Elections Specialist

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The Johnson County Election Office is seeking qualified candidates to fill the position of Election Specialist. This position serves as the primary front desk and customer service representative for the office, acting as the first point of contact for voters, candidates, and the public. Assigned to the Candidate and Voter Services division, this role is responsible for managing incoming calls, greeting visitors, and directing inquiries to appropriate staff while ensuring a professional and responsive customer experience. The position also supports voter registration activities, including assisting individuals with registration applications, processing updates, and ensuring records are handled accurately and in accordance with applicable laws and procedures.

This role requires active involvement in day-to-day election operations, with responsibilities that may vary depending on assignment and election cycle needs. The Election Specialist performs a combination of administrative, technical, and operational tasks to ensure elections are conducted accurately, efficiently, and in compliance with applicable laws, policies, and procedures. The position plays a critical role in maintaining continuity, supporting cross-division coordination, and ensuring a consistent and reliable voter experience.

Essiential Duties:

Election Worker Recruitment, Assignment, and Training: Oversees and assists with the recruitment, retention, assignment, and management of election workers to ensure all polling locations are staffed in accordance with forecasts and operational plans established by the Leadership Team. Directs the development, maintenance, and delivery of both in-person and online training programs, ensuring all curriculum is accurate, up to date, and reflective of current laws, policies, and procedures. Ensures election workers are prepared to effectively perform their duties and deliver a consistent voter experience.
• Polling Place Identification and Management: Assists in the identification, evaluation, and selection of polling locations, including securing site agreements, coordinating contracts, conducting ADA accessibility assessments, and negotiating site usage terms with a focus on minimizing or eliminating costs to taxpayers. Maintains relationships with facility partners and ensures all polling locations meet operational, accessibility, and security requirements.
• Voting Operations and Voter Experience: Manages the execution of early in-person and election day voting operations, ensuring all locations are fully operational, staffed, and equipped to meet voter demand. Ensures accuracy and accountability of work conducted by election workers. Serves as the first-level escalation point for voter inquiries, concerns, and complaints related to the voting process, and ensures timely and accurate resolution in alignment with established policies and procedures. Reviews chain of custody documents to ensure they are accurately completed.
• Election Hotline and Field Support Operations: Oversees and participates in the administration of the election hotline to support election workers and polling locations. Ensures all incoming calls, issues, and requests are properly documented, tracked, and resolved in a timely manner. Coordinates responses across divisions as needed to maintain continuity of operations and minimize disruptions to voting activities.
• Operational Continuity and Coverage: Maintains working knowledge of all division functions and provides direct support or coverage as needed to ensure continuity of operations, particularly during critical election periods, staffing shortages, or escalated issues. May be assigned other duties to support election operations as needed.
• Confidentiality and Discretion: Handles sensitive and confidential information with a high degree of discretion, ensuring appropriate handling and security of information.

Education/Qualification Requirements

Required:

• Two (2) years of experience in election work, public sector service, or relevant field
• Associate degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Public Administration, Communications or relevant field
• Valid driver's license with acceptable driving record

Preferred:

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Public Administration, Communications or relevant field
• Knowledge of election laws and procedures
• Certified Elections Registration Administrator (CERA) certification
• Experience with Microsoft Office and various election technologies software

*Education can substitute for experience. Experience can substitute for education.

Johnson County Government requires reference/background screening for all positions. Specified criteria may vary by Department/Agency