Program Representative – Elections

Job Description

WHITMANCOUNT JOB ANNOUNCEMENT
POSITION:                             Program Representative – Elections

DEPARTMENT:                     Auditor

SALARY:                                 Starting $26.13 per hour – 24 hours per week

Range: $26.13 – $31.2239

BENEFITS:                             Summary at whitmancounty.org; Includes medical, dental, vision, life, paid time off

UNION STATUS:                 Courthouse Bargaining Unit

TO APPLY:                            whitmancounty.org

LOCATION:                           Colfax

CLOSING DATE:                  Until Filled

SELECTION PROCESS:       Applicants must submit a signed Whitman County application form. The application will be reviewed and evaluated to determine applicants invited for an interview.

TO QUALIFY:                         See Human Resources for an illustrative example of duties and requirements.

 

In compliance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, Whitman County will hire only United States citizens and aliens authorized to work in the United States.  Documented evidence of identity and employment eligibility must be presented at time of hire.

 

WHITMAN COUNTY IS A SMOKE-FREE WORK PLACE

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT

Persons requiring accommodation should advise us of that need

 

 

PURPOSE

This position will also assist the Supervisor of Elections with the preparation and operation of county voter registration and county elections.

 

NATURE OF WORK

Under direction of the County Auditor and the Elections Supervisor, this position is responsible for assisting in a variety of duties in the Auditor’s Office-Elections Department. This includes, but is not limited to, elections related accounts payable processing, preparing and submitting reports, filing, and other administrative duties.   It also includes the nonpartisan maintenance of the Whitman County voter rolls and the execution of Whitman County elections, encompassing all elected positions for the county itself, all special purpose taxing district boards, councils and mayors, and applicable Federal and State election positions in addition to all issues, referenda, initiatives, advisory votes and propositions being bought before the voters.  All work is completed under strict RCW (Revised Code of Washington), WAC (Washington Administrative Code), Washington State Secretary State’s Office Elections Division (OSOS) and Federal Election Law with non-negotiable deadlines.

 

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

·         Prepares and submits certain annual, quarterly, monthly, bi-monthly, and weekly reports for the County Auditor.

·         Administrative duties including drafting correspondence, digital and paper filing, record keeping, etc.

·         Recommends changes/improvements to election and voter registration processes to improve efficiency and remain compliant with state/federal regulations.

·         Assists in the administration of the voter registration and process.

·         Assists in maintaining the statewide voter registration database for Whitman County through the Secretary of State’s Office

·         Maintains the inventory of voter registration supplies and forms;

·         Reviews voter registration applications by mail, in person, and online for accuracy, completeness, and compliance with statutory election requirements;

·         Processes voter registrations, indexes and audits data entry, researches and resolves discrepancies or errors, and issues voter identification cards;

·         Processes voter registration changes received consistently through the year from the OSOS through their crosschecks with the Dept of Corrections, Birth and Death Records, Drivers Licensing Motor              Voter program, all other WA State counties, and many other states that participate with the crosscheck program in order to purge and update the voter rolls;

·         Assembles and provides voter registration forms and supplies to locations throughout the County;

·         Assists in the training and provides materials to individuals or groups running voter registration drives;

·         Prepares and sends voter verification letters and correspondence to voters;

·         Prepares the annual billings that are sent out to the county cities and towns for their proportionate share of voter registration costs, and deposits revenue with the County Treasurer;

·         Assists in the Compilation of election calendars for the Primary, General and regularly scheduled Special Elections;

·         Assists in the preparation of publications for various legal notices of election;

·         Assists candidates with filing, verifies residency and registration status, and collects related fees;

·         Assists the Supervisor of Elections in updating the Whitman County information, including all elected offices in the county and their terms of service, creating the electronic version of elections,                        candidate statements, making election results and other pertinent information available to the public;

·         Reviews, accepts, and posts to the online voter’s guide the candidate statement of qualifications;

·         Coordinates the service and maintenance of voting and tabulation equipment with the equipment vendor;

·         Assists in the mailing piece design, coordination of postal approvals, and tracking of postage expenses;

·         Processes election ballots including ballot layout, proofing, and ordering;

·         Coordinates with insertion/mailing vendor to prepare ballot packets for mailing;

·         Coordinates with call center vendor to manage incoming calls during peak election times;

·         Processes returned election ballots including acceptance from the United States Postal Service (USPS), and collecting those dropped off in postage free collection boxes;

·         Processes returned election ballots including verifying ballot packet signatures, checking for postmark deadlines, scanning each ballot into batches for tabulation, and tabulating the votes using our                high security optical scan tabulation equipment;

·         Prepares correspondence with voters whose signatures are missing or did not match the signature on file and provides instruction on how they can cure the situation before certification day;

·         Assists with the preparation of ballot envelopes with missing or mismatched signatures that have not been cured by the voter, those postmarked too late, or ballots where the voter’s intent was not                  clear for the County Canvass Board (County Auditor, Prosecuting Attorney, and Commissioner Chairman of the Board) to accept or reject;

·         Processes those canvassed items that were accepted by the canvass board for tabulation

·         Assists in the creation and retention of numerous daily election related statistics in order to submit reports to the OSOS, using complicated and detailed forms such as the OSOS Reconciliation Form,              the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) mail ballot certification form and many others;

·         Secures all material from the election in accordance with security law and retention schedules;

·         Compiles data and prepares reports for the State Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) and the Federal Election Assistance Commission (EAC) yearly;

·         Safeguards the identities, processes voter registration and ballots of the Whitman County voters who are in the Washington State Address Confidentiality Program (ACP);

·         Responds to public inquiries for information, compiles data and generates special election reports for political parties, the media and the general public;

·         Implements numerous annual changes required by federal and state law within areas of responsibility;

·         Assists in the preparation of, and bills out to, all entities appearing on the ballot – analyzing their proportionate share of the election costs, and deposits revenue with the county Treasurer.

 

 

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform essential functions of the job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.  While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to; stand, walk, sit, use hands and fingers to handle or feel. The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms, stoop, kneel, and crouch. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to fifty pounds.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision.

 

NON-TECHNICAL ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Establish and maintain good working relationships with public officials, employees and the public; Have excellent verbal, written, and listening communication skills; Have and maintain a strong work ethic.

 

SUPERVISION EXERCISED AND RECEIVED

Supervision is not a responsibility of this position. Work is normally performed independently; the employee in this position accepts responsibility for the completion of regular and recurring duties. Work is performed under the direction of the Elections Supervisor and Auditor who will review the work for the quality of results obtained.

 

SELECTION CRITERIA

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

·         Knowledge of Microsoft Office with an emphasis in Microsoft Excel

·         Knowledge in the use of personal computers, spreadsheets, word processing, and graphics.

·         Knowledge of  fundamental office processes related to security and internal control;

·         Knowledge of software packages used to perform information processing, analysis, information retrieval and tracking;

·         Ability to work both as a team member and independently;

·         Ability to grasp new techniques, read, interpret and apply work related rules, regulations, laws and procedures;

·         Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with County and departmental staff, special taxing districts, state and federal personnel, other appointed and elected officials in                        Whitman County, and the general public

·         Must possess a valid Washington State Driver’s license, or the ability to obtain a license within 30 days of employment, or otherwise meet the travel requirements of the position.

·         Ability to manage multiple tasks

·         Self-motivation skills to learn from others and on your own, from in-person or web-based training sessions, reading, etc

·         Work overtime when needed

·         Ability to read, analyze, and interpret state/federal regulations

·         Attention to detail

·         Ability to logically solve problems

·         Ability to balance a checking account

 

Desired Skills

·         Knowledge of the political system, State and County statutes/ordinances, precincts, election laws, and election procedures.

 

EXPERIENCE, EDUCATION, AND TRAINING

High School Diploma or GED equivalent. Two (2) years of progressive responsibility in a professional work environment and strong computer skills, OR;

Substituting on a month for month basis any combination of experience, education, and training which would provide the level of knowledge and ability required.