Elections Field Specialist

State of North Carolina

1d•Onsite

About The Position

This position will provide support for the counties and must be able to arrive at any assigned location within 4 hours of notification in the South-Central Region. The primary purpose of this position is to support the election program operations of their assigned counties and help foster compliance with federal and state election law, administrative guidelines, and best practices. The Field Specialists Team is a section of the Election Services Division and works directly with the Voting Systems Team and the Election Administration Team, as well as the IT team as needed for special projects or issues. This professional team is tasked with assisting counties in their region working to achieve success for each county and for each election.

Requirements

At least 2 years of experience conducting elections with direct hands-on experience implementing and administering core voting programs.
100% Traveling within State.
Must be able to arrive at any assigned location within 4 hours of notification.
Thorough working knowledge of the election program, processes and procedures.
Considerable knowledge of research and standards applicable to the area of assignment.
Ability to plan, organize and supervise the work of others.
Ability to analyze and interpret organizational and procedural problems and to make changes in existing systems, and set work priorities.
Ability to interpret, apply, and communicate statutory regulations of the assigned area.
Ability to analyze, interpret, revise, and implement policy and procedural guidelines.
Ability to instruct and explain standards and procedures.
Ability to establish effective working relationships, including seeking compliance with regulations.
Ability to work independently and use sound judgment in making decisions and applying the law and state guidance to real world scenarios.
Ability to maintain daily a current and thorough knowledge of all written guidance not limited to but including Numbered Memorandums, NCSBE emails and any other training content provided to counties.

Nice To Haves

Desired candidate will have at least 2 years of election administration or voting systems administration experience working directly with NC county board of election offices.
Selected candidates for Election Field Support Specialist roles are subject to be assigned to different regions upon management discretion.

Responsibilities

Work with County Boards of Elections (CBE) to implement or adhere to cyber and physical security practices as directed by the State Board of Elections.
Assist CBE with Acceptance testing on all new and repaired voting equipment.
Monitor simulated elections before county purchase of a new voting system.
Review and guide County Board of Election (CBE) officials regarding district relation reports or other jurisdictional reports used to code ballot styles.
Review and develop voting system procedures, including logic & accuracy testing, mock election, user manuals, and post-election audits.
Assist counties in writing ballot test scripts.
Proof, and approve ballot content and layout.
Assist with state and county owned Ballot on Demand systems across the state.
Assist counties with media burning for election definition files.
Provide on-site or on-call support for early voting and election day for all primaries, general elections, municipal elections, and special elections.
Troubleshoot voting equipment issues.
Provide supervision and oversight of Election Night procedures.
Assist counties in election reconciliation.
Respond as needed to CBE issues via Helpdesk.
Provide supervision and oversight for agency programs including the North Carolina Voting System Certification Program and HAVA.
Install software upgrades for computer and voting equipment.
Provide on-site assistance with IT and SEIMS equipment.
Examine and assess county compliance with HAVA standards.
Ensure preventative maintenance procedures for voting equipment are performed.
Respond to requests for assistance and providing accurate information.
Develop effective working relationships with staff and board members of county boards of election.
Provide support, (with assistance from appropriate NCSBE staff), to county board staff on SEIMS applications.
Provide on call assistance to county board staff during election cycles including help with early voting, absentee by mail, election day, canvass, and recounts.
Assist with daily reconciliation of the four voting methods during election cycle.
Assist counties with review of precinct boundaries and other GIS map projects.
Assist counties with review of precinct boundaries and jurisdictional audits.
Provide on-site assistance to county boards during emergency leave by director and/or director vacancies.
Attend and present at county election board meetings as needed to address topics such as voting equipment storage, voting facilities, reporting and tabulation procedures.
Assist counties with ADA compliance surveys.
Assist counties with regular list maintenance processes and ensure they are performed in a timely manner.
Prepare counties for Wellness Checks.
Conduct Wellness Checks with other SBE staff.
Provide follow up assistance after Wellness Checks.
Serve as point of contact regarding State Board of Elections guidance and State Law requirements with the counties and the public.
Advise agency leadership on matters pertaining to voting system and election security found in the counties.
Personally visit each county in the district at least one time every six weeks.
Provides on the ground support to county elections staff while reporting needs and concerns back to the State Board.
Survey counties to assist state staff in determining county priorities.
Collect CBE best practices to share with state staff and other counties.
Serve as HUB leader or co-leader.
Assist in development and presentation of topics at New Director Training and State conferences.
Assist counties in creating Poll Worker training.
Assist counties in creating Election Day Rover and Technician training.
Provide voting equipment and support systems training to new directors and staff.
Provide training for voting systems-related pilot programs or special projects.
Develop, prepare, and present training documentation for county and state staff.
Provide SEIMS training and training documentation to counties with new staff as well as established staff as needed.
Develop and prepare training material for state staff and counties as requested by supervisor and through HUBS.