In Focus This Week
I. In Focus This Week
Longtime Boone County, Mo. Clerk Wendy Noren dies
By M. Mindy Moretti
Electionline
“It is complete now
2 ends of time are neatly tied
A one way street
She’s walking to the end of the line
And there she meets
Faces she see’s in her heart and mind…”
— Tomorrow Wendy, Concrete Blonde
On March 11, longtime Boone County, Missouri Clerk Wendy Noren lost her battle with cancer. She was 63.
News of Noren’s death spread quickly throughout the elections community and she was remembered by her colleagues for her dedication to the voters of Boone County and for her tireless efforts to make the process better for them and ultimately for all of us.
“Wendy Noren was a strong protector of the people’s right to be heard. She was always looking for innovative ways to better serve the voters. No matter your political party, Wendy was always willing to listen. We will miss Wendy’s leadership and knowledge on election issues,” said Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft (R)
Noren first joined the Boone County clerk’s office as a deputy clerk in 1978 and was elected to her first term as county clerk in 1982. After serving the voters of Boone County for almost 30 years, Noren stepped down on June 23, 2017.
According to then-Clerk Chris Kelly, when he hired Noren, she reprogrammed the entire election system herself to make sure it was tamper proof.
“Wendy was a firecracker, a leader with almost encyclopedia knowledge of elections, local government, technology, and politics. She was a mentor and a guide for many in the field (whether they were new or experienced),” said Adam Ambrogi, program director, elections at The Democracy Fund. “I spent many hours with Wendy, discussing issues of importance on national election issues, and found her advice invaluable, and her passion for serving her voters invaluable. I, and many professionals in the field will miss her deeply.”
She served as a member of the National Association of Counties advisory board to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission from 2004 until 2017. The EAC issued a joint statement on the passing of Noren and Chairman Tom Hicks added his own thoughts.
“There were five or six people who were truly instrumental in what would become the Help America Votes Act, and Wendy was one of those people. She brought the passion of ‘little guy’ to the room, always standing up for local rights and common sense to the discussion,” Hicks said. “When the bill became law, she continued that work, fighting for small jurisdictions and all voters as she served on the EAC’s Board of Advisors and TGDC. She will be missed, but never forgotten for her commitment to the elections process.”
Upon hearing of Noren’s passing, Commissioner Matt Masterson, took to Twitter to offer a series of tweets about Noren’s importance to the elections community. This week he told us:
“Wendy’s preparation and attention to detail was legendary. She is one of only a handful of people that I know that have read the VVSG cover to cover and even tabbed it for follow up and questions she had. No one out-prepared Wendy,” Mastserson said. “We will miss her contributions, wit, and friendship, but we will honor her legacy by continuing our work to create a common data format for voting systems and ensuring secure and accessible elections.”
Noren was the only local election official named to the National Academy of Sciences Committee on the Interoperability of Voter Registration Databases and was involved in the creation of the Help America Vote Act and was a member of the National Research Council. 
“Wendy was innovative, dedicated and good-hearted. She was a great friend of mine and so many others across Missouri and the country,” said former Secretary of State Jason Kander. “Wendy was a model public servant that genuinely cared about democracy and took maintenance of it personally. She spent her career making sure that every eligible voter in Boone County got the chance to cast a ballot, and her ideas became a national model. Everyone that cares about elections owes Wendy a debt of gratitude for her tireless work, and we’ll miss her.”
While staunchly a Democrat, Wendy earned respect for her work in elections from both sides of the aisle because of her dedication to the fairness of the system, no matter who was on the ballot.
“Luckily we will never lose what Wendy brought to election integrity and the election community. I feel honored to call her friend,” said former Maricopa County, Arizona Recorder Helen Purcell. “I cannot say enough about this special lady, there was not a more dedicated and knowledgeable person when it came to election technology and common sense procedures.”
Noren was honored by many organizations for her work in elections. She received the 1998 Rosemary Plitt Award and the 2014 Brite award, both commending her for her contributions to Missouri elections. In 1999, she was honored with the Distinguished Alumna Achievement award by Pi Beta Phi. In 2003 she won the Public Advocacy Award from Services for Independent Living and in 2013 the Missouri Assistive Technology Award for her efforts in making voting accessible. In 2015 she was presented the Women in Business Professional Excellence Award. In 2017, she was named the League of Women Voters Citizen of the Year and received the Missouri Association of County Clerks and Election Authorities Innovator Award.
“Wendy was truly an icon of election administration. Her unique blend of creativity, pragmatism and fierce determination to improve the election process for voters propelled her from a respected voice in a small county in the middle of the country to national prominence,” said Conny McCormack, former Los Angeles County registrar-recorder/county clerk. “It was my privilege that we became close friends; I will miss her wit and laughter so very much.”
In June 2017, during a busy week when she was wrapping up a nearly three-decade career, packing up her belongings and saying good-bye to colleagues, Noren took some time to answer our questions for an exit interview. We’ve decided to rerun that exit interview and give Wendy the last word she so rightly deserves.
When you got started in this business back in 1978, did you see yourself making a lifelong career out of it? What kept you running for re-election?
While I loved the job from the first day I started I did not plan on doing it the rest of my life. My goal then was to prove to my parents I could do a “real” job so they would let me return to Europe to study art history. Each year I was in the job new challenges would arise that I felt compelled to overcome before I left. Every challenge conquered opened the path to a new one to take on. Before I knew it, I had been there over 35 years and had conducted 10 presidential elections.
You’ve seen many changes in the administration of elections, what change to the process have you appreciated most? What change have you appreciated least?
When I started all registrations were processed by typewriters and hand written changes – we had no computer. I live or die by the quality of my registration file on Election Day so the advances in technology have been what I appreciate the most. The Internet allows me to let the voter control their registration and for me to communicate quickly with thousands of voters through email and text messaging. I also appreciate the fact that election administration has become something researchers now pay attention to – that can only help our profession.
As far as the least appreciated change it is the current atmosphere of political distrust which makes it difficult for people to innovate. Innovation requires the ability to “do it wrong till you do it right”. Because no level of failure is allowed in our business it is extremely difficult for creative people to advance new programs.
What would you say was your greatest accomplishment as an elections official?
I think my constant embrace of new technology. I always tried to look at what other businesses were doing to get ideas. For example, the first time I saw a barcode used in the grocery store I knew it would help my office. Soon after I had barcodes added to our computer printed election day voter lists so we could update voter history records quickly and accurately. Most recently it was the text messages from airlines of flight status that I used as model for sending training reminders to poll workers and upcoming text messaging to voters of polling place changes.
Do you have any regrets about your time in office? Anything you wish you would have accomplished but weren’t able to?
I very much wanted to conduct an election with early voting. Unfortunately Missouri has never been able to work out legislation that is satisfactory to the state and counties. I have so many voters who work shifts that make it difficult, if not impossible, to vote on Election Day. Missouri’s very strict absentee laws make it impossible for many people to get the chance to vote – except those willing to perjure themselves on the affidavit.
What challenge/task/principle would you charge the rest of the elections community to carry on in your honor?
While this applies to all election officials it applies most to election officials in college towns. I have always believed that I am the gatekeeper to young people’s entry in the election process. A good or bad experience the first time someone votes will carry with them throughout their life. If I fail to provide a good voting experience to a first time voters they may never return to the process. That is a responsibility we must all take seriously.
What will you miss most about being the Boone County clerk?
I worry my brain will atrophy without the constant stimulation that comes from always trying to create a better way of doing my work. Or frustrated if I think of something new that I cannot implement.
What advice would you give to someone just getting started in the election administration business?
Read, read, read, read. At least once a year your state’s election code cover to cover. Take advantage of all of the research that is now being done on the administration of elections – this did not exist when I started. As often as possible check out the business sections of NY Times and Wall Street Journal to find new technologies. And of course, check Electionline every day to see what is going on with election administrators all over the country.
What’s next for you, besides sleeping in on the next election day?
Spending time with family and cherished friends – many of whom I have neglected horribly over the years.
A celebration of Noren’s life will take place on Saturday April 7 at 3 pm at The Ballroom of the Tiger Hotel, 23 South 8th Street, Columbia, Missouri. Contributions in Wendy’s memory can be made to the True Life Fund, PO Box 121, 2000 E. Broadway, Columbia, Mo. 65201.
Federal-State Updates
II. Federal-State Updates
More than a dozen secretaries of state from both sides of the aisle have sent a letter to Senate leaders decrying a rider attached to the reauthorization of the Department of Homeland Security would allow the Secret Service to be sent to polling places during a federal elections.
“This is an alarming proposal which raises the possibility that armed federal agents will be patrolling neighborhood precincts and vote centers,” according to the letter, which was obtained by CNN.
A spokesman for the Secret Service said the rider was grossly overstated and that it would only permit them to enter polling places with protectees.
Election News This Week
III. Election News This Week
The town vs. gown debate has ratcheted up a notch in one Maine town. Recently, Lewiston Mayor Shane Bouchard sent a letter to voters who registered to vote on election day last year laying out the state’s requirements for when someone declares residency. Secretary of State Mathew Dunlap has called the letter a “disservice to the public discourse” and said that while the letter is factual, it “arouses unfounded fears in the minds of the voting public.” Lewiston is home to Bates College and about 1,800 students. According to the Press Herald, the students said Bouchard’s letter causes more confusion by only pulling select information on residency requirements from the secretary of state’s website while not stipulating voting rights. “I do not believe, in the context of voter participation, that offering foreboding warnings of dire consequences from failing to oblige administrative requirements attendant to establishing residency can be construed as anything other than an effort to discourage our fellow Americans from participating in their constitutional right to self-governance – whether you intend that to be the message or not,” Dunlap said in his written response to Bouchard.
It was snow problem for voters in New Hampshire this week as they were once again forced to make their way to area polling places during a blizzard. Although turnout was down, the storm raging outside did not stop poll workers and elections officials from doing their jobs, nor did it stop voters from getting to the polls. The storm did present some problems though. One snow-covered voter in Peterborough got their ballot wet and the ballot proceeded to jam the machine. “It goes through a very thin slot that only a piece of paper is allowed to go through,” Town Moderator Roland Patten told the Monadock Ledger-Transcript. “We tried using a credit card and we tried using a jackknife and we got one piece out but there is another piece that’s still left in there.”
We’ll give them an A for effort. This week during a special election in Pennsylvania’s 18th Congressional district elections officials in several counties reported receiving angry phone calls from people who thought they could cast a ballot but were angry to find their polling place closed or were turned away from open polls. The district runs through portions of several counties. “Some are just kind of confused because they see ads on TV and signs on the road, so they thought they were included,” Melanie Ostrander, the Washington County’s assistant director of elections told the Post-Tribune. And the issues weren’t just limited to the Pittsburgh area, voters in the Allentown area, some 300 miles away, complained to elections officials when they found polling places closed.
With roughly 94 percent of the population at the Cook County, Illinois Jail eligible to vote, organizers recently organized the first-ever, jail-wide, in-person early voting day. Each division of the jail was equipped with a private voting booth, an attorney, and staff from the Chicago and Cook County Board of Elections.
The Porter County, Indiana board of elections has returned election duties the county clerk from the voter registration office for the first time about 50 years. According to The Chicago Tribune, the move comes after the director in voter registration, sent a letter to some election board and party officials stating that she would no longer handle elections because doing so ran afoul of state statute. Members of the county council raised concerns about the fate of the responsibilities last month because of the letter. Two part-time employees in the voter registration office will move to the county clerk’s office. Porter County was the only county in the state where election duties were handled through the voter registration office.
Evanston, Illinois’ city clerk has received a cease and desist letter from the Cook County clerk’s office. For what you may ask? Distributing “I Voted” stickers outside of early voting sites. In a letter from the county clerk’s office, Legal Advisor Daniel P. Madden says that the city clerk’s status as a local election official “is in no way related to the conduct of early voting.” The letter says that Evanston City Clerk Devon Reid is also violating a statute that bars anyone from distributing materials within a 100-foot campaign-free-zone around voting sites.
Personnel News: Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate has announced that he will seek a third term. Rep. Keith Esau (R-Olathe), chairman of the House Elections Committee has officially filed paperwork to run for Kansas secretary of state. Craig McCullah, former deputy assistant secretary of state for Kansas has announced his plans to run for secretary of state. Steve Chong has been appointed deputy clerk of Bergen County, New Jersey. Louisiana Secretary of State Tom Schedler announced this week that he would not be resigning, but also that he would not seek re-election.
In Memoriam: Victor Work, the former Ulster County elections commissioner who resigned last year to spend more time with his family, has died. Ashley Dittus, who replaced Work as elections commissioner said Work “warm, kind and fair. He always had a story to tell and the best ones we shared over a drink, preferably Glenlivet.”
Joaquin Avila, former leader of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund has died. He was 69. Avila was a civil rights attorney and is credited with being the chief architect of the California Voting Rights Act. According to Southern California Public Radio, he was a point man in the Hispanic civil rights battle and argued voting rights cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. In 1996 he was awarded a MacArthur Foundation Genius Award. Most recently Avila was director of the National Voting Rights Advocacy Initiative at the Seattle University School of Law. Avila is survived by his wife, three children and a brother.
Legislative Updates
IV. Legislative Updates
Georgia: The House Government Affairs Committee has approved Senate Bill 403 which would replace the state’s aging electronic voting equipment with paper-based system.
Kentucky: A bill that would have required Kentucky voters to show a valid, government-issued photo ID in order to vote failed to pass a House committee.
Maryland: The House of Delegates has approved a bill that would allow for same day registration. The bill next moves to the Senate.
Michigan: The Senate Elections Committee has unanimously approved a five-bill package that would, among other things, allow the state to implement online voter registration.
New Hampshire: The Senate has approved a bill that will give the secretary of state the power to cancel elections in limited circumstances, such as bad weather.
Oklahoma: Under Senate Bill 926, voters would be allowed to leave work without penalty to vote by an in-person absentee ballot — currently voters are only afforded that on Election Day. Senate Bill 948 would expand Saturday early voting hours to 5pm instead of 2pm. Senate Bill 1269 specifies that there will be no statewide elections called in odd-numbered years in November unless there is a vacancy.
Pennsylvania: Rep. Marcia Hahn (R-Northampton) and Sen. Mario Scavello (R-Monroe) have each introduced bills that seek to curtail the use of schools as polling places.
South Dakota: A ballot initiative which would have put the a question in front of voters about whether or not they wanted control of redistricting taken from legislators and instead given to an independent commission has failed to gather enough signatures to make the ballot.
Utah: The Legislature has approved a series of election reform measures that would require drivers to tell the state department of licensing whether or not they want to register to vote. They would still have to opt-in to register to vote. Also under the bill, residents will now be able to register and vote on election day and voters who fail to vote in back-to-back vote-by-mail elections would be removed from the vote-by-mail list.
Legal Updates
V. Legal Updates
Arkansas: This week Pulaski County Circuit Judge Alice Gray heard arguments in a lawsuit challenging the state’s voter ID law. The lawsuit by voter Barry Haas contends that the law, enacted last year, circumvents a 2014 Arkansas Supreme Court ruling that struck down a previous voter ID measure. Attorneys for the state say the restriction is a way to verify a voter’s registration.
Indiana: According to the Indianapolis Star, in the latest development in an ongoing lawsuit over early-voting access in the state’s largest county, plaintiffs have asked U.S. District Judge Sarah Evans Barker to order the Marion County Election Board to add additional voting sites before the May 8 primaries.
Pennsylvania: A group called The Public Interest Legal Foundation has sued the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to obtain a copy of the state’s voter registration records. A spokesman for the organization cited their concern about non-citizens voting as reason for filing the suit.
Tennessee: A former longtime Metro councilman and current head of the Nashville chapter of the NAACP — who now says he’s running for mayor — sued the Davidson County Election Commission on Monday, seeking to force the city to hold Nashville’s next mayoral election in May instead of August. The suit argues that the decision to hold the election in August violates the Metro Charter and state law. It seeks an election on either May 1, when the city’s local primary election is scheduled, or between May 21 and May 25. This week Davidson County Chancellor Claudia Bonnyman ruled that the election will be in August.
West Virginia: Isac Dakuyo, 45 of Martinsburg has been charged with one felony count of perjury for lying on a voter registration form about his citizenship.
Tech Thursday
VI. Tech Thursday
California: This week, Secretary of State Alex Padilla announced a partnership with the social media network Nextdoor that will provide election information to the voters in the five counties that are adopting the state’s Voter Choice Act this year. Nextdoor is a free private social network for neighborhoods that’s available on Web, iOS, and Android. Messages will inform voters about the changes coming to their elections, provide reminders about election deadlines, and direct them to the vote centers in their county. Nextdoor already reaches 92 percent of neighborhoods in the five counties adopting the Voter’s Choice Act in 2018.
Wisconsin: The Wisconsin Election Commission will be rolling out e-poll books in elections next month. “We’re hoping those assessments will be completed by May or June which we believe will give us enough time to implement anything they are able to identify with those assessments,” Meagan Wolfe, Interim Director of the commission told WKOW.
Opinions This Week
VII. Opinoins This Week
National Opinions: Voter suppression, II | Voting barriers | Secret Service, II | Election security, II | Paper ballots | Voting age | Non-citizen voting | Voter fraud
Alaska: Vote-by-mail, II
Arkansas: Voter ID
California: Ballot signatures
Florida: Ex-felon voting rights
Hawaii: Turnout
Illinois: Ranked choice voting | Aurora election commission | Will County | Voter fraud
Iowa: Election security
Kansas: Proof-of-citizenship suit, II
Maryland: Election legislation | Election judges
Massachusetts: Registration deadline
Minnesota: Polling place attire | Voting system
Nebraska: Election security
New Hampshire: Voter fraud | Secretary of state
New Mexico: Santa Fe
New York: Turnout | Election legislation
North Carolina: Polling place attire | County boards of election
Pennsylvania: Secret Service
Tennessee: Election system
Texas: Voter fraud | Voter intimidation
Vermont: Secret Service
Wisconsin: Election security, II
Available RFPs/Grants/Awards
VIII. Available RFPs/Grants/Awards
Risk-Limiting Audit System
The Colorado Department of State soliciting proposals to select a contractor to develop enhancements to the web-based risk-limiting audit system for Colorado election officials to use in auditing primary, coordinated, and general elections. The RFP is posted on the department website at https://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/VotingSystems/VSHomePage1.html. The proposal submission deadline is March 29, 2018 at 11:00am MST. Questions concerning the RFP may be directed to Brad Lang at Brad.Lang@sos.state.co.us.
Charles T. Manatt Democracy Awards
The online nomination process for the International Foundation for Electoral Systems’ (IFES) 2018 Charles T. Manatt Democracy Award is now open! The Democracy Award is given annually to three individuals: a Republican, a Democrat, and a member of the international community. Nominations for the international recipient are open to the public and will be accepted through April 6, 2018. The three Democracy Awards are presented in a single ceremony each year. This year’s event will be held on September 24, 2018, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington, D.C. Submit your nomination here.
New Initiatives Grants in Election Science
The MIT Election Data and Science Lab invites applications for grants to fund systematic research on the conduct of elections in the United States. The Lab has allocated up to $100,000 in 2018 for grants, with individual grants capped at $20,000. Proposals will be judged by the significance of the research project; the project’s design, plan of work, and dissemination; the applicant’s qualifications; the relationship of the project to the Lab’s goal of encouraging research that is relevant to the improvement of elections; and the appropriateness of the budget request for the project’s requirements. Deadline for application is April 2. For the complete announcement and how to apply, click here.
Upcoming Events
IX. Upcoming Events
Election Security War Game: Testing Critical Infrastructure Designation: This year’s Symposium will kick off with a “war game” simulating an appellate argument that takes place in the fictional state of “Flichigan.” The moot tests the interplay of state and federal laws and constitutional provisions when it comes to securing our elections. Participants will then debrief the moot argument and discuss how law impacts state and federal efforts to protect election security. When: April 12. Where: Williamsburg, Virginia
Election Center Special Workshop — The focus of this workshop will be Preparing for the Unexpected in the Voter Registration and Election Office. In addition, to the topics covered in the special workshop, several core curriculum in election administration and voter registration will be offered. When: April 25-29. Where: Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Election Center Professional Program Special Session — During May’s special session, the following core curriculum in election administration and voter registration will be offered: Enfranchisement, Enhancement & Enforcement – Modern Federal Election Law and Regulation: 1965-Present; Constitutions, Courts and Cases to 1965 – Early America to 1965 with focus on State and U.S. Constitutions; History I: Ancients to 17891; and History II: 1781 to Modern Era. When: May 7-12. Where: Auburn, Alabama.
2018 Election Mail Forum— The National Postal Forum will hold a one-day Election Mail Forum. At the forum, participants will hear from speakers, attend panel discussions on the Intelligent Mail barcode and discover how the USPS can be an election mail partner and how this can help better serve voters. Where: San Antonio, Texas. When: May 8.
NASS 2018 Summer Conference — Mark your calendars now for the National Association of Secretaries of State 2018 summer conference in the City of Brotherly Love. Check back soon for more information about the agenda. When: July 13-16. Where: Philadelphia.
2018 NASED Summer Meeting — Mark your calendars now for the National Association of State Election Directors’ 2018 summer meeting in the City of Brotherly Love. Check back soon for more information about the agenda. When: July 13-16. Where: Philadelphia.
NACo Annual Conference and Exposition — Mark your calendars now for the National Association of Counties Annual Conference and Exposition in Music City. Check back soon for more information about the agenda. When: July 13-16. Where: Nashville, Tennessee.
2018 iGo Annual Conference — Mark your calendars now for the International Association of Government Officials 2018 Annual Conference in The Biggest Little City in the World! Check back soon for more information about the agenda. When: July 16-21. Where: Reno, Nevada.
Election Sciences Reform and Administration (ESRA) — The conference brings together political scientists and other experts in election administration to develop rigorous empirical approaches to the study of how law and administrative procedures affect the quality of elections in the United States. Participants will identify major questions in the field, share new insights, foster collaboration between election administrators and election scientists, and connect senior and junior scholars. When: July 26 and 27. Where: University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Job Postings
X. Job Postings
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.brinkdev.com. 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.
Account Manager (Florida) – ES&S — An Account Manager serves as the interface between customer service and sales with respect to the full array of ES&S product lines. Operating as the lead point of contact for any and all matters specific to customers within the assigned territory from initial implementation of new voting systems through each election cycle. Ultimately, Account Managers are responsible for building and maintaining long-lasting customer relationships, negotiating and promoting Account Management contracts and agreements to maximize profit, and acting as the overall liaison between the customer and internal team members. Account Managers partner with our customers to ensure their long-term success. The Account Manager role includes managing a portfolio of assigned customers, developing new business from existing clients and actively seeking new opportunities. Account Management responsibilities include developing strong relationships with customers, and connecting with key county/jurisdiction officials. Account Managers will liaise between customers and cross-functional internal teams to ensure the timely and successful delivery of our solutions and to proactively identify customer needs and improve the entire customer experience. In addition, Account Managers collaborate with our Sales team to achieve sales quotas and grow our business. Salary: $57K-$73K. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Customer Relations Manager (Toronto) – Dominion Voting Systems — Dominion Voting Systems is seeking a customer focused and passionate Customer Relations Manager to join our team in Toronto! This position is responsible for providing world-class customer service to our customers in order to achieve our core purpose of delivering solutions for the advancement of fair, accessible, and secure elections! Salary: Negotiable base + bonus & benefits. Deadline: Open until filled. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Embedded System Software Engineer, Clear Ballot — Clear Ballot is looking for a talented Software Engineer who wants to bring their technical skills to bear on a hugely consequential problem. The successful candidate will build and enhance full software stack of highly available applications using primarily Python that interface with front-end web applications implemented in JavaScript and HTML5. The application software deploys on OEM based hardware, with optical scanner, battery backup, and full touchscreen UI, running a custom configured version of Linux OS. The ideal candidate should have strong technical skills, solid understanding of developing for embedded systems, a good working knowledge of the Linux architecture, and software integration with OEM hardware devices. You will be working with a small team of highly skilled individuals to build and enhance a platform that is changing the elections industry. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Fellows, ProPublica — we are looking for data and reporting fellows to join one of America’s most innovative (and fun) investigative newsrooms to work on covering the 2018 election. You won’t be covering the horse race — you’ll be covering voting itself: voting rights, election integrity, cyber security of election systems, etc. And you’ll be helping journalists across the country cover it, too. The fellowship is full time, runs from early June through the election, and is paid. It will be based at our newsroom in New York. There are two kinds of fellowships available: Reporting and Data/Interactive Graphics. Deadline: March 19. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Field Sales Director, Hart InterCivic — the Field Sales Director works primarily on the road and from a home office when he/she is not on business travel. The Field Sales Director is responsible for creating news sales with prospects and existing clients in a defined region. Today, this role is a single contributor and does not directly manage people. This position will report to the VP of Sales. Application: For the complete job listing an to apply, click here.
Field Support Engineer (Ohio), Clear Ballot — Oversee and perform installation, configuration and maintenance of Ubuntu servers and Windows desktop and laptop machines, local area network, related equipment and devices; become expert at installation and configuration of Clear Ballot Group software; respond to end user reported incidents, create and track incidents in a ticketing system; daily interaction with both local and remote users for needs gathering and problem analysis; provides technical leadership on a variety of highly specialized project-related activities requiring expertise in specific scientific/technical areas for digital voting systems. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Full Stack Principal Software Engineer, Clear Ballot— Clear Ballot is looking for an accomplished Principal Software Engineer who wants to bring their technical and leadership skills to bear on a hugely consequential problem: Bringing transparency to democratic elections. The successful candidate will have the ability to look at the bigger picture and deal with complex and competing requirements to design effective solutions. Extensive knowledge of and experience with large data structures and algorithms will be key. The backend implemented in Python and uses a SQL data base. The front end is implemented in JavaScript, Node.js and HTML5. The ideal candidate should have strong technical and leadership skills and a good working knowledge of the latest concepts in security, performance, and resilience. You will be working with a small team of highly skilled individuals to build and enhance a platform that is changing the elections industry. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Full Stack Software Developer, Clear Ballot— Clear Ballot is looking for a talented Software Engineer who wants to bring their technical skills to bear on a hugely consequential problem. The successful candidate will build and enhance enterprise-level, highly available applications using primarily Python and MySQL that interface with frontend web applications implemented in JavaScript, Node.js and HTML5. The ideal candidate should have strong technical skills and a good working knowledge of the latest concepts in performance, security and resilience. One of the hallmarks of our system is its emphasis on new visualization techniques made possible by sophisticated data structures that enable high-performance in a multi-user environment. You will be working with a small team of highly skilled individuals to build and enhance a platform that is changing the elections industry. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Full-Stack Software Engineer, Clear Ballot — Clear Ballot is looking for a talented Software Engineer who wants to bring their technical skills to bear on a hugely consequential problem – to modernize America’s voting systems and to bring transparency to democratic elections. The successful candidate will build and enhance enterprise-level, highly available applications using primarily Python and MySQL that interface with frontend web applications implemented in JavaScript, Node.js and HTML5. The ideal candidate should have strong technical skills and a good working knowledge of the latest concepts in performance, security and resilience. One of the hallmarks of our system is its emphasis on new visualization techniques made possible by sophisticated data structures that enable high-performance in a multi-user environment. You will be working with a small team of highly skilled individuals to build and enhance a platform that is changing the elections industry. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Operations Technician, Clear Ballot — the Operations Technician’s primary duty is preparing, installing software, staging, and shipping equipment to customers. Additionally, the position manages an internal IT network and maintains inventory of company equipment. The successful candidate has all or some combination of experience with hands on hardware and software integration, IT, project management, procurement, logistics, and inventory management. This position reports to the Director of Field Operations. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Product Manager, Clear Ballot — the Product Manager position is a member of the Clear Ballot Product team. At Clear Ballot, the Product team is the hub around which all other functions orbit. The team manages the company’s product planning and feedback cycle, interacting and collaborating regularly with Customer Success, Engineering, Business Development, Compliance/Certification, Field Operations, and Executive Management. Clear Ballot Product Managers work on a multi-disciplinary product team which is assigned one of more of Clear Ballot products. As the customer representative on the product team, the Product Manager creates, prioritizes and represents product requirements to the product team. The Product Manager also the product team’s representative to stakeholders inside and outside of the organization. The Product Manager is often working with prospects and clients to gain insight, vet ideas, and present solutions. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Product & System Specialist (Jamestown, NY) – Dominion Voting Systems — Dominion Voting Systems is seeking tech-savvy and passionate Product & System Specialist to join our team in Jamestown, NY! This position is responsible for delivering internal and external technical support services related to the implementation, operation, repair, maintenance and upgrades of Dominion’s hardware and software technologies and products. Salary: Negotiable base + bonus & benefits. Deadline: Open until filled. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Senior Manager, Technical Product Support (Denver, CO) – Dominion Voting Systems — Dominion Voting Systems is seeking a tech-savvy, passionate Senior Manager, Technical Product Support to join our team in Denver, CO! This position is responsible for strategically leading and developing a multi-state team of election technology software and hardware Product Specialists through a number of critical projects throughout the Western United States. Salary: Negotiable base + bonus & benefits. Deadline: Open until filled. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Senior Research Support Associate, Election Data and Science Lab, MIT— support the data processing and research assistance needs of the lab. Responsibilities will include assisting with data management and research by collecting and cleaning data, performing data analysis, creating graphs and figures, visualizing data, and preparing tables for papers that are in the process of publication; assisting with the fielding of surveys; and performing general administrative duties including file organization, participating in meetings, and other miscellaneous tasks. This is an ideal position for someone interested in gaining research experience in political science and data science more broadly. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Senior Technical Trainer, Clear Ballot — training courses and learning materials support users whose skills range the technical spectrum and include laypersons (pollworkers), election officials, and system administrators. Our small and growing documentation and training team has an immediate need for a new member with intermediate-to-senior experience in: Instructional design; Development of learning curricula; Production of training materials; Hands-on, customer facing training. Generally, the training department, technical staff, and operations staff provide training at the customer’s site. We need an instructional designer and trainer who can analyze the learners and materials, and establish an appropriately targeted learning program. The opportunity exists to develop computer based training as an enhancement to our learning curriculum. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
State Election Technology Associate, Clear Ballot— our growing team has an immediate need for a new member to manage testing, approval and certification campaigns of election technology in new states. This position works directly with State Government to test and approve voting systems. Certification and approval is key to success in the election systems domain. Diplomacy and empathy alongside professional and tactful communications are key contributors to smooth state certification campaigns of new election technology. All voting system components (ballot layout, in-person voting, absentee voting, results reporting and audit) and their associated documentation are certified by state agencies; evaluation is performed by demanding government laboratories. Requirements vary across the States; and these requirements are found in statute, Rule, by written and oral tradition, and sometimes are ambiguous and even unwritten. Attention to detail is paramount to success. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Systems Engineer, Clear Ballot — We are looking for a talented Systems Engineer who has both a technical and services/support background which enables them to quickly assess customer needs and offer value to Clear Ballot’s customers. The Systems Engineer will gain a deep understanding of how Clear Ballot’s products operate and their optimal configuration to build a streamlined installation process of the Clear Vote election system. The ideal candidate for this position can prioritize mission critical tasks and coordinate the implementation and expansion of our systems. They will be able to work directly with customers, display innovation, think conceptually and act tactically to build consensus around system installation and enhancement and meet deadlines. Application: For the complete job listing and to apply, click here.
Marketplace
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