? Register and join BPC at our 2024 Elections Summit on Wednesday, December 4, to reflect on the state of U.S. elections with experts from across the country. Hear from practitioners, policymakers, thought leaders, and journalists, who will share lessons learned from 2024 and advance ideas to further strengthen and secure our democracy. This event is co-hosted by BPC and BPC Action and has been designed to meet Congressional Ethics guidelines for a widely attended event. When: December 4, 8am to 5pm Eastern. Where: Online and Washington, DC.

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.

Associate Director, Elections Project, Bipartisan Policy Center– The Associate Director will be responsible for leading the Elections Project’s state and federal legislative engagement efforts. This will include work with election official state associations’ legislative committees, education and outreach to state and federal lawmakers, and coordination with our c4 BPC Action and other federal partners. The Associate Director must be well-versed in election administration and have strong policy, research, writing, and oral communication skills. The position will report to the Director of the Elections Project Rachel Orey and work closely with others on BPC’s elections team. Specifically, the Associate Director will have the following responsibilities: Lead exploratory research effort into state associations of election officials’ legislative committees. Once complete, maintain relationships with associations’ legislative committees, providing policy guidance and legislative support where applicable.Execute the Elections Project’s state and federal advocacy efforts in coordination with BPC Action, BPC’s c4 partner. Manage at least one junior team member, as well as consultants and interns as needed. Assist in establish work plans and the setting of strategic goals related to legislative activities. Assist in the public communication of the project through podcasts, events, media roundtables, and more. Develop (and/or oversee development of) internal and external meeting agendas. Facilitate internal and external meetings, representing BPC Elections and its policy priorities to a broad and diverse audience. Develop and maintain a network of key stakeholders (such as election administrators, peer organizations, funders, state and local government representatives, and more). Coordinate with current funders and support fundraising efforts as needed. Work with communications, development and legislative teams to ensure smooth and productive interaction with each functional area. Significant travel (~20%) required. Travel will not be spread evenly throughout the year and will likely cluster during state legislative sessions and summer conference seasons. Salary: $110k-$130k. 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.

Department Analyst Trainee, Filing & Canvassing Section, Michigan Dept. of State –This position will work to improve integrity and transparency in state government by enforcing the disclosure of finances of candidates and elected officials in state government. This person will review financial reports that may expose potential conflicts of interests of those serving in positions of authority. This position serves as the Financial Disclosure Filings Analyst within the Bureau of Elections, Michigan Department of State. The Section is responsible for administering and enforcing the Personal Financial Disclosure Act, Lobbyist Registration Act, and Michigan Election Law. The Analyst will support the Section’s functions through research and analysis of disclosure reports, personal finance statements, and lobby expenditure reports, with emphasis on working to address deficiencies and correct noncompliant filings and take enforcement actions when required. This position will also develop and update training materials and user manuals; and providing training to the regulated community. Salary: $47,923.20 – $77,916.80 Annually. Deadline: August 25. 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 Assistant, Olmsted County, Minnesota– Under supervision, assists with Olmsted County’s election process. Provides customer service to voters in person, via mail, and through long-term care facility visits. Answers phone calls, directs the public to polling places, monitors supplies, and answers questions. Examples of Work: Assists voters with the absentee voting process; Performs clerical duties including customer service, filing, answering phone calls and data entry to support the election process; Assists on Election Day by answering questions, monitoring supplies, ballot counting, and directing traffic; Processes absentee records on a statewide system; Prepares equipment and supplies for Election Day; Assists with election judge training; and Performs other related job duties as assigned. Salary: $20.13 – $26.88 Hourly. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

Elections Public Records Officer & Project Manager, King County, Washington– The Department of Elections is searching for an energetic and resourceful professional who likes to get stuff done. The Elections Public Records Officer & Project Manager in the Elections Department combines an exciting environment with the opportunity to cultivate talents and apply a variety of skills. The ideal candidate will thrive in an innovative, fast-paced environment and will not hesitate to roll up both sleeves, work hard, have fun, and get the job done. About the position: This position will provide coordination within Elections for ensuring the utmost diligence and attention is paid to coordinating and managing public records requests and gathering of records. This position will also manage and implement various projects within Elections. Salary: $42.94 – $54.43 Hourly.  Deadline: Aug. 26.  Application: For the complete listing and to apply, click here. 

Executive Director, Common Cause Georgia– We are looking for a collaborative and visionary leader to lead our Georgia team at Common Cause, promoting the national agenda at the state level; fostering a strong, sustainable organization; leading winning public policy campaigns through policy analysis, research, lobbying, litigation, grassroots organizing, sophisticated communications and building strong and diverse coalitions. The Executive Director will have the opportunity to envision a strategic approach for what our work looks like in Georgia and develop programs to achieve that vision. This is a unique opportunity to be a leading voice at the center of advancing democracy reforms in the state, while also expanding our membership base and managing a high-performing team. This role reports to the Director of State Operations and will be located in Atlanta, GA. We hope our new Executive Director, Georgia can join us in October! Salary: $110,000 – $130,000 a year Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

Fellow, Governance, R Street Institute–The R Street Institute—a free-market think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C., and with regional offices across the country—seeks a dynamic fellow to bolster our work on election policy. If you are the right fit, you will report to the director of the Governance program. If you want to join a mission-driven organization and work toward pragmatic policy solutions, this may be the opportunity you need! Your typical day at R Street may include conducting research on how rethinking the structure of elections can create better alignment between politicians and their constituents or drafting an op-ed on the need to ensure safe and secure voting sites. It may also include meeting with legislators, election officials, and other stakeholders to improve public trust in elections or presenting your insights on strengthening ballot security on a radio show or at a national conference. This role will serve within the Governance program, which seeks to define how a limited, effective government can minimize burdens, promote human flourishing, and encourage opportunity for all. With this lens, R Street’s electoral reform work has looked for ways to eliminate needless red tape in elections, ensure all voters can participate in taxpayer-funded elections, realign electoral incentives to promote a healthier political culture, and promote policies that create elections worthy of public trust. All the while, we recognize that keeping states in control of their own elections—an idea at the very heart of our federalist system—will create more public buy-in and allow for greater flexibility and innovation. Our study of electoral reform may touch on a wide variety of issues and will be informed by the framework we have supported in the past. 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.

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.

Manager of the Office of the Mayor and City Council/City Clerk, Moreno Valley, California– Located in the western portion of Riverside County, the beautiful City of Moreno Valley is a small, progressive and welcoming town boasting big city amenities! Solid growth has propelled Moreno Valley to its position as the second-largest city in Riverside County and fourth largest in the Inland Empire. The City is evolving from a bedroom community to one that is successfully attracting new business and fostering well-managed growth to create a superb quality of life for residents and visitors to enjoy. The City of Moreno Valley is a general law city that operates under a Council-Manager form of government. The City Council appoints the City Manager, the City Attorney, and the City Clerk. The new Manager of the Office of the Mayor and City Council/City Clerk will join a thriving executive team which works in tandem to deliver quality services in a transparent and effective manner. As an officer of the City of Moreno Valley and under administrative direction of the Mayor and City Council, the City Clerk exercises direct supervision over an assigned staff of eight(8) full time equivalent positions in accordance with the City’s Personnel Rules and Regulations. The City of Moreno Valley is looking for a well-qualified and compassionate City Clerk who has the ability to maintain the City’s high level of quality customer service. Candidates who are innovative, oriented toward continuous improvement, and committed to collaborating alongside a highly functioning executive team, are desired. The City is looking for strong minded individuals who embrace modern practices and approaches to problem solving and who have experience with the Brown Act, Roberts Rules of Order, parliamentary procedures, and other rules governing the notice and conduct of public hearings. Salary: 131,185.60 – $208,915.20. Deadline: August 23. 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.

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. 

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: $68,778 – $110,732 Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

Marketplace

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