Elections Specialist
Education/Experience/Training:
High School Diploma, GED or HSE required.
Three (3) years of progressively responsible office experience in a team environment, that preferably includes one (1) year in an election-related environment and one (1) year of legal experience and terminology.
Or any satisfactory equivalent combination of education, training and/or experience relevant to the position and which would provide the opportunity to acquire the required knowledge and abilities.
Certifications:
Valid Driver's License issued by the State of Montana or the ability to obtain within thirty (30) days from date of hire.
JOB SUMMARY
The Elections Specialist performs a wide variety of specialized clerical and administrative duties related to voter registration processing and file maintenance, assisting with the preparation and conduction of elections in a non-partisan manner and certifying petitions for inclusion on the County ballot in accordance with Montana Election Codes and other applicable local, state and federal laws, rules and regulations. Duties include collecting accurate voter information, processing registrations, changes, and deletions, ensuring adequate election supplies are on hand, scheduling election judges, preparing and distributing official election registers, coordinating absentee voting, counting cast ballots, providing support to the canvassing board, verifying and certifying submitted petitions, and performing other related duties associated with
the elections process as required or assigned by the Elections Administrator.
ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Register voters, issue certificates of registration, research voter information and verify registration to ensure fair elections take place in the County according to policies and laws, enter new voters into statewide database system with speed and accuracy, change voter information, and correct registration information as necessary, note voters address a review various maps to properly assign districts to voter registration based on address locations and process change of address registrations and modify district assignments as appropriate; Review voter registration cards to ensure accuracy and completeness, identify missing information and provide assistance to the public in correctly completing cards, update registrations as necessary by locating original card and verifying new information and file completed voter cards according to departmental policies; Respond to public inquiries by telephone or at the counter concerning general information regarding election
activities, including location of polling places, absentee voter applications and ballots to ensure efficient customer service and to promote the democratic process to county citizens; Answer questions within established procedures regarding Montana elections laws, campaign disclosure forms, filing deadlines, and requirements for filing nomination papers to ensure citizens are informed with accurate and timely voting information; Receive and file oaths of office and Nominating Petitions for Department, C-1-A forms, and various other candidate forms, maintain records of initiative petitions being circulated, and verify signatures on initiative petitions according to County policies and laws; Distribute or mail polling place cards to voters to notify them they are registered, to inform them where they vote, and which districts they are in, ensure that all voter registration cards are processed within the 30-day close of registration before each election; Maintain records of all elected officials, including election date and terms of office, maintain results of all elections by jurisdiction to ensure information is accurate and available; Monitor and maintain inventories of election supplies including inventory registers, poll books, and all other supplies needed by election judges for County precincts to ensure elections are held in accordance with all app icable laws, generate registers from computer and bind and alphabetize each one, prepare poll books, and compile ballots, booths, law summaries, instructions, poll books, precinct lists and other supplies as needed; Schedule election judges for all precincts in the County to ensure each polling place has an adequate number of election judges;
Conduct and monitor absentee voting by verifying that each person may vote in the election, completing required documentation, providing appropriate absentee voting supplies, tracking received ballots and placing them in a secure location, and entering the names of absentee voters into official registers and poll books according to departmental policies and laws; Prepare ballots for printing to ensure appropriate layout according to applicable laws, format candidates' names and position information on ballot according to established guidelines, submit ballots for printing, assemble and pack precinct supplies, deliver supplies as required and operate ballot counting hardware; Prepare and distribute mailing ballot packets to ensure voters who cannot make it to the polls have an opportunity to vote according to policies and laws, include all required voting materials and information, maintain records of ballots sent, and track returned ballots and verify signature on all ballots and maintain ballots in a secure location until day of counting; Assist in monitoring early voting procedures, primary, special election and Election Day voting for registered voters, ensure elections are held in accordance with established policies and applicable laws and monitor the security of election records, ballot boxes, voting equipment, and other items used in the election process; Maintain absentee voter module and processes absentee ballot requests in accordance with the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) and the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting
Act (UOCAVA); Assist in receiving, processing, counting and securing returned Vote-By-Mail ballots; Process County, city and district annexations and update elections addressing system based on voting jurisdictions and assist with jurisdictional mapping; Receive, review and process candidate filings; initiative, referendum and recall filings and voter pamphlet filings; Maintain implemented procedures related to voter eligibility and adhere to and enforce local, state and federal election laws, rules and regulations; Strictly adhere to, comply with and enforce all local, state and federal election laws, rules and regulations to all phases of the election process to voters, candidates and political parties; Compile and evaluates required voting statistics and reports; Attend workshops, seminars and educational sessions/trainings to keep updated and current on practices, procedures and innovations in registering voters, administering elections, recruiting and training election board workers and other matters related to the election process; Provide training to temporary staff and election board workers; Drive a motor vehicle for the purposes of conducting official election business including pick-up and delivery of equipment and ballots from official ballot drop sites and post offices and the retrieval of records from County Archive building and other work site locations and assist in setting up and tearing down of the election facility; Provide support to Elections Administrator; Establish and maintain positive and professional working relationships with co-workers, customers, political parties, candidates and state and local agencies; Strictly adhere to and comply with Elections Department and County policies, procedures and regulations, including but not limited, to the restrictions of political campaigning while on the job during working hours; Work long hours and multiple shifts and weekends during election cycle with dependable, regular and punctual attendance, which can include 10-hour days, Monday through Sunday during election cycles l