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Upcoming Holiday Schedule Changes

With the holidays upon us, we wanted to let you know about some schedule changes for the electionline Daily News and Weekly through the end of the year.

electionlineWeekly: Will not publish on December 26.

electionline Daily News: Will post by 10 am on Fridays in December (12/6, 12/13 and 12/20).

electionline Daily News: Will NOT post on December 24, 25, 26, 31 and January 1.  On December 23, 27, 30 and January 2 and 3 it will post by 10am. 

It’s a lot to remember so we’ll post a note at the bottom of the Daily and on the site reminding you of impacted days.

Election News This Week

Certification News: The certification of the 2024 election continued this week with little fanfare or controversy. States certifying their results since November 22 include: Arizona, Alabama, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Nebraska, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia and Washington. In Kansas, elections director Bryan Caskey said the vote broke three records. For the first time, more than 1.34 million Kansans voted, Caskey said. More than 2 million were registered for the election. And more people voted in person ahead of Election Day than ever before. In Nebraska, the November general election was the first with a voter ID requirement in Nebraska. Secretary of State Bob Evnen said it was a success. “Our county election officials and the Elections Division of the Secretary of State’s office performed exemplary work in this election,” he said. “Our voters as well, who were part of the first effort in the general election when voter ID was in effect, our voters stood up to that, and our voters complied well with the requirements of voter ID.” Deputy Secretary of State for Elections Wayne Bena said approximately 345 ballots were rejected due to voters not providing ID and 654 early voting ballots were rejected due to not signing the back of the envelope. Arizona officially certified the results of the 2024 election on November 25 and unlike in 2020 and 2022, where election denialists attempted to delay or stop the certification process due to unfounded claims of wide-spread fraud, Monday’s canvass went off without any hiccups, leading some to declare the demise of election denialism. “I think the age of election denialism, for all intents and purposes, is dead,” Secretary of State Adrian Fontes said during the canvass. The certification has gone completely without controversy though. In Colorado, canvass board members in seven counties voted against certifying the 2024 general election results, citing a recent password leak from the secretary of state’s office as the reason. Members in Archuleta, Boulder, Eagle, El Paso, Gilpin, Jefferson and Larimer counties refused to certify the results of the Nov. 5 election but because the other board member and county clerk voted in favor of certification in each of those counties, the election was still certified. And in California, county elections offices certified November 5th election results under a new mandate requiring all counties to finalize on December 3rd, allowing more time for mail-in ballot processing. California’s Assembly Bill 3184, signed into law on September 22nd, mandated a 28-day window to certify results. While the bill aimed to address potential issues with mail-in ballots, some election officials were not entirely on board with the extended timeline. The results must now be certified by county boards of supervisors before finally being certified by the state.

Understanding Ranked Choice: A voter exit poll commissioned by the City of Portland found that while most voters say they understood how to navigate the new ranked-choice voting system last month, people in areas where elections officials had hoped to boost voter education felt less informed than others. FM3 Research surveyed 1,658 voters after they cast their ballots. According to the results, more voters in East Portland’s District 1 said they didn’t understand the electoral changes than voters in the city’s three other districts. Voters of color were also more likely to express confusion about the ballot changes than white voters, per the poll. The survey follows a historic overhaul to Portland’s city government and voting systems, approved by voters in 2022. That decision increased the size of Portland City Council, created geographic voting districts, added a city administrator position, and established ranked choice voting, among other things. While most changes go into effect next year, November saw the city’s first ranked choice voting election. The FM3 poll focused narrowly on how Portlanders felt about the new form of voting. In all, 91% of those polled said they understood how to fill out the city ballot, which featured two types of ranked choice voting: one for Portland mayor and another for city councilors. Voters were less confident in the specific type of voting in City Council races; Portlanders used a single ballot to elect three district councilors all at once. According to the poll, 22% of surveyed voters said they did not understand this process. In District 1, which includes nearly all of Portland neighborhoods east of I-205, 37% of voters said they didn’t understand the council voting process. That’s at least 10% higher than the rate of misunderstanding in each of the city’s other three districts. According to Oregon Public Broadcasting, city officials remain optimistic about the poll’s results, which shows that the majority of Portland voters understood the city’s first foray into ranked choice voting. “Broadly, Portland voters report an understanding of ranked-choice voting according to this poll, an encouraging start for an historic electoral reform,” said Deborah Scroggin, who manages the city’s elections division. Elections staff plan to present a more detailed report at a Dec. 18 council meeting.

More Public Opinion: The latest national survey by Pew Research Center – conducted Nov. 12-17, 2024, among 9,609 adults (including 8,072 adults who say they voted in the 2024 election) – finds that more positive perceptions of election administration and accuracy this year extend to several specific aspects of elections, including confidence in different voting methods. This year’s rosier view of election administration, according to PRC, is entirely driven by a shift in views among those who voted for Donald Trump for president:

• 93% of Trump voters say the 2024 elections were run and administered at least somewhat well. Four years ago, as Trump was contesting his defeat by Joe Biden, just 21% of his supporters said the elections were run well.
• Voters who supported Kamala Harris for president are less likely today to say the elections this November were run well than Biden’s voters were four years ago. Still, a wide majority of Harris voters (84%) this year say elections across the country were run well.

2020 Election: Officials may be putting the finishing touches on the 2024 election, but the 2020 general election continues to make news. Filmmaker and conservative pundit Dinesh D’Souza, creator of the widely debunked film “2000 Mules”, has issued a statement saying “inaccurate information” was provided to him about ballot box surveillance videos featured in the film and apologizing to a Georgia man in one of those videos who was falsely accused of ballot fraud during the 2020 election. D’Souza acknowledged that the film and book “create the impression that these individuals were mules that had been identified as suspected ballot harvesters based on their geotracked cell phone data.” Though their faces were blurred, Andrews has publicly come forth and sued over the use of his image, and D’Souza said he owes Andrews an apology. In other news, according to The Washington Post,  President-elect Donald Trump plans to fire the entire team that worked with special counsel Jack Smith to pursue two federal prosecutions against the former president and Trump is also planning to assemble investigative teams within the Justice Department to hunt for evidence in battleground states that fraud tainted the 2020 election, one of the people said. A source told The Post that the idea of assembling investigative teams of federal agents and prosecutors in battleground states is less well-formed and “not at the top of the list” — unlike the president-elect’s desire to clean house at the Justice Department.

Personnel News:  The Maine Legislature selected Secretary of State Shenna Bellows to serve a third term. New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan was re-elected for another two-year term by the Legislature. Mary Anne Dillon has retired as the Cambria County, Pennsylvania elections director. Washington County, Tennessee Election Administrator Dana Jones has been fired.  Republican county lawmakers have declined to reappoint Onondaga County New York’s Republican elections commissioner, Michele Sardo, to another two-year term. Jim Hare is stepping down as the Democratic commissioner of the Chemung County, New York board of elections. Monica Gordon has been sworn in as the new Cook County, Illinois clerk. Chantell Harting will be the new Republican elections commissioner in Cayuga County, New York. Richmond, Virginia Registrar Keith Balmer and Deputy Registrar Jerry Richardson have both resigned. Congratulations to Bruce Carlisle, who has served as Stephens County, Georgia Election Supervisor since Dec. 7, 2022, was presented with the 2024 Chairman’s Award from the Stephens County Board of Commissioners.

New Research and Resources

Post-Election Debrief Toolkit: After an election, there is a brief period where election offices can pause and assess the important work they have accomplished. This opportunity to debrief helps foster growth and improvements within the office and is a critical aspect of preparing for future elections. The Center for Civic Design has a toolkit that is the first part of a series based on its election planning framework. It is for projects that require sufficient time, energy, and creativity for successful implementation. Planning is the opportunity to set goals for projects that help you improve your office. Planning for these types of projects happens in 4 stages. This toolkit is to support you through the first stage: Debrief an election. Debriefing at the end of an election is important because it allows you and your office to evaluate how you did and to move away from feeling like you are always putting out fires.   

1. Debrief an election. Create and facilitate space for you and your team to uncover areas of improvement that can increase employee satisfaction and improve the experience of your voters. Tool: Post-election debrief toolkit.
2. Set practical goals for the next election. Synthesize your reflection, implement realistic plans, and move them forward. Tool coming winter 2025. 
3. Check in on your goals. Create space in your office to check in and prioritize work throughout the year. Tool coming spring 2025. 
4. Sustain your goals over time. Create an office culture that welcomes collaboration and breaks down silos. Tool coming summer 2025.

To support you through the rest of the stages, CCD is developing 3 more nonpartisan generic resources that encourage offices to adopt a collaborative, forward-thinking mindset about planning. They will be released in 2025. 

Harassment Benchmarking Report: In partnership with CivicPulse, the Bridging Divides Initiative has released the latest benchmarking report from our ongoing quarterly survey of local officials on their experiences of threats and harassment. The ninth report provides updated findings from the nationally representative survey for the third quarter of 2024, with responses from over 400 local elected officials — as well as 200 school board officials — putting the total number of participants across all nine survey waves at more than 4,100. This round of respondents was surveyed in the run-up to the 2024 election, covering their experiences between July and October. 

• Compared to the second quarter of the year, significantly more local elected officials reported experiencing insults and harassment this quarter, while reports of threats continued at consistent levels. 
• Across the past nine survey rounds, in any given three-month period, approximately one in two officials have reported experiencing insults, one in three have reported harassment, and one in six have reported threats. 
• Women and minority officials disproportionately report experiencing hostility compared to their counterparts. 

While survey results for the fourth quarter of 2024 covering the election period will be released in early 2025, the latest findings confirm that local officials faced a heightened climate of hostility through the pre-election period. These persistent high levels of hostility demonstrate that community efforts to protect civic space, as well as further research to understand and respond to these risks, will remain imperative in the post-election period, particularly for women and minority officials.  This research is produced as part of a joint project launched by BDI and CivicPulse in 2022 to conduct representative national surveys of local officials on their experiences facing threats and harassment. Quarterly surveys of municipal, county, township, and school board officials will continue into 2025.

Youth Vote 2024: Since Election Day, the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) has examined the available early data on young voters to understand their participation and priorities in the 2024 election. CIRCLE researchers have produced more than a dozen analyses of the youth vote. Some highlights:

• Major differences by race and gender: While every group of youth shifted toward Donald Trump in this election, young women and youth of color still preferred Harris by wide margins. But white youth and young men, who had favored the Democratic candidate in 2020, preferred Trump this year.
   
• Focused on the economy: When asked about their #1 issue in this election, young voters overwhelmingly chose the economy and jobs, followed by abortion and immigration. And youth who prioritized the economy and immigration were much more likely to vote for Trump.
   
• A different electorate: Youth who voted in 2024 were more likely to identify as conservative and Republican than in 2020. And young Trump voters were more diverse and highly educated than in the past election—and more moderate than older Trump voters.

In the coming weeks, CIRCLE will also publish an initial analysis of its own post-election youth survey, which will also include insights on young people who did not vote and some of the barriers to their participation. 

Ballot Measures, Legislation & Rulemaking

Alabama: Rep. Thomas Jackson, D-Thomasville filed a bill to establish early voting in Alabama, the latest in a chain of bills from Democrats meant to encourage more state residents to exercise their right to vote. HB 59 would open the polls four days prior to the election in every county to give the electorate more time to vote and potentially reduce waiting times at polling stations. “This bill is not a partisan bill,” Jackson said in an interview. “It is nonpartisan. Republicans, senior citizens, Black and white, have asked, ‘Why can’t we have early voting? We don’t want to stand in line.’” Alabama does not currently allow people to vote in-person prior to Election Day. Alabama currently offers voting by absentee ballot, but only for a limited number of reasons. Under Jackson’s bill, each county would provide at least one early voting center. The centers must be open between four to six days prior to election day, and they must be open for at least four hours, depending on the day. The proposal would require the centers to be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and Saturday, and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Another bill, HB 64, prefiled by Rep. Ontario Tillman, D-Bessemer, would apply to gubernatorial and presidential contests and declare Election Day a state holiday every two years.

SB 7, filed by Sen. Kirk Hatcher, D-Montgomery,  is a comprehensive voting rights package with a series of provisions, including restoring voting rights to those who have lost it because of a felony conviction; Election Day voter registration and the creation of an Alabama Voting Rights Commission with the power to review and prevent legislation that limits voting access from taking effect.

Anchorage, Alaska: Three Anchorage Assembly members are introducing a proposal that could let voters decide if they want to change how local elections are run. At the proposal’s core is shifting local elections for mayor, the Anchorage Assembly and School Board from April to November, when they’d be tacked on to biennial state and federal contests. South Anchorage Assembly member Randy Sulte is leading the push for the proposal.  If passed by the Assembly, it would appear as a ballot proposition in the upcoming spring municipal election. Under the proposal, local positions would be voted on every two years, instead of in annual elections. Accordingly, instead of local terms of office lasting three years as they do presently, they would extend to four years. Sulte said the impetus for the proposal is to save the public money by running fewer elections and to boost civic engagement by capitalizing on the higher turnout rates seen in state and federal contests. “I’m looking primarily at the money driver. Why wouldn’t we want it to cost less and increase turnout?” asked Sulte. “The third piece is voter fatigue,” he said. “People just get voter fatigue.”

Arizona: The first bill introduced in the Arizona Senate for next year’s legislative session aims to add new restrictions for voters who return early ballots to polling places, including limiting the amount of time they have to do so. Senate Bill 1001 would require that voters who drop off their ballot after the Friday before Election Day provide identification to do so. Maricopa County alone saw over 225,000 early ballots dropped off on Election Day this year. Sen. J.D. Mesnard (R-Chandler) introduced the legislation, which is a carbon-copy of the bill he sponsored last session that Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed. He told the Arizona Mirror that he introduced an identical bill to have a “good starting point” and hopes to negotiate with others to get it passed in some form.  “I’ve heard some comments that were not giving me a lot of hope from the Governor’s Office on her willingness to address this issue,” Mesnard said, adding that he hopes Hobbs will come to the table to find a version of the bill they can all agree on.  A spokesman for Hobbs did not respond to a request for comment.  The bill is a reaction to the speed at which Arizona counts its ballots, according to Mesnard. Many, including Mesnard and other local Republicans, have often lamented that Arizona’s dayslong post-election ballot counting isn’t as efficient as Florida, which posts the vast majority of its election results by the end of election night.

Arkansas: State Representative Andrew Collins filing a bill that if passed would lower the voter registration age from the current age limit 18 to 16. “Actually, a majority of states do this already where you can pre-register to vote and 16 or 17, some even have it lower,” said Collins (D-73). “The idea is to encourage voting and allow people to register to vote when they are in high school and then vote once they turn 18.” In 2020, Arkansas ranked last in the nation for voter registration. Collins said by doing this, the hope is to get younger Arkansans excited to cast their vote which is a win for the state and as soon as they become eligible, the process will be easy. “Once they turn 18, they should be able to vote, it should be easy for them to vote,” said Collins. “They should be able to register when they are in high school and excited to participate in the process.”

Michigan: House Bills 4127, sponsored by state Rep. Penelope Tsernoglou (D-East Lansing), and 4128, sponsored by Rep. Stephanie A. Young (D-Detroit), were signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer this week, effectively banning the open carry of firearms on an Election Day or while in-person early voting is being conducted within polling places and within 100 feet from the entrance of a building that is acting as a polling place.  Open carry is also banned for the 40 days before an election when individuals can vote with an absentee ballot by dropping it off at a ballot drop box or at a local clerk’s office or satellite office. Whitmer’s office said the bills build on the administration’s “commitment to defending fair and free elections by reducing the threat of voter intimidation and suppression.” “Today, we are taking action to prevent voter intimidation and gun violence in our state,” said Tsernoglou. “By increasing security measures, such as this legislation, we are ensuring that every Michigander can cast their ballot free from intimidation and that every election worker can perform their duty without fear of violence. I am thrilled to see this legislation signed into law.”

A set of bills that would expand voting rights for non-English speakers and voters with disabilities is moving closer to becoming state law after the House elections committee voted to advance the bills championed by Democrats and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. In a vote along party lines, the committee passed four bills that make up the proposed Michigan Voting Rights Act. Next, the bills will go before the entire House for a vote. They were approved by the Senate back in September after spending nearly a year in that chamber’s committee. The bills aim to expand ballot access by providing ballots in more languages, create a voting data clearinghouse, codify protections for voters who may need help casting their ballot, and broadly aim to prevent voting suppression. According to Votebeat, lawmakers appeared to resolve one of the biggest concerns about the bills: who would actually pay for the significant costs the legislation would impose. Deputy Secretary of State Aghogho Edevbie said recent House amendments to the bill would place much of the financial burden — about $15 million, he estimated — on the Department of State rather than local governments.

New Hampshire: Republican and Democratic lawmakers are seeking to change New Hampshire’s new voter ID law this legislative session. Republicans are hoping to expand the law, known as House Bill 1569. It requires all voters to present ID at the polls or they won’t be allowed to vote. And it requires that all new voters must present hard copies to prove their U.S. citizenship through a birth certificate, passport, or other documents. Rep. Bob Lynn, a Windham Republican and the architect of the existing law, is introducing legislation to extend the documentary requirements to absentee voters. Lynn is also putting forward a bill meant to help people who can’t afford to pay to obtain a copy of their birth certificate from another state – and allowing the Secretary of State’s Office to use databases to attempt to confirm the person’s citizenship. Democrats, meanwhile, are introducing a bill to repeal the law. They argue the new requirements will impose excessive burdens to vote and will disenfranchise people who don’t have immediate access to identification and citizenship documents.

Riverhead, New York: The Riverhead Town Board passed a local law requiring elections for town supervisor, town council members and other local officials be held in odd-numbered years. The law was passed in direct response to a state law enacted last year that mandates most local elections in counties outside of New York City be held in even-numbered years, which would make them coincide with state and federal elections. Riverhead’s new local law adds a new section to Chapter 103 of the town code, pertaining to biennial town elections. It would require elections for the offices of supervisor, town council, town clerk, receiver of taxes, highway superintendent and assessors to be held in odd-numbered years, as they are currently held now.  A separate local law to keep the elections for town justice as they are presently scheduled is expected to be voted on by the Town Board at its next meeting. The town’s two justices are elected for four-year terms — one during an odd-year election and one during an even-year election.

North Carolina: Gov. Roy Cooper (D) vetoed a bill that would shift power away from incoming Governor Josh Stein and other newly elected Democrats. Cooper called the legislation passed last week a “sham” because it’s billed as a disaster relief measure but does little for western North Carolina’s Helene recovery. He said the bill is unconstitutional because it would take away the governor’s power to appoint members of the State Board of Elections and Utilities Commission. Republican lawmakers want to shift election oversight to the state auditor after GOP candidate Dave Boliek won that office. They say the elections board hasn’t worked fairly under a Democratic majority. “We have tried on multiple occasions to put forward the idea that we need to have balance on the board that is responsible for counting votes and making decisions about elections, and the Democrats have said, ‘no, no, no, hell no,'” Senate leader Phil Berger told reporters last week. “And so we just decided that it was time for us to go ahead and take action.” On December 2, the Senate overrode Cooper’s veto. The House will meet later this month to vote on an override. During the first vote on the bill, three House Republicans in the Helene-impacted region voted against the bill. None have indicated how they’ll vote on the veto override, although their votes would now be necessary to override the governor’s veto of the appointment shift bill.  Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger said he’s “confident the House will have the votes.”

The Senate voted to approve two constitutional amendments, sending them to the House for consideration. If approved by both chambers, they would be placed on the 2026 ballot for voter approval; they cannot be vetoed by the governor. Senate Bill 921 would require all North Carolina voters to present photo ID — including those voting by mail. Current state law requires ID for all forms of voting. The bill passed the Senate on party-line votes, 30-19.

Texas: According to Houston Public Media, a raft of election-related bills that died at the end of the 2023 legislative session will get another chance next year. Many of the bills are aimed at past practices in Harris County. State Senator Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston) pre-filed seven bills that he said address “election integrity.” Six of these passed the Senate last year but failed to pass the House by the end of the regular session. The lead bill, reintroduced as Senate Bill 505, provides for countywide election audits by the state, with the prospect of the Secretary of State imposing an outside conservator to oversee future elections in the event the audit uncovers violations of state election law. SB 506 would prevent local governments from misleading voters with deceptive ballot proposition language. SB 507 would increase penalties for failing to deliver election supplies — a response to shortages of ballot paper at Republican-leaning voting centers in Harris County during the 2022 general election. SB 508 addresses situations where a county takes longer than 24 hours after the polls close to report election results, as occurred in Harris County during the March 2022 primary elections. The bill would allow the Secretary of State to step in and oversee the process of reporting election results when the county has failed to meet the 24-hour deadline. SB 509 would require a county to notify the state Attorney General’s Office, rather than just the Secretary of State’s Office, if it files an action under the Texas Election Code seeking a court order to keep the polls open longer, as occurred in Harris County during the November 2022 general election. SB 510 would allow the state to withhold payment for voter registrars for not doing their jobs. That could be used to penalize a registrar who fails to cancel voter registrations or respond quickly enough to challenges of voters’ registrations. The newest measure, SB 511, would ban local governments from using public funds to send out unsolicited voter registration cards. Harris County pursued a program along these lines in 2020 until the Texas Supreme Court intervened at the request of Attorney General Ken Paxton. During the 2024 election cycle, Paxton threatened to sue Bexar and Travis Counties for pursuing similar programs.

Utah: A panel of Utah lawmakers have given an initial nod to a draft bill that would criminalize accessing and disclosing information about how or when individual voters return their ballots.  The Government Operations Interim Committee voted unanimously to endorse the first iteration of the legislation, sponsored by Rep. Stephanie Gricius, R-Eagle Mountain. The vote tees the bill up for prioritized consideration when the Legislature convenes in its 2025 general session on Jan. 25.  The legislation comes as some elected officials have expressed concerns about Utah County Clerk Aaron Davidson tracking information on how at least two politicians returned their ballots. Gricius’ bill, as currently drafted, would make it “unlawful for a person to access an election record to determine whether a specific voter” or a small, identifiable group of voters “voted in person or otherwise,” the method they used to return their ballot, or the date they voted or returned their ballot. Under the bill, an election official who already has lawful access to such election records may only access or disclose the information “to the extent necessary to fulfill a duty” within their capacity as an election official, to comply with a court order, or if the specific voter requests in writing that the election official access the information.  “What this bill essentially says is you cannot do a looky-loo at someone’s information for fun,” Gricius said. “If you don’t have a specific election-related purpose, then you can’t just look up specific individuals.” A violation of the bill would be a class B misdemeanor. If the Legislature approves it, it would take effect on May 7.

Legal Updates

Arizona: U.S. District Judge Dominic Lanza will likely dismiss a lawsuit challenging Arizona’s compliance with the National Voting Rights Act according to Courthouse News Service. Three registered voters in Maricopa County, including Arizona Republican Party Chair Gina Swoboda, sued Secretary of State Adrian Fontes in June, claiming his failure to remove ineligible voters from the state’s voter rolls threatens to dilute the weight of their votes and diminish their confidence in election integrity. But Lanza remains unconvinced, so far, that the plaintiffs have shown a concrete injury required to establish standing. He released a tentative order dismissing the case in November, reflecting his skepticism.  “Nothing you’re alleging is violating your clients’ right to vote,” the Donald Trump appointee said during a motion to dismiss hearing this week. The plaintiffs cast a wide net when making their claim — based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau, state voting surveys and countywide death counts, they say that the voter rolls contain between 500,000 and 1,270,000 ineligible voters who should have been removed in accordance with the National Voting Rights Act. Lanza agreed there are too many people registered but added: “There’s a bunch of steps between over-registration and your vote being diluted. This is the type of generalized, nonspecific injury that does not hold standing.” He told the plaintiffs that their injury cannot be a nebulous lack of confidence or a fear of potential vote dilution, but instead must be a tangible result of Fontes’ actions or inaction.

Colorado: Former Mesa County Clerk-Recorder Tina Peters, serving nine years in prison for leaking voting machine data, appealed a separate contempt conviction over recording a co-conspirator’s court proceeding on an iPad in 2022. “Treat my client as if she were some other poor person and not outspoken or a public figure,” attorney John Case urged a three-judge Court of Appeals panel. Peters was charged with contempt for using an iPad to film court proceedings in February 2022. Peters was ordered to pay $1,500. Peters appealed the contempt conviction, arguing the district attorney’s office failed to meet its burden of proof by not presenting the court order which prohibited recording the court proceeding. “Not a single witness in this case testified that there was a lawful order,” Case told the appellate panel.

Connecticut: Michael DeFilippo, 38 of Bridgeport, has been sentenced for a civil rights violation related to his run for Bridgeport City Council in 2017 and 2018. DeFilippo was ordered to serve one year of probation, including three weekends of incarceration, and to pay a $15,000 fine. Prosecutors said that from June 2018 until July 2021. while he was on the city council,  owned several rental properties that he leased to students at Sacred Heart University in his district. “Although Bridgeport’s City Council elections are typically held in odd-numbered years, because of repeated absentee ballot irregularities in the Democratic primary for the 133rd District, the September 2017 primary was re-run in November 2017, and re-run again in April 2018, and the general election took place in June 2018.,” prosecutors said. “On April 10, 2018, DeFilippo was selected as one of the two Democratic nominees for the 133rd District and, on June 26, 2018, he was elected to the Bridgeport City Council.” During those elections, DeFilippo stole and falsified Voter Registration Applications and absentee balloting documents, forged signatures, and submitted fraudulent election documents to election officials in the name of some of his tenants who resided in the 133rd District.  The actions denied DeFilippo’s tenants of their right to vote, deprived voters in the district of their right to have their votes fully counted by diluting election results with fraudulent registrations and ballots. On May 6, 2024, DeFilippo pleaded guilty to deprivation of rights under color of law.

Hawaii: Former Maui County Council Chair Kelly King and 30 Maui County voters have filed an election contest with the Hawai’i Supreme Court seeking to void the results of the South Maui County Council race and to order the holding of a new election. By election day, the County Clerk deemed the return envelopes of 1069 mailed in ballots “deficient.” According to state law, a return envelope can be deemed deficient if the voter fails to sign the envelope, the signature on the envelope does not match the signature on file or some other condition of the envelope prevents the ballot from being counted. After ballots were cured, incumbent Council Member Tom Cook came away with 26,423 votes (41.6%), which is 97 more than King’s 26,326 votes (41.4%), according to results finalized by the state Office of Elections. Many voters who discovered their ballots had not been counted learned that their return envelope had been deemed deficient despite the signature they put on their envelope being the same as their ordinary signature, according to a news release. “Furthermore, the 2024 Maui rejection rate for signature related deficiencies is nearly double the 2022 state average and more than four times the 2022 national average. The national rejection rate for signature related problems in the 2022 election was .4% of ballots mailed in. The state rejection rate for signature problems in the 2022 election was 1%. Maui County’s 2024 rejection rate was 1.9%,” according to the release. The challenge alleges the County Clerk failed to comply with standards and erroneously deemed return envelopes deficient. Challengers say their constitutional right of equal protection and due process were violated. Approximately 1/3 of all voters who received deficiency notices timely cured their envelopes and their ballots were counted, the County Clerk reports. 

Iowa: Iowa officials sued the Biden administration this week for access to information on the citizenship status of more than 2,000 registered voters they had questioned in the weeks leading up to the 2024 election. The complaint details a back and forth with the federal government after state election officials checked voter rolls against a list of people who identified themselves as noncitizens with the state’s Department of Transportation. The vast majority of the 2,176 names had subsequently registered to vote or voted, meaning that some of those people could have become naturalized citizens in the lapsed time. Secretary of State Paul Pate’s office requested information from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on the citizenship status of those individuals but did not get it, the complaint alleges. Federal authorities’ “failure meant that the State had to rely on the best — imperfect — data it had available to ensure that no Iowan’s vote was canceled by an illegal, noncitizen vote,” a joint statement from Pate and Attorney General Brenna Bird said. A DHS spokesperson said in an email to The Associated Press that the federal agency does not comment on pending litigation but added that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services have “engaged with Iowa and will continue to correspond with them directly through official channels.” 

Michigan: The Republican National Committee and Trump campaign voluntarily dismissed their lawsuit challenging Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s (D) 2023 directive that designated certain state and federal agencies as voter registration sites.  In a complaint filed this summer, the Republican plaintiffs alleged that Whitmer and other state officials exceeded their authority by “unilaterally” authorizing voter registration to take place at various agencies, including the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Small Business Administration (SBA). While the RNC and Trump Campaign argued that Michigan law prohibits state officials from designating voter registration sites without express approval from the state Legislature, Whitmer maintained that her actions were consistent with state and federal law. Whitmer and other state officials who were sued also cited a 2021 executive order from President Joe Biden that directed federal departments and agencies to partner with the states to facilitate voter registration. In addition to naming Michigan’s governor and secretary of state as defendants, the GOP legal challenge implicated top federal officials from the VA and SBA, alleging they violated the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) by entering into agreements with state officials that designated their respective agencies as voter registration sites. The Republican suit claimed without evidence that expanding voter registration sites  “undermines the integrity of elections by increasing the opportunity for individuals to register to vote even though they are ineligible to do so” and suggested it would “harm the electoral prospects of Republican candidates.” 

Minnesota: Republicans filed a lawsuit this week to try to force a rerun of a state House race where the incumbent Democrat won by 14 votes — but in which investigators concluded that election workers probably destroyed 20 valid absentee ballots after failing to count them. It’s a race that could determine the balance of power in the Minnesota House. “The actions of Scott County elections officials constitute a serious breach of not only Minnesota Election Law, but the public trust in our electoral system,” the lawsuit said. Democratic Rep. Brad Tabke was declared the winner last week of the swing suburban Shakopee-area District 54A race by 14 votes after a recount and the official canvass. But Scott County election officials had said earlier, after a post-election audit, that they were unable to account for 21 absentee ballots in the district southwest of Minneapolis. County Attorney Ronald Hocevar reported last Wednesday that his preliminary investigation determined that election workers most likely threw at least 20 of those absentee ballots away, and that they may have been in a paper bale that a recycler had already sent away for shredding. He wrote that they “most likely will not be recovered,” and that even if they were found, it’s unlikely that an unbroken chain of custody could be proven to assure that they weren’t tampered with. The county attorney concluded that the 20 ballots, all from the same precinct, were properly accepted for counting on Oct. 17, but “most likely were never removed from their secrecy envelopes,” and were probably still in them when those envelopes were thrown away. Minnesota House Republicans filed Monday’s lawsuit on behalf of GOP candidate Aaron Paul, asking a court to declare the results invalid and Tabke’s seat vacant, saying the “undisputed facts” make it impossible to rely on the results.

Missouri: A challenge to Missouri’s voter ID law will proceed to the state Supreme Court following a Cole County decision upholding the 2022 legislation, opponents said. The decision by Circuit Judge Jon Beetem found the individual voters and organizations that sued — the Missouri NAACP and the League of Women Voters — were unable to show they had been harmed by the application of the law and lacked standing to bring the case. And addressing the particulars of their challenge, Beetem wrote the burdens were not onerous on any individual voter. The law requires voters to show a Missouri or federally issued identification that includes a photo, the holder’s date of birth and an expiration date. Identification that has been expired for less than a year is acceptable. “The individual plaintiffs and/or Missouri voters generally do not have a legally protectable interest in avoiding the everyday burdens of getting an expired license renewed,” Beetem wrote. “Any of the individual plaintiffs’ alleged injuries in this regard are generalized grievances shared by the population as a whole.” The appeal to the Missouri Supreme Court will argue that Beetem applied the wrong standard to his analysis, said Denise Lieberman, director of the Missouri Voter Protection Coalition and one of the lead attorneys on the case. The focus should be on the sometimes insurmountable burdens that thousands of Missourians face obtaining the documents to secure the needed identification, she said. “The court got the test wrong,” Lieberman said. “It is the burden of the state to demonstrate it has no other way to advance its interests than through a law that burdens voters in this way.”

Puerto Rico: Puerto Rico has yet to produce a certified vote tally for a single district almost a month after holding historic general elections. On November 27, a judge issued a ruling that threatened to further delay the certification process as the Jan. 2 swearing-in looms. The judge, in response to a lawsuit, ordered Puerto Rico’s State Elections Commission to count early votes following ID verification even if the postal address used to request those votes is different from the one in the general voter registration. “Contrary to what some actors in our society may have encouraged in public opinion, our legal framework in electoral matters is covered with guarantees of reliability, which leave no room for speculation or doubts about the validity of early votes,” Judge Raúl A. Candelario López wrote. The Nov. 21 lawsuit was filed by a dozen voters affiliated with the pro-statehood New Progressive Party, which won the gubernatorial race, according to preliminary results. The ruling noted that those voters alleged “their rights are being violated since they requested early voting, complied with all the requirements for it, and their votes are being subject to additional requirements without any legal basis.” Judicial officials already are investigating allegations made before Nov. 2 about electoral crimes including people who said they received confirmations for early voting when they had made no such request. Numerous obstacles have delayed the certification process, including an increase in write-in votes and a flurry of errors detected in bedside ballots, prompting all electoral commissioners to agree to start counting more than 60,000 such votes from scratch. The delay prompted electoral commissioners last week to temporarily halt the counting of ballots cast in a nonbinding referendum also held Nov. 5 on Puerto Rico’s political status so they could focus on election ballots. Local law dictates the certification process must be completed by Dec. 31.

South Carolina: The Town of Atlantic Beach is canceling its appeal against a judge’s ruling regarding the November 2023 town council race. At a municipal election commission meeting, Nov. 25, members voted to instruct the commission’s new attorney, Reese Boyd, to cancel the appeal filed by former town attorney Dwayne Green. Green’s appeal was in response to Judge William Seals’ decision which ruled that Carla Taylor was a duly elected council member and should be seated. “The commission had a meeting to discuss a pending appeal that’s presently pending at the South Carolina Supreme Court related to the recent town council election regarding the seat that Carla Taylor arguably won that race. So the commission just voted to withdraw that appeal that’s currently pending in the Supreme Court,” Boyd said after the meeting. The race for mayor, which was held in the same election, was invalidated by the commission months ago when the commission decided some voters did not meet residency requirements to vote in the town. Former Councilwoman Josephine Isom has filed another appeal, this time with the South Carolina Supreme Court.

Texas: Votes cast in San Benito’s charter election will not count, according to parties involved in a lawsuit filed against the city. The decision was made by a district court judge in Cameron County after San Benito city leaders proposed adding five amendments to their city charter on the Nov. 5 ballot. The amendments on the ballot included city charter changes such as requiring all city commissioners to reside within city limits, and provide process and reasons for removal of municipal judges. San Benito resident, and former EDC board member, Julian Rios filed a lawsuit s over the amendments. The lawsuit alleges the city violated the Texas Open Meetings Act when the proposed charter amendments were placed on the ballot.  “It protected the voter’s rights, that is what this decision actually did,” Jeff Diamant, Rios’ attorney, told Channel 5 News when asked about the Monday ruling. “The voters are entitled to see transparency; they are entitled to know what they are voting on.” Cameron County Elections Administrator Remi Garza told Channel 5 News his office has not been made aware of the court’s decision.

Virginia: Alex Nguyen, 24, of Annandale has been charged with impersonating an officer for allegedly showing up at a polling place on Election Day posing as an FBI agent. Authorities say Nguyen flashed a badge and told election workers he was with the FBI’s election security unit. Nguyen showed up twice at Timber Lane Elementary School, which was serving as a polling place in Falls Church, a detective wrote in search warrant documents. Election workers told police Nguyen was wearing a jacket with an FBI logo, had a gold badge on his belt and showed a wallet ID that appeared to have FBI credentials. They also could see a holster that appeared to hold a gun. Election workers notified police, and security camera video of Nguyen’s Jeep led investigators to his home. Among the items seized from his vehicle were a holster, black pellet gun, an FBI jacket and and FBI shirt, police said. Police and election officials say Nguyen never displayed a weapon and voter operations were not affected.

Opinions This Week

National Opinions: Election reform | Smooth election | Ranked choice voting | 2020 election | Artificial Intelligence 

Alabama: Poll watching 

Alaska: Ranked choice voting, II | Election reform 

Arizona: Conspiracy theories 

California: Ballot counting 

Connecticut: Ranked choice voting 

Florida: Lake County

Illinois: Polling places | Election reform 

Indiana: Vote centers 

Kentucky: Jefferson County 

Maine Early voting | Ranked choice voting 

Maryland: Secure elections 

Michigan: Poll workers; 

Minnesota: Missing ballots; 

New York: Ranked choice voting

North Carolina: Disinformation 

North Dakota: Burleigh County 

Oklahoma: Open primaries 

Oregon: Ranked choice voting 

Pennsylvania: Election workers | Voter fraud myth 

South Carolina: Lee County | Polling place 

Tennessee: Poll workers 

Texas: Poll workers 

Utah: Election reform | Civic engagement 

Virginia: Richmond election official 

Washington: Ranked choice voting 

Wisconsin: Election integrity 

Upcoming Events

National Conference on Citizenship: We’re thrilled to unveil the agenda for #NCoC2024, taking place on Dec. 10 at Planet Word Museum in Washington, DC. This year’s theme, “Renewing Civic Health,” brings together prominent speakers and dynamic sessions to inspire civic action and collaboration at this critical time. Our program addresses essential topics, from strengthening civic media to climate resilience and building civic trust. Highlights include: Keynote Panel: How Can Civic Media Help Renew Civic Health – NPR’s CEO Katherine Maher and CSPAN’s Sam Feist join moderator Katie Harbath to discuss civic media’s evolving role in informing and engaging the public; 100th Civic Health Index Launch– NCoC’s latest report, presented by Jeff Coates, reveals key trends in America’s civic health and strategies to enhance engagement in our communities. Featured Panels and Workshops on Engaging Communities for Climate Resilience, Mapping Civic Health to Revitalize Local News, and Democratic Innovations: Marjan Ehsassi and Amy Lee lead an interactive workshop on citizen assemblies and town halls. When: December 10, 8am to 5:30pm Eastern. Where: Washington, DC

Electoral Reform in the United States: A Book Event: Amid political polarization, are there practical steps to combat extremism that are acceptable across the political spectrum? In Electoral Reform in the United States: Proposals for Combating Polarization and Extremism, the Task Force on Institutional Reforms to Combat Political Extremism offers ideas for reforming key aspects of the US electoral process. Starting from the premise that the way our political processes are designed incentivizes certain political styles and candidates, the task force addresses distortions in electoral procedures that have enabled political extremism among officeholders to be overrepresented. Join us for a conversation with the task force’s American politics and law scholars on reform strategies for reducing polarization, enhancing democratic responsiveness, and addressing the challenges facing American democracy. When: December 10, 8:30am to 12:15pm Eastern. Where: Washington, DC and online. 

Post-Election Hearing: On December 10, join the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) for its 2024 Post-Election Hearing at the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk’s Ballot Processing Center in City of Industry, CA. This event will be livestreamed on the EAC’s YouTube channel During the meeting, election officials will join the EAC’s Commissioners for in-depth panel discussions on the 2024 elections. Topics may include election security, contingency planning, and serving voters. When: December 10, 12pm Eastern. Where: Los Angeles and Online

How’d It Go? Sharing Election Tools and Strategies: Ready to debrief the 2024 election cycle? Register today for this interactive workshop for election professionals, hosted by U.S. Digital Response (USDR) and The Elections Group. Join us to connect with other election professionals and be part of the discussion. We’ll use thought prompts, breakout sessions and group activities to gain insight into what happened this election and how election professionals can continue to best serve voters. Don’t miss this opportunity to ask questions, workshop innovative solutions to collective challenges, learn from election professionals and share your 2024 takeaways. When: December 10, 12pm Eastern. Where: Online

Election Science Office Hours: Please join us on Wednesday, December 11, 2024 at 11:00 am Pacific for the next installment of Election Science Office Hours, a webinar series presented by the Caltech 2024 Election Integrity Project and moderated by R. Michael Alvarez, PhD, Flintridge Foundation Professor of Political and Computational Social Science at Caltech and Co-Director, Linde Center for Science, Society, and Policy (LCSSP). In this episode of Election Science Office Hours, Professor Alvarez’s guest will be Tommy Gong, Deputy County Clerk-Recorder in Contra County, California. Tommy will share the programs Contra Costa put into place for the 2024 election in an effort to increase public trust and discuss how they worked – and most importantly, what is most applicable to future elections. When: December 11, 2pm Eastern. Where: Online

The Future of Election Reform: Election reformers suffered some problems in 2024 when ballot initiatives proposing open primaries and ranked choice voting lost in several states. These reforms had been proposed as ways to improve campaign discourse, empower independents, and elect more moderate candidates. States where ranked choice voting and open primaries were on the ballot either opposed the proposals outright or supported prohibitions on adopting the measures. While rationales differed, many opponents claimed ranked choice voting was too complicated, voters would be confused by the electoral mechanism, and the reform violated traditional voting practices of “one person, one vote.” This is despite evidence in places where ranked-choice-voting has been adopted that voters cast their ballots accurately, saw more civil discourse, and experienced more moderate governance.  On December 12, join the Governance Studies program at Brookings for a webinar featuring election experts who will analyze the 2024 election ballot initiatives and discuss the lessons to be learned for future efforts at election reform. When: December 12, 10am Eastern. Where: Online. 

Administering the 2024 Election: Join the National Association of Counties (NACo) for Administering the 2024 Election: County Roles, Intergovernmental Partnerships and Lessons Learned at NACo HQ. When: December 17, 9-11am Eastern. Where: Washington, DC.

Joint Election Officials Liaison Conference (JEOLC): Save the date! Notional agenda and information on CERA class offerings coming soon. When: Jan. 8-12, 2025. Where: Arlington, Virginia. 

Caltech 2024 Election Integrity Project Information and Misinformation in Elections 2025 Conference: We plan a two-day conference at the California Institute of Technology on January 16-17, 2025, to discuss research regarding information and misinformation in the 2024 U.S. elections.  Research topics may include how campaigns used innovative new approaches to target and persuade voters, how social media influenced voters, what the electorate knew (or did not know) about the candidates and issues, misinformation in the election, election rumors and denialism, rhetoric about election integrity, disinformation dissemination and impact on the election, and conspiracy theories regarding the candidates and the administration of the election. While we will likely focus on research from social sciences and computer science, we welcome research from all disciplines and methodologies.  Our main focus will be on the 2024 U.S. elections, but we welcome research proposals from previous elections or elections in other nations. When: January 16-17, 2025. Where: Pasadena, California. 

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.

Campaign Manager/Director, Supreme Court Reform– The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law is a nonpartisan law and policy institute that seeks to improve our systems of democracy and justice. We work to hold our political institutions and laws accountable to the twin American ideals of democracy and equal justice for all. The Brennan Center’s work ranges from voting rights to court reform, from ending mass incarceration to preserving constitutional protections in the fight against terrorism. Part think tank, part advocacy group, part cutting-edge communications hub, we start with rigorous research. We craft innovative policies. And we fight for them — in the courts, in Congress and the states, and in the court of public opinion.The Brennan Center’s Kohlberg Center on the U.S. Supreme Court was established in 2024 to advocate for reform of the Supreme Court to prevent ethical abuses, reduce partisanship and extremism, and ensure that the Court plays a more  balanced and appropriate role in our constitutional democracy. Building on the Brennan Center’s long-standing work, including in support of Supreme Court term limits and ethics reform, the Kohlberg Center promotes research and policy development, pursues policy advocacy, and engages in broad public education. Salary: $90,000-$140,000. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

Communications Specialist, The Center for Election Innovation and Research– CEIR is seeking a dedicated and experienced Communications Specialist to join our team. The Communications Specialist will play a crucial role in shaping and executing our communication strategies to enhance our visibility, engage our stakeholders, and promote our mission. This position will work closely with the Executive Director and other team members to develop compelling narratives, manage media relations, and oversee digital and print communications. Key Responsibilities: Assist in the development and implementation of a comprehensive communications strategy that aligns with CEIR’s goals and objectives; Create and edit high-quality content for various platforms, including press releases, newsletters, social media, website, and print media; Manage media relations, including building and maintaining relationships with journalists, responding to media inquiries, and coordinating press events; Oversee the organization’s social media presence, ensuring consistent messaging and engagement with followers; Collaborate with program staff to highlight key initiatives and success stories through effective storytelling; Monitor and analyze communication metrics to assess the effectiveness of strategies and make data-driven recommendations for improvement; Support fundraising efforts through the development of communication materials that resonate with donors and stakeholders; Assist in crisis communication planning and response as needed; [In the future] supervise and mentor communications staff and interns, fostering a collaborative and creative work environment. Salary Range: $65,000-95,000. Deadline: December 20. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

Deputy County Clerk, III, Boone County, Missouri– This position provides general supervision in the voter registration department, manages the recruitment, training, payroll, and assignment of election judges for polling places and early voting in Boone County, and provides election information to the public. Join the Boone County team and Make a Difference! Boone County Government offers a competitive benefits package that includes comprehensive health/dental/vision insurance on day one (with options for medical/dental with NO employee premium!), a pension plan, two matching deferred compensation plans, 14 paid holidays, generous sick and vacation leave, and no-cost disability and life insurance options. Boone County is a Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness qualifying employer. Visit our website and apply at: www.showmeboone.com/HR. Columbia, MO is a thriving college town and the cultural hub of mid-Missouri, hosting popular events such as the True/False Film Festival and the Roots N Blues BBQ Festival and a diverse art, music, and restaurant scene. Columbia is the fourth most populous and fastest-growing city in Missouri with an estimated 126,254 residents in 2020. Resting upon the forested hills and rolling prairies of Mid-Missouri near the Missouri River valley, outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy the surrounding Rock Bridge Memorial State Park, Mark Twain National Forest, and Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge, in addition to hiking over 278 miles of our local trails! Many popular destinations are a short drive away, including the Capitol of Jefferson City, the Lake of the Ozarks, Saint Louis, and Kansas City all within a two-hour drive or less. Salary: $18.04 – $27.06 per hour. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Deputy Director (Democrat), St. Louis County, Missouri– The St. Louis County Board of Election Commissioners (Election Board) seeks a highly qualified and motivated individual to fill the role of Democratic Deputy Director. The Election Board is the largest election authority in Missouri with nearly 750,000 registered voters and has a reputation for innovation. The Deputy Director plays an integral role in not only leading the organization but also planning strategically for the organization’s future. This key position will work under the supervision of the Democratic Director and work closely with the Republican Director and Deputy Director while also supervising a number of important functions within the Election Board. The ideal candidate must have a passion for efficient and competent public administration, knowledge of election administration, and a commitment to working in a bipartisan manner with all employees and the public. Salary: $100,000-$120,000 annually. Deadline: December 16. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.

Development Specialist, The Center for Election Innovation & Research– CEIR is seeking a dedicated and experienced Development Specialist to join our team. This role will lead our fundraising and development initiatives, building robust systems to sustain and expand our vital work in election administration and research. The ideal candidate brings demonstrated success in nonprofit fundraising, expertise in modern development tools and strategies, and a commitment to nonpartisan democratic institutions. Key Responsibilities: Develop and implement comprehensive, forward-looking fundraising strategies aligned with CEIR’s mission and growth objectives, in partnership with the Executive Director and senior staff; Establish and optimize development infrastructure including; Donor engagement and stewardship; Gift processing and acknowledgement; Performance metrics and reporting framework; Database management and constituent records; Manage the full grant lifecycle, from prospect research through proposal development and reporting; Leverage Bloomerang CRM to maintain detailed constituent records and analyze giving patterns to inform strategy; Create compelling fundraising materials and impact reports for diverse audiences; Lead individual giving campaigns and special appeals in collaboration with CEIR staff and outside contractors; and Support Executive Director in donor development, solicitation, and stewardship for major gift and institutional donors to maximize his efficacy. Salary Range: $65,000-85,000. Deadline: December 20. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

Elections Manager, Boone County, Missouri– Provides supervision of office personnel; assigns work, trains, and reviews work; organizes schedules and election calendars; administers all aspects of election activities including Election Day voting, no excuse absentee voting, voter registration, and daily election processes. Prepares the layouts for the ballots and public notices; proofs the ballot to ensure complete accuracy; programs and tests ballot counting equipment; oversees printing and final proofing of the ballot. Reviews election policies and procedures and makes recommendations on improvements or changes, including changes due to new legislation or regulations. Assists media and public with general election questions and information. Develops and maintains office procedures concerning all aspects of voter registration and election administration; sorts and prints all computer-generated election related materials; inventories and purchases office supplies. Salary: $58,531 – $73,174 per year.  Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

Election Judge Supervisor, Boone County, Missouri – This position provides general supervision in the voter registration department, manages the recruitment, training, payroll, and assignment of election judges for polling places and early voting in Boone County, and provides election information to the public. Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree, preferably with concentration in English, history, or political science; or equivalent combination of education and experience; demonstrated interest in local government; and previous supervisory/managerial experience. Strong interpersonal skills and familiarity with computer software programs. Registered voter of Boone County or become registered within 60 days of hire. Salary Range: $18.04 – $27.06 per hour. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

Elections Operation Manager, Boone County, Missouri– This position is responsible for the inventory and maintenance of voting equipment and warehouse operations, including polling place support and supervision of temporary workers. Join the Boone County team and Make a Difference! Boone County Government offers a competitive benefits package that includes comprehensive health/dental/vision insurance on day one (with options for medical/dental with NO employee premium!), a pension plan, two matching deferred compensation plans, 14 paid holidays, generous sick and vacation leave, and no-cost disability and life insurance options. Boone County is a Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness qualifying employer. Visit our website and apply at: www.showmeboone.com/HR. Columbia, MO is a thriving college town and the cultural hub of mid-Missouri, hosting popular events such as the True/False Film Festival and the Roots N Blues BBQ Festival and a diverse art, music, and restaurant scene. Columbia is the fourth most populous and fastest-growing city in Missouri with an estimated 126,254 residents in 2020. Resting upon the forested hills and rolling prairies of Mid-Missouri near the Missouri River valley, outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy the surrounding Rock Bridge Memorial State Park, Mark Twain National Forest, and Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge, in addition to hiking over 278 miles of our local trails! Many popular destinations are a short drive away, including the Capitol of Jefferson City, the Lake of the Ozarks, Saint Louis, and Kansas City all within a two-hour drive or less. Salary: $20.92 – $31.38 per hour.  Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

Election Specialist, Candidate Services, Palm Beach County, Florida– This position is responsible for the management and execution of services provided to candidates, political committees, electioneering communication organizations, political parties, community development districts, and special taxing districts. This includes establishing and maintaining an organized system for managing the required forms and records associated with filing and qualifying for office, candidate petitions, campaign finance reporting, financial disclosures, initiative petitions, and other related activities. Candidate Services staff 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. Must be detail-oriented, be able to handle simultaneous projects, and be a self-starter. Salary: $21.63 – $24.04. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

Fiscal and Procurement Specialist, Illinois State Board of Elections– Functions as staff assistant to the Accounting Manager and Procurement Specialist, performs complex administrative duties regarding the procurement of goods and the execution of contracts, intergovernmental agreements and related documents for the SBE in accordance with the Procurement Code, policy, procedures and regulations of State mandate, administrative rule, and/or applicable Statewide procurement policies. Performs highly responsible administrative functions in support of the Agency’s fiscal, financial recording and analysis operations.  Performs clerical and technical duties relating to processing the Board’s expenditures, receipts, and maintaining the property management records. Responsible for processing grant obligations: finalizes all new grant obligations in SRM; responsible for processing modifications and amendments for all grants; monitors and maintains the obligation balances; prepares reports on as needed basis. Responsible for all small purchases of goods and services (under $20,000): prepares, reviews and approves internal Requests for Purchase and other requisition documents; solicits quotes, when needed, and contacts vendors to place orders for goods and services; responsible for adhering to applicable laws, rules, policies and procedures; researches and develops procurement solicitation documents (Requisitions, Bids, RFPs, IFBs, Purchase Orders, etc.) for applicable procurements. Assists in a variety of complex, statewide, accounting work necessary to maintain the fiscal and support programs of the Board. Independently reviews, analyzes, and processes invoices and travel vouchers received for the Board; audits vendor invoices and travel vouchers for accuracy; compares invoice data to financial records and statements; identifies discrepancies and post adjustment entries into Systems Applications & Products (SAP); posts invoices to SAP and provides accounting assistance to vendors with issues with invoices.Responsible for maintaining property records for the Board; determines and issues the proper property tag needed for all equipment Requests for Purchase; properly and accurately posts all equipment additions in the Systems Applications & Products (SAP); maintains agency compliance with the Property Control Act, CMS rules and regulations, and Board policies. Assists in compiling fiscal data as needed for reporting. Responsible for drafting letters, memos, and other correspondence for the Accounting Manager and CFO; makes recommendations to the Accounting Manager relative to the fiscal or operational impacts of existing or proposed agency programs. Performs other duties as assigned or required, which are reasonably within the scope of the duties enumerated above. Salary: $4,584 – $5,417/month. Deadline: December 18.  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.

New Hampshire Customer Success Representative, Voting Works– The Customer Success Representative will work under the Head of Customer Success to ensure the success of all VotingWorks customers with a special focus on New Hampshire customers by maintaining customer support systems, providing remote and in-person technical support, conducting training, and providing product feedback to the hardware and software teams. If you consider yourself a solution-driven or process person with strong election administration experience, with a knack for teaching, troubleshooting, and supporting election officials, this position is for you. The ideal candidate will have a strong election administration and technical background and an interest in supporting election officials. They will be able to build trust with customers. Salary: $56-80,000. 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.

Policy and Compliance Senior Strategic Advisor, Denver, Colorado– The Office of the Clerk and Recorder is seeking an enthusiastic and dedicated in-person Policy and Compliance Senior Strategic Advisor appointee. This position is collecting applications for this role, however, this is an at will appointed position by Honorary Clerk and Recorder Paul Lopez. Join our team of dedicated public servants in supporting residents across a variety of critical city and county functions. The job duties of the Policy and Compliance Senior Strategic Advisor appointee include: Interpret Denver and Colorado law to advise the Denver Office of the Clerk and Recorder and the Elected Clerk and Recorder and executive management team on compliance issues related to their duties and the functions of the office. Compliance oversight will include elections, lobbying, campaign finance and ethics disclosure among others; Draft legislation and administrative rules at the direction of the Clerk and Recorder; Oversee and serve as the Clerk and Recorder’s legislative liaison to the Colorado General Assembly; Conduct research for policy determinations as directed by the Clerk and Recorder; Meet with stakeholders and members of the community to achieve the Clerk’s policy goals; Conduct comparative research and keep track of court cases; Represent the Clerk and Recorder on inter-agency and inter-governmental commissions, etc.; Build strategic relationships for the Clerk and Recorder’s Office with other governmental entities, including the Colorado County Clerks’ Association; Coordinate with the City Attorney’s office to determine the Clerk’s legal strategy for litigation. Deadline: December 29, Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

Senior Subject Matter Expert, U.S. Election Assistance Commission– HAVA was enacted to establish a program to provide funds to States to replace punch-card voting systems, to establish the Election Assistance Commission to assist States with the administration of Federal elections, to otherwise assist with the administration of certain Federal election laws and programs, and to establish voluntary voting system guidelines and guidance for States and units of local government with responsibility for the administration of Federal elections. EAC serves as a national clearinghouse and resource for information concerning the administration of Federal elections. The incumbent is responsible for creating EAC clearinghouse material to assist Election Officials, Voters, and other stakeholders with best practices, white papers, tools, data, training materials, instructions, and any additional information that would be helpful to election administrators to assist with the administration of elections. The incumbent will provide expert guidance regarding election administration that touches all facets of the agency to serve EAC stakeholders. The agency is filling multiple positions with this vacancy. Salary: $99,200 – $133,692 per year (compensation will reflect candidate’s locality).  Deadline: December 20. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

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