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Election Security Updates

Tabletop The Vote: This week, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), in close coordination with the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) and National Association of State Election Directors (NASED), hosted the seventh annual Tabletop the Vote election security exercise this month. Tabletop the Vote brings together federal, state, and local officials as well as private sector partners from across the election community to enhance #Protect2024 efforts. The exercise took place over four days, August 22, 23, 26, and 27 and provided participants with the opportunity to share best practices around cyber and physical incident planning, preparedness, identification, response, and recovery. Following the exercise, CISA Director Jen Easterly, and the Election Infrastructure Subsector Government Coordinating Council (EIS-GCC) Executive Committee, which includes U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) Chairman Ben Hovland, NASS President and Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, NASED President and State Elections Director for the New Mexico Secretary of State Mandy Vigil, and Sarah Ball Johnson, City Clerk for the City of Colorado Springs, Colorado, issued the following joint statement: “Tabletop the Vote provides an opportunity for the election community as a whole to plan for potential scenarios and improve our response plans within the safety of a training environment.  Exercises like this allow us to prepare for incidents that occur before, during, and after an election and better understand response and recovery efforts.  They also assist us in identifying how to best tackle today’s increasingly complex threat environment by refining communication and intelligence sharing practices, and identifying potential process improvements. Tabletop the Vote is just one example of the ongoing efforts of state and local election officials and the federal government to ensure the security and resilience of America’s most critical democratic process. “Elections are run by the thousands of state and local election officials nationwide who work diligently to administer elections that are secure and resilient. It is because of their hard work Americans can have confidence in our nation’s elections.” State and local election officials, as well as in-state stakeholders, from across the country participated virtually. In addition to CISA, federal participants in the exercise included the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Defense, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the National Security Agency, U.S. Cyber Command, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, the National Guard Bureau, the National Security Council, the U.S. Postal Service Office of the Inspector General, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Election News This Week

Social Media Update: According to the Associated Press, the social media platform X has made a change to its AI chatbot after five secretaries of state warned it was spreading election misinformation. Election officials from Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Washington sent a letter this month to Elon Musk complaining that the platform’s AI chatbot, Grok, produced false information about state ballot deadlines shortly after President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race. The secretaries of state requested that the chatbot instead direct users who ask election-related questions to CanIVote.org, a voting information website run by the National Association of Secretaries of State. Before listing responses to election-related questions, the chatbot now says, “For accurate and up-to-date information about the 2024 U.S. Elections, please visit Vote.gov.” Grok is available only to subscribers of the premium versions of X. But the five secretaries of state who signed the letter said election misinformation from Grok has been shared across multiple social media platforms, reaching millions of people. Grok continued to repeat the false information for 10 days before it was corrected, the secretaries said. The platform did not respond to a request for comment.

Scams: Several counties in Pennsylvania are warning voters about a text scam. The Lehigh County Board of Elections and others have  warned voters to beware of scammers impersonating county election officials through text messages. County officials said they learned that local voters are being targeted through “smishing” attacks. Smishing is a technique in which bad actors try to extract someone’s personal data by texting them a malicious link. In this case, the victims are told in a text that something is wrong with their voter registration. The text instructs them to follow a link to update their registration information. “This is yet another attempt to sow confusion, distrust and misinformation in our election process and disenfranchise duly registered voters,” Bucks County Board of Elections Chairman and Commissioner Bob Harvie said in a statement. “The Bucks County Board of Elections condemns this fraudulent activity in the strongest possible terms and has referred these messages to the District Attorney.” Sean Drasher, who is the director of elections and voter registration in Lebanon County said his office has heard from dozens of people about this text message. While there are some legitimate organizations that try to get voters registered, he said voters should not have to figure which ones are legit through text messages. “I wouldn’t rely on third parties because it’s just too hard for us to say what’s safe, what isn’t safe, what’s accurate or isn’t accurate. I know what is accurate, and that’s vote.pa.gov. That is the state website that is continuously updated,” Drasher said. Voters in Pennsylvania aren’t alone. Elections officials in California, Georgia and  North Carolina have also reported voters receiving scam texts about voter registration. And in Florida in the days leading up to that state’s primary on August 20, officials in numerous counties warned against a variety of scams from texting about voter registration to fraudulent voter guides. 

Book News: From 2017 to 2021, Jackie Wu served as the community outreach manager for the Orange County, California Registrar of Voters. Following the 2020 General Election, Wu was deeply impacted by the false accusations of voting and election fraud that sought to undermine voting rights. She experienced an epiphany after the January 6, 2021 Capitol insurrection. She felt called to apply her experiences and knowledge to play a more direct role in empowering historically excluded communities to realize their political power and potential. “Most Americans don’t know what it took to run elections securely, transparently accessibly, and with integrity in the midst of a pandemic. Many of the challenges we saw in 2020 continue to exist today. That’s why I decided to write this too,” Wu said. From Amazon: On the Front Lines of Democracy starts on Election Day in March 2020, just as a mysterious pandemic began. During the election cycle, her team faced threats of violence and public and media scrutiny. Failure was not an option, since they had the weighty responsibility of protecting voters’ rights and access to the ballot box.

Home to the United States’ fifth largest voting jurisdiction, Orange County election officials were confronted with unprecedented crises in 2020, including:

• Wildfires that threatened voting access.
• Fake voting locations and ballot drop boxes.
• Protests at election offices.
• Active shooter and bomb threats.
• Unrelenting pressure from political parties, candidates, and campaigns.
• The threat of contracting COVID-19 and fear of passing it on.

Jackie’s compelling account reveals the intense challenges election officials throughout the country face in these polarized times. Their diligence and commitment to public service ensure that our nation, voting rights, and democracy are preserved for future generations.

Podcast News: As elections officials across the country are busy preparing for the November election, including hosts Eric Fey and Brianna Lennon, the High Turnout Wide Margins podcast is going to take a brief hiatus but will be back soon with all new episodes on elections and the people who administer them. But if you’re looking for something to listen to, there are 108 episodes in the archives to tune in. On The Excerpt from USA TODAY, many state legislatures implemented new laws restricting voter access to curtail the non-existent fraud. Will this make it harder for registered Americans who are legally allowed to vote to cast their ballots in November? Democracy Reporter Erin Mansfield and her colleagues have spent the last five months digging into legislation and rule changes across the country. She joins The Excerpt to share her team’s reporting on how these moves will impact voters.

Sticker News: Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams announced middle schooler Lillian Bonczkiewicz of Carlisle County was chosen as the winner of the commonwealth’s inaugural “I Voted” Sticker contest. “I want to congratulate Lillian on winning a tight race, and to thank every student across Kentucky that submitted a design,” said Adams. Lillian’s design includes a horse “to represent Kentucky’s unbridled spirit” and the American flag in the background to “show our freedom.” “Thanks to everyone who voted for me, and thanks to my family for the support and believing in me,” said Lillian. “It just proves that what you put your heart and mind into you can achieve!” More than 2,200 Kentuckians voted in the sticker contest at the Kentucky State Fair from August 15-25, the highest recorded number of ballots cast at the Secretary of State’s Office booth. Carlisle County will receive “I Voted” stickers featuring Lillian’s design from the Secretary of State’s Office. Other county clerks may request to have the redesigned sticker to provide to voters in November. The Buncombe County, North Carolina Election Services announced that 12-year-old Maya LeRoy’s “I Voted” sticker design has won the 2024 Youth Election Sticker contest. Young artists across Buncombe County submitted nearly 70 different sticker designs for the competition and the submissions were narrowed down to 10 finalists. With over 2,300 people voting, Maya LeRoy’s design was then announced as the winner. “I want voters to know that it is important for all different types of people to vote because they should get to have a say in the people that will run our country,” she said. “The heart is for love and the colors are for diversity. Maya’s design will be available to all Buncombe County voters in the upcoming election. Traditional “I Voted” stickers will also be available. The new Washington County, Arkansas “I Voted” sticker was designed by 9-year-old Iya Urso, a student at Happy Hollow Elementary School in Fayetteville. Her sticker was chosen from six finalists following public voting. Jennifer Price is the director of elections for the county, and she says this competition is a way to get students involved in voting and excited about their future. “They’re not eligible to vote, but how do we engage them in the process?” Price said. “How do we get them interested in the voting process at an early age, so that when they do become eligible to vote, they have good memories, good thoughts about voting and want to vote once they turn 18?”

Personnel News: Shane Jackson has joined the Stark County, Ohio board of elections. Andrew Cochran is retiring after 10 years as the Roanoke, Virginia director of elections. Congratulations to Elk County, Pennsylvania Director of Elections/Voter Registration Kim Frey for winning an award from the Secretary of the Commonwealth for her outstanding service to the voters of Pennsylvania.

Congratulations: The Clackamas County, Oregon Clerk and five staff members were awarded professional certification Aug. 14 at the Oregon Association of County Clerks Annual Conference and Training in Clatsop County. Clerk Catherine McMullen shared that earning this recognition from our state professional association requires years of on-the-job experience and technical training. “I am proud of my staff and impressed with their dedication to continued professional education and serving Clackamas County residents with the most up-to-date practices and tools,” stated McMullen. Certifications are earned through a combination of years of experience, participation in training opportunities, and involvement in the professional organization. Certifications are awarded once a year, with six of the thirteen certifications in the state going to Clackamas County in 2024. Employees receiving certification include: Mea Anders, Certified Elections Administrator (CEA); Tiffany Clark, Certified Elections Administrator (CEA); Justin Larsen, Certified Elections Administrator (CEA); Michael Newgard, Certified Elections Administrator (CEA) and Certified Recording Administrator (CRA); Tiffany Staten, Certified Elections Administrator (CEA) and Certified Recording Administrator (CRA); and Catherine McMullen, Certified County Clerk (CCC)

New Research and Resources

Law Enforcement Reference Guides: The Committee for Safe and Secure Elections (CSSE) this week announced the publication of law enforcement quick reference guides for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. CSSE’s pocket-sized guides contain key provisions of each state’s laws that help equip law enforcement officers with the information they need to protect election officials and voters from violence, threats and intimidation.  The Committee began producing these quick reference guides in 2022 in response to a growing culture of intimidation against election officials. CSSE’s inaugural Chair Neal Kelley had used similar pocket guides to quickly and accurately determine his legal responsibilities during traffic stops while working as a police officer in Southern California. Kelley went on to serve as Registrar of Voters for Orange County from 2005 to 2022 and recognized an urgent need for comparable resources to help law enforcement officers uphold and enforce election laws. “In law enforcement, you never want to be in a tense situation without adequate preparation,” says CSSE member Justin Smith, the former sheriff of Larimer County, Colo. “Our partners in the field have been extremely receptive to these guides because they recognize the need to better understand and plan for security challenges on and around Election Day.”

Tracking Attitudes About Elections and Political Violence Over Time: States United has a new polling report that shows that Americans believe in their elections and want to keep them free, fair, safe, and secure – and that these views have been steady over the past year. In a time of heightened concern about our democracy, understanding public sentiment on elections, voting, and political violence is crucial. Over the past year, from June 2023 to June 2024, States United’s Research and Analytics team conducted five national surveys to assess these attitudes. Despite deep polarization and widespread misinformation about elections, the results are promising. Polling indicates that a solid foundation of support for the traditions, norms, and institutions of democracy persists among Americans.    

Some highlights:  

• Americans are worried about the overall quality of American democracy today, but they still hold pro-democracy views.  
• Election denial is not an effective campaign strategy.  
• Americans have high levels of trust in a variety of methods for voting and for counting votes.  
• The coalition of people opposed to political violence is broad and crosses party lines. The widespread opposition to the use of political violence suggests that there is an opportunity to counter violent threats, harassment, and rhetoric.

Ballot Measures, Legislation & Rulemaking

Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska: After nearly three hours of public testimony and brief discussion, the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly unanimously voted down a resolution that would have explored a by-mail election option for the borough. The resolution, sponsored by Assemblymember Savannah Fletcher, aimed to create a task force directed by the Borough Clerk’s office and conduct an extensive community outreach and fact-finding mission to identify barriers and solutions for implementing mail in voting … and the impacts it might have on local elections. The resolution asked the task force to report on its findings by December 2025.

Louisiana Executive Order: All state agencies that provide voter registration forms and assistance must also include a notice that says noncitizens are not permitted to vote in Louisiana, Gov. Jeff Landry announced this week. Landry signed an executive order requiring that notice August 26. The order also instructs the state Office of Motor Vehicles to share with the secretary of state’s office the names of noncitizens and non-permanent residents of Louisiana — an estimated more than 40,000 people — to ensure their names are not on the voter rolls. “The right to vote in United States elections is a privilege that’s reserved for American citizens,” he said.  Landry’s order, issued just over two months before the November presidential election, in part codifies existing practice. It is illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal and state elections, and the state already uses data from the Office of Motor Vehicles and Social Security Administration to verify those who register to vote, said Secretary of State Nancy Landry, who joined Landry Monday, as did Attorney General Liz Murrill. The secretary’s office also cross-references voter rolls with jury questionnaires that indicate citizenship status, the secretary said.

Montana Ballot Measure: A pair of ballot measures seeking to reshape the state’s election system will go before voters this November, according to the Montana Secretary of State’s Office. August 22 marked a key milestone in the 2024 election – the day the Secretary of State was tasked with making the final certification of which candidates and ballot measures will appear before voters in November. Just before 7:30 p.m. Thursday, the office’s website added Constitutional Initiatives 126 and 127 to its list of issues qualified for the ballot. Montanans for Election Reform, the committee sponsoring the two amendments, celebrated the announcement in a statement. “We’re grateful to make it through the final step of the certification process and see the will of over 100,000 Montanans who want to see these initiatives on the ballot honored,” said Frank Garner, an MER board member. “Our citizens’ initiative process is critical for us to uphold Montana values and hold our politicians accountable. We’re excited to spend the next few months talking with voters across the state about how CI-126 and CI-127 will give voters better choices and allow us to vote for the person, not the party.” CI-126 would create a “top-four primary” in Montana. All candidates from all parties would appear on a single primary ballot, and the four who received the most votes – regardless of party – would go on to the November general election. CI-127 would require the general election winner to get a majority of the vote – at least 50%. It would be up to the Legislature to decide how to implement that, with some possible options being a runoff election or a ranked-choice voting system.

Princeton, New Jersey: On August 26th, Princeton joined Jersey City, Red Bank, and Hoboken by taking formal action in favor of ranked-choice voting. The mayor and council of Princeton unanimously passed a resolution expressing support for S1622/A4042 which would authorize the use of ranked choice voting in municipal and school board elections. This resolution also expresses support for the use of ranked-choice voting in Princeton’s municipal and school board elections once the bill is approved by the state. Princeton Council President Mia Sacks issued the following statement on behalf of the council: “Princeton’s local Democratic club, the Princeton Community Democratic Organization (PCDO), which endorses candidates, and the Princeton Democratic Municipal Committee, which determines ballot placement, have successfully used ranked choice voting for local candidates for the last half decade. Princeton Council supports measures that are intended to empower voters and broaden representation in government at the local and state level.”

Legal Updates

Alabama: U.S. District Judge R. David Proctor substantially narrowed a lawsuit challenging a new Alabama law limiting the ability of third parties to provide absentee ballot assistance. Proctor dismissed multiple claims made by civil rights groups against the new law, known as SB 1. Proctor, appointed by former President George W. Bush, a Republican, only allowed a challenge to the law’s prohibition on assistance to mailing absentee ballot applications and gift and payment prohibitions to move forward. Proctor also dismissed claims against Alabama Republican Secretary of State Wes Allen. The law, sponsored by Sen. Garlan Gudger, R-Cullman, makes it a Class C felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, for a person to knowingly receive payment for “distributing, ordering, requesting, collecting, completing, prefilling, obtaining or delivering” an absentee ballot application. If a person knowingly pays or provides a gift to a “third party to distribute, order, request, collect, prefill, complete, obtain or deliver,” they could face a Class B felony, punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Civil rights groups, some of which provide assistance that SB 1 outlaws, sued to block the law on April 4, arguing that Alabama had a long history of voter suppression and that people could be punished for providing a stamp or sticker to a neighbor.

Alaska: A ballot measure that could repeal Alaska’s ranked choice election system is headed to a vote in November, the Alaska Supreme Court confirmed August 22. In a brief order, the court’s five members upheld a lower court decision that certified Ballot Measure 2, which would repeal the laws that created the state’s ranked choice general election and open primary election.  The order came shortly after justices heard oral arguments in an appeal claiming that the Alaska Division of Elections improperly certified the measure. “Today the Court quickly affirmed that the Division of Elections properly interpreted and applied the law in qualifying this initiative for the November ballot,” said Senior Assistant Attorney General Lael Harrison, in a statement issued by email. “The Department of Law is grateful to the Court for their timely review and decision on this issue, in plenty of time for the Division’s upcoming ballot printing deadlines.” At issue in the appeal was whether the Division of Elections could legally allow petitioners to correct some flaws with petition signature books after they had been submitted to the division. Plaintiffs had argued that the division did not have the power to allow post-deadline corrections under existing law, something the division has allowed since at least 2019.  If plaintiffs had won, the division would have been required to discard some petition books, denying repeal supporters enough signatures for a vote this fall. Justices did not immediately explain their reasoning but said they affirm the lower court’s decision.

Arizona: The U.S. Supreme Court partially granted an emergency stay reinstating a state law requiring Arizona residents who cannot provide documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote using a rarely used federal form rather than a more widely used state form. Under Arizona law, such residents are only permitted to vote in federal elections, regardless of how they registered. The emergency stay follows the August 2 ruling by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that vacated the initial panel’s temporary ruling to block voters registering with the state form without providing documented proof of citizenship. Those registrants will now be added to the voter rolls, but will only be allowed to vote in federal elections, as was the practice before the initial panel’s ruling. Arizona residents who try to register to vote with the widely used state form will have their registration rejected unless they provide proof of U.S. citizenship, under a temporary ruling Thursday from a federal appeals court. Previously, residents without citizenship documents would have been allowed to use the state form, which almost all Arizonans use, to get registered, but they could vote only in federal elections — for U.S. House, Senate and president. That’s because Arizona law requires voters to provide proof of citizenship to register, whereas federal law requires only an attestation that a voter is a citizen, but not documentation proving it. Under a 2013 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, the state must permit voters who registered without citizenship proof to cast ballots in federal elections, so Arizona has maintained separate rolls of so-called federal-only voters. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, granted a partial stay of a lower-court ruling that struck down newer Arizona laws on federal-only voters. As long as the stay is in place, those voters can register to vote and cast ballots in federal elections only if they use a federal voter registration form, something few people currently do.

The Arizona Supreme Court sided with legislators over a trial court judge who concluded their description of a ballot proposition to end partisan primaries was “misleading,” overturning the lower court’s ruling. Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Melissa Iyer Julian previously ruled that a legislative panel responsible for writing summaries of ballot measures that are sent to every Arizona voter wrote a description of Proposition 140, a citizen initiative also known as the Make Elections Fair Act, that was intentionally misleading. If voters approve it in November, the measure would 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.  All registered voters would be able to choose from all the candidates in the primary, and the top vote-getters would advance to the general election, even if they don’t represent different parties. The trial court ruled that the legislature’s description does not supply the proper context on voter ranking and renders the description misleading. But the Arizona Supreme Court disagreed. “We unanimously conclude that the [Legislative] Council’s analysis substantially complies [with the law],” Chief Justice Ann Scott Timmer wrote in the ruling. “The Council’s analysis in the first numbered paragraph therefore accurately describes this provision by stating that the Initiative would amend the constitution to ‘[a]llow for the use of voter ranking at all elections held in this state to determine which candidate received the highest number of votes.’”

Arkansas: Nine lawsuits have been filed so far this month over failed ballot-counting petitions in Arkansas counties. A group opposed to using ballot machines to count votes has tried to put forth ballot petitions across the state that would ban voting machines and requiring votes be counted by hand. Nine hand-counting petitions were thrown out over alleged clerical errors. The lawsuits say this choice is improper and the petition should be put on the ballot for voters to decide. The lawsuits are being brought by attorney Clinton W. Lancaster. Lancaster is working with Conrad Reynolds, the CEO of Voter Integrity Arkansas. Reynolds thinks something nefarious could be going on inside the machines; he isn’t specifically sure what is happening, but has told Little Rock Public Radio that the machines could be “flipping votes” in between them being cast and printed out. The petition Reynolds and Lancaster are trying to put forward is called “The Hand-Marked, Hand-Counted Paper Ballot Ordinance of 2024.” It would prevent the use of voting machines when counting ballots, except for people with disabilities. Under the ballot initiative, votes would be required to be counted by “human intelligence.” Clerks in several Arkansas counties tossed a petition to mandate hand counting for several reasons, including a determination that some of the petitioners lived out of state. Lancaster is asking for courts to enjoin the clerks from rejecting the amendments and to put the measure on the counties’ ballot.

Colorado: Teak Brockbank, 45, of Cortez is facing federal charges in connection with a series of online threats he made toward election officials in Colorado and Arizona, a Colorado state judge, and federal law enforcement agents. According to court documents, between September 2021 and August 2022, Brockbank allegedly used two social media accounts to post messages threatening Colorado and Arizona election officials. For example, on Aug. 4, 2022, Brockbank allegedly posted a message referring to separate election officials in Arizona and Colorado and then stated: “Once those people start getting put to death then the rest will melt like snowflakes and turn on each other. . . . This is the only way. So those of us that have the stomach for what has to be done should prepare our minds for what we all [a]re going to do!!!!!! It is time.” “We allege that the defendant made detailed death threats against election officials, judges, and law enforcement officers,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Violent threats against public servants are a danger to our democracy, and the arrest and charges announced today make clear that the Justice Department will see to it that perpetrators answer for their actions.”

Georgia: The Georgia and national Democratic parties sued August 26 to block two recent rules adopted by Georgia’s State Election Board that could be used by county officials who want to refuse to certify an election, potentially causing delays in finalizing the state’s results. The lawsuit, filed before a state judge in Atlanta, argues the rules violate a state law that makes certification a mandatory duty. The suit asks the judge to find the rules are invalid because the State Election Board, now dominated by allies of former President Donald Trump, is exceeding its legal authority. The lawsuit says the rules invite post-election chaos, that the board is defying state law that says county officials “shall certify” results, and that more than a century of court precedent in Georgia finds county officials have no wiggle room. “According to their drafters, these rules rest on the assumption that certification of election results by a county board is discretionary and subject to free-ranging inquiry that may delay certification or foreclose it entirely. But that is not the law in Georgia” states the lawsuit, filed in Fulton County Superior Court.

Two men have been charged with felonies for voting twice in the 2022 election, the first known criminal prosecutions for Georgia voting fraud in recent years. The indictments come with maximum prison sentences of 10 years, a departure from most election violations that typically result in fines and reprimands. Few cases of illegal voting have been proved after investigations of the 2020 election or since then. Grand juries in Forsyth and Fannin counties this month indicted the defendants for casting in-person ballots in Georgia and voting again in other states — Arizona and Texas — during the November 2022 midterm elections. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger sought the prosecutions based on data generated by ERIC. “Any illegal vote undermines a citizen’s legal vote,” Raffensperger said. “One citizen, one vote — anyone who tries to run up the scoreboard will be prosecuted.”

Michigan: The Michigan Supreme Court ruled this week that guidance issued by Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson governing procedures for Michigan election challengers was largely developed properly and most of the instructions can remain in place for the Nov. 5 presidential election. The court’s 4-3 ruling along party lines held that Benson had the authority under Michigan election law to issue the guidance on election challenger credentialing and requirements regarding how and to whom challenges are reported without going through a longer rules-making process. “Under the Michigan Election Law, the secretary of state is the chief election officer of Michigan, and as such, the secretary has supervisory control over local election officials in the performance of their duties,” Justice Kyra Harris Bolden wrote in the majority opinion for the court’s four Democratic-nominated justices. The case stems from a lawsuit filed by several election challengers and the state and national Republican parties that challenged a manual issued by Benson to clerks in 2022 that set out instructions for election challengers. Among that set of instructions were a uniform credential form for challengers, limits on when their challenges should be recorded and bans on electronic device possession in closed-door absentee voting counting rooms while polling precincts are open.

The Republican National Committee has filed a lawsuit against Detroit, alleging that city officials haven’t hired enough Republican election inspectors. Under Michigan law, commissioners “shall appoint at least one election inspector from each major political party and shall appoint an equal number, as nearly as possible, of election inspectors in each election precinct from each major political party.”  Election inspectors are hired, paid and trained to assist with local elections at voting sites, according to the Michigan Secretary of State’s website. They greet and check in voters, issue ballots, assist with tabulation and sometimes assist with absentee ballots.  The suit names City Clerk Janice Winfrey, City Council President Mary Sheffield and Corporation Counsel Conrad Mallet as plaintiffs for their positions as part of the Election Commission of the City of Detroit.  According to the lawsuit, the city appointed 310 Republican election inspectors and 2,337 Democrats for the primary election on Aug. 6. This means that of the 335 precincts, 300 failed to comply with the “equal number, as nearly as possible” for election workers from each major party, and 202 precincts didn’t have a Republican election inspector, according to the suit. Of the 310 Republicans that were appointed, only 52 of the 675 nominated by Gnacke-Nemeth were appointed. The lawsuit is demanding that Detroit appoint more Republican election inspectors to “correct the imbalance” and “adhere to legal requirements” ahead of the November election.

Nebraska: The Nebraska Legislature twice violated the state constitution when it restored voting rights to felons who had not been pardoned, once in 2005 and again earlier this year, the state argued in front of the Nebraska Supreme Court this week. “They unconstitutionally exercise the Board of Pardon’s exclusive authority to grant clemency,” Nebraska Solicitor General Eric Hamilton told justices, defending Nebraska Secretary of State Robert Evnen’s July 17 instruction to local election officials to stop registering voters with past felony convictions. “These statutes are unconstitutional.” American Civil Liberties Union attorney Jane Seu, representing nonprofit Civic Nebraska and three individuals with felony convictions who had hoped to vote in the upcoming general election, argued to the justices that Evnen had no authority to issue such an instruction in the first place. “Nebraska statutes enjoy a presumption of constitutionality. The secretary here made a unilateral determination on his own to declare our statutes unconstitutional,” Seu told the justices. “The court should correct this overreach.”

New Jersey: Earlier this month, the Democratic-controlled Cumberland County Clerk’s office made the move to switch general election ballots to an office-block format, a departure from the party-line ballots in use previously. In a lawsuit filed over the weekend with the New Jersey Superior Court, the Cumberland GOP organization and three of its countywide candidates allege that the Cumberland County Clerk’s new design violates state laws dictating the design of general election ballots and demands that the county’s ballots be redesigned. Under the clerk’s new design, candidates are grouped by office with no regard for their party, and random drawings were conducted to determine the candidate order for each office. The results of the drawing were that the top position on the ballot went to third-party candidates for president and U.S. Senate, Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-Dennis) for Congress, and Cumberland County Clerk Celeste Riley – a Democrat who has said she’s recusing herself from election matters this year – for county clerk; Democrats also got first and third position in the race for two county commissioner seats. According to Deputy County Clerk Sandra Olbrich, the new design was made in order to save taxpayer money and reduce voter confusion. But the Cumberland GOP’s lawsuit argues that the design will increase voter confusion, and that it violates a host of state laws governing how ballots must be prepared. Specifically, state law dictates that general election ballots utilize columns to organize candidates by party, and that Democrats and Republicans be given the first two spots before any other candidates are placed on the ballot.

New York: Federal prosecutors have charged Nicole Torres, 43, an elected Bronx Republican district leader who also works at the New York City Board of Elections with bribery, extortion, fraud and identity theft in connection with what they say was a scheme to force potential poll workers to bribe her. Prosecutors allege that Torres personally pocketed $28,000 by gatekeeping plum poll worker assignments. In an indictment unsealed this week, they say that since 2019 Torres has ordered residents to pay her and a “Bronx organization” $150 in order to be selected for one of the poll worker positions. Authorities have not named the organization. People who work as poll workers on Election Day and all nine days of early voting can earn up to $2,750. People who work just one day make only $250 a day. Torres is also accused of falsifying records so she could obtain checks in the name of no-show poll workers, which she would later divide with the Bronx organization. In a statement announcing the indictment, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said Torres “brazenly abused her power and lined her own pockets for over five years by demanding that poll workers pay her bribes in order to work as a poll worker and by falsifying records to make it look like certain individuals worked as poll workers during an election even though they never did.”

North Carolina: A North Carolina state senate candidate has filed a federal lawsuit against North Carolina’s ban on “ballot selfies.” The lawsuit filed August 22 in federal court by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, or FIRE, alleges that the ban violates the First Amendment because it interferes with political speech on the basis of its content. North Carolina is one of 14 states that ban photographs of completed ballots. According to the state board of elections, the ban is a defense against vote-buying schemes because they can be used as “proof of a vote for a candidate.” Two weeks after Libertarian activist Susan Hogarth posted a photo of herself with her ballot to the social media site X, Hogarth received a letter from the state elections board, informing her that photographing her ballot is a class 1 misdemeanor under state law, and requesting that she remove the photo from social media or face the possibility of being referred to a district attorney for criminal prosecution. A class 1 misdemeanor in North Carolina is punishable by a fine and up to 45 days of jail time for a first-time offender. Hogarth said it wasn’t the first time she’s posted a ballot selfie, but the state has never responded to hers in the past. She did not take down her the post. Instead, she took the matter to court.”The idea that you should have a secret ballot has sort of morphed into the idea that you should keep your ballot secret. And I think those are two different things,” Hogarth told WRAL News.

Republicans sued North Carolina’s elections board, demanding enforcement of a new law that requires cross-checking jury documents to remove noncitizens from voter rolls. The Republican National Committee and North Carolina GOP allege that the North Carolina State Board of Elections has “deliberately declined” to enforce the law. In a news release, they said the lawsuit was designed to “force the NCSBE to immediately clean the voter rolls and prevent non-citizens from voting in November.” “The NCSBE has chosen to blatantly ignore the law, undermine basic election safeguards, and neglect a fundamental principle of our election integrity,” RNC Chairman Michael Whatley said. “The RNC and NCGOP defended this law in court, and now we will make sure the NCSBE follows and enforces these critical safeguards in The Old North State.” A spokesperson for the board of elections said Republican claims that it was refusing to comply with the law were “categorically false.” Elections staff this month cross-checked voter rolls with lists of those excused from jury duty because they said they were not citizens, spokesperson Patrick Gannon said. They found eight individuals who matched both lists. If those eight people are found to not be U.S. citizens via databases, they’ll be asked to cancel their registration. But federal law prevents the state board from directly removing people from the rolls within 90 days of an election. A new process involving county boards of elections will begin in 2025. The elections board is requesting that Republicans “immediately rescind their press releases” on the matter — arguing that they will “undermine voter confidence on an entirely false premise.”

Pennsylvania: Washington County violated state law when election workers refused to tell voters that their mail-in ballot had been rejected and wouldn’t be counted in last April’s primary election, Judge Brandon Neuman ruled. As a result, voters were unable to exercise their legal right either to challenge the decision of the county elections board or to cast a provisional ballot in place of the rejected mail-in ballot, the judge said. “It’s a great day for voters in Washington County,” David Gatling Sr., president of the NAACP branch in Washington, Pennsylvania, said in a statement. The NAACP branch sued the county earlier this summer as did seven voters whose ballots had been rejected in the April 23 primary and the Center for Coalfield Justice, accusing Washington County of violating the constitutional due process rights of voters by deliberately concealing whether their ballot had been counted. Neuman ordered Washington County to notify any voter whose mail-in ballot is rejected because of an error — such as a missing signature or missing handwritten date — so that the voter has an opportunity to challenge the decision. Neuman, elected as a Democrat, also ordered the county to allow those voters to vote by provisional ballot to help ensure they could cast a ballot that would be counted.

Two lawmakers have filed an appeal in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court after a lower court threw out their lawsuit arguing that absentee ballots must be counted at the polling places where voters would normally cast ballots rather than at county election offices. The lawsuit, filed in January on behalf of state Reps. Kathy Rapp (R-Warren) and David Zimmerman (R-Lancaster), sought a court order declaring that sections of the Pennsylvania Election Code and the guidance of the Department of State violates the state constitution. The suit named as defendants Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt and all 67 county boards of elections.  In a decision August 23, Commonwealth Court Judge President Judge Renee Cohn Jubelirer granted requests by Schmidt and the county boards to dismiss the case, writing that the court was bound by a nearly 60-year-old state Supreme Court decision. Attorney Greg Tuefel, who represents Rapp and Zimmerman, said he filed the appeal Monday and the Supreme Court has indicated that it would hear the case quickly to resolve it before the November election. Rapp and Zimmerman’s lawsuit contended that sections of the Election Code requiring absentee ballots to be returned to and counted by county Boards of Elections are at odds with the Constitution’s requirement that they be returned to and counted in the precincts where a voter resides.

Opinions This Week

National Opinions: Election security | Project 2025 | Ranked choice voting | Voting rights, II, III | Election interference | Electoral College

Alabama: Secretary of state | Election security 

Alaska: Primaries | Ranked choice voting 

Arizona: SCOTUS ruling, II

California: Election security 

Florida: Ex-felon voting rights

Georgia: State board of elections 

Hawaii: Mandatory voting

Idaho: Military voters | Ranked choice voting; 

Maine: Poll workers | Ranked choice voting

Minnesota: Incarcerated voters 

Nevada: Ranked choice voting 

North Carolina: Ballot selfies | Trust in elections | List maintenance

Ohio: Secretary of state,II | Poll watchers

Pennsylvania: Election security

Texas: Crystal Mason case 

Washington: Vote by mail 

Wyoming: Secretary of state

Upcoming Events

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

From Here to There: How States Can and Should Certify the Results of the 2024 Elections: As we prepare for another fall semester, we’re excited to bring you a robust series of events on the 2024 Elections, Election Law, and the risks facing democracy in the U.S. This webinar will feature Ben Berwick, Head of Election Law & Litigation Team & Counsel (Protect Democracy), Lauren Miller Karalunas, (Brennan Center for Justice), and Michael Morley (Florida State University College of Law). When: September 12, 3:15 pm Eastern. Where: Online

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. 

Finding Common Ground in Election Law: As we prepare for another fall semester, we’re excited to bring you a robust series of events on the 2024 Elections, Election Law, and the risks facing democracy in the U.S. Co-sponsored by the Office of the Dean, UCLA Law, this webinar will feature: Lisa Manheim (University of Washington School of Law), Derek T. Muller (Notre Dame Law School), and Richard L. Hasen (Director, Safeguarding Democracy Project, moderator). When: October 9, 3:15 pm Eastern. Where: Online. 

AI, Social Media, the Information Environment, and the 2024 Elections: As we prepare for another fall semester, we’re excited to bring you a robust series of events on the 2024 Elections, Election Law, and the risks facing democracy in the U.S.  Co-sponsored by the Institute for Technology, Law & Policy, UCLA Law, this webinar will feature: Danielle Citron (University of Virginia Law School), Brendan Nyhan (Dartmouth), Nate Persily (Stanford Law School). When: October 21, 3:15 pm Eastern. Where: Online

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.

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. 

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.

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.

Registrar of Voters, Washoe County, Nevada– Under general direction of the County Manager, plans, organizes, directs and manages the operations of the Registrar of Voters Department; and performs related work as required. The Registrar of Voters plans, organizes, directs and manages the operations of the Registrar of Voters Department; plans, organizes and coordinates elections which includes hiring and training election staff, arranging for voting and training facilities, developing the election database, ensuring accuracy of data, printing ballots, purchasing, maintaining and repairing voting system hardware, ordering, preparing and distributing supplies, and performing all work required by election law. The Registrar of Voters serves as the face of the office and is frequently asked for media interviews and will provide updates and presentations to the Board of County Commissioners. Manages the day-to-day operations of the department; monitors all administrative functions to ensure policies and procedures are being adhered to, and that accurate records and files are maintained. Supervises and directs the maintenance of voter registration records in compliance with federal and state law. The Registrar of Voters works across many County Departments to secure election workers, coordinate technology, and secure adequate facilities. Supervise assigned staff, including interviewing and selecting staff; providing staff training in proper work methods and techniques; assigning and reviewing work; conducting performance evaluations. Develop and administer the department budget to include projecting future budget needs to maintain service requirements and meet changing statutory mandates; develop and implement Department policies and procedures and ensure compliance with Department and County policies and procedures. This is an Open Competitive/Countywide Promotional recruitment being conducted to fill a current full-time vacancy with the Registrar of Voters department. The list established from this recruitment may be used to fill future vacancies as they occur. Salary: $144,393.60 – $202,176.00 Annually.  Deadline: October 2. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here. 

Registrar of Voters, Juris Doctorate, Washoe County, Nevada — Under general direction of the County Manager, monitors changes in voting and elections at the state and federal level; plans, organizes, directs and manages the operations of the Registrar of Voters Department; and performs related work as required. The Registrar of Voters Juris Doctorate position  plans, organizes, directs and manages the operations of the Registrar of Voters Department; stays  informed of federal, state and local laws including changes related to elections and the voting process, changes at the Nevada Legislature; drafting and review of bill draft requests related to election process and voting and best practices; testifies  at the legislature on behalf of the county and on a national level; works with the Secretary of State’s Office and the Washoe County District Attorney’s Office to determine impact of changes to Washoe County and works with staff on the implementation process of the changes to ensure county compliance.  The Registrar of Voters Juris Doctorate serves as the face of the office and is frequently asked for media interviews and will provide updates and presentations to the Board of County Commissioners.  Manages requests for confidential election related records and equipment in the County’s custody and navigating complex public records requests from local and national media. Assist with identification, preparation, and response to potential AI threats. The Registrar of Voters works across many County Departments to secure election workers, coordinate technology, and secure adequate facilities. This is an Open Competitive/Countywide Promotional recruitment being conducted to fill a current full-time vacancy with the Registrar of Voters department. The list established from this recruitment may be used to fill future vacancies as they occur. Salary: $169,852.80 – $237,785.60 Annually. Deadline: October 2. 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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