Election Worker - Office Assistant (Extra Help, Seasonal)

County of San Mateo; California (MO); On-site; USD 33,062 - 38,572; Full time

Job summary

County of San Mateo is seeking Election Worker – Office Assistant to support the November 3, 2026 Statewide General Election. These temporary, full-time positions may perform ballot retrieval, vote-by-mail processing, voter registration, clerical support, help-desk support, outreach services, supplies management, or field/warehouse technical roles.

Duties include ballot retrieval with a CA driver’s license, delivering ballots and supplies, assisting with Vote by Mail processing, data entry, and

Qualifications

• Minimum of 1 year of general clerical/office experience.
• Ability to prioritize work and follow written procedures accurately.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to work in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Ballot retrieval, Vote Center operations, and field/warehouse tasks.
• Vote by Mail processing, data entry, and inventory management.
• Voter registration support, clerical duties, and help-desk assistance.
• Outreach activities and basic equipment handling as assigned.

Skills

Attention to detail

Lift 50 lbs

Organizational skills

Data entry

Education

General clerical/office experience

Tools

Microsoft Office (Word, Excel)

Job description

Job Summary

Election Worker – Office Assistant (Extra Help) – Temporary, full‑time positions to support the upcoming November 3, 2026 Statewide General Election. Duties vary by assignment; selected employees may perform ballot retrieval, vote‑by‑mail processing, voter registration, clerical support, help‑desk support, outreach services, supplies management, or field/warehouse technical roles.

BALLOT RETRIEVAL

• Must have a valid CA driver’s license and be able to drive County vehicles (cargo van, SUV, or car) to various San Mateo County locations accompanied by a partner throughout the day.
• Must possess attention to detail and lift 50 lbs.
• Must perform ballot retrievals according to detailed procedures.

Duties may include:

• Retrieving voted ballots from Vote Centers and Ballot Drop Boxes.
• Delivering voted ballots to the Registration & Elections Division.
• Delivering supplies to Vote Centers.
• Assisting with Vote by Mail processing.

VOTE BY MAIL

• Must be able to lift 25 lbs.
• Must possess great attention to detail.

Duties may include:

• Retrieving ballots from local post office.
• Driving a County van.
• Processing Vote by Mail ballots.
• Performing repetitive work.
• Operating ballot processing equipment.
• Scanning and adjudicating ballots.

VOTER REGISTRATION/CLERICAL SUPPORT

• Must have great attention to detail.
• Must have working knowledge of computer software, including Microsoft Office (Word, Excel).
• Must be able to consistently follow complex written procedures.

Duties may include:

• Data entry and database maintenance.
• Updating voter registration records.
• Preparing, verifying, and processing provisional ballots, including a review of challenged ballots.
• Preparing, verifying, and processing petitions (nominations, initiatives, recall petitions) and performing second‑level petition verifications.

VOTER HELP‑DESK SUPPORT

• Must have working knowledge of computer software, including Microsoft Office (Word, Excel).
• Must possess great attention to detail.
• Must be able to consistently follow complex written procedures.

Duties may include:

• Assisting election staff at Vote Centers over the phone.
• Answering questions about procedures.
• Providing limited technical support based on pre‑established procedures and guidelines.
• Data entry.

OUTREACH SERVICES

• Must be comfortable with a public‑facing role.
• Must be able to lift 25 lbs.
• Valid CA driver’s license may be required.

Duties may include:

• Demonstrating voting equipment.
• Registering voters.
• Presenting information about the upcoming election.
• Outreaching to local businesses and community‑based organizations.

SUPPLIES

• Must be able to lift 25 lbs.
• Must be able to follow detailed written procedures.
• Must have basic working knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel).

Duties may include:

• Inventorying and packing/unpacking Vote Center supplies.
• Fulfilling inventory/supply lists for multiple Vote Centers.
• Recording and updating inventory numbers regularly.
• Operating pallet jacks and other devices to safely relocate supplies.
• Accepting shipments and packages to the warehouse.

FIELD TECHS/WAREHOUSE

• Must have a valid CA driver’s license and be able to drive County or personal vehicles to Vote Centers.
• Must be able to lift up to 50 lbs.

Duties may include:

• Testing and verifying functionality of electronic voting equipment before, during, and after voting periods.
• Assisting in preparing and staging heavy equipment and supplies for delivery to Vote Centers.
• Inventorying and organizing voting equipment and Vote Center supplies.
• Assisting in delivery, connection, testing, and pickup of voting equipment at Vote Centers.
• Providing on‑site troubleshooting and technical support for voting equipment.

Desired Language Skills

Fluency in Spanish, Mandarin and/or Cantonese, Tagalog/Filipino, Korean, Burmese, Hindi, Japanese, Indonesian, Vietnamese, or Thai is desired for Outreach Services but is not required.

Compensation and Hours

The starting hourly wage is $24.91. Overtime is expected for most positions. Extra‑help hours are contingent on business needs and may vary week to week. Employees shall not exceed 1,040 hours per fiscal year. Some positions are eligible for benefits under the Affordable Care Act. Extra‑help employees are not guaranteed permanent status at assignment end.

Office hours are 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday. Most positions require overtime, long hours, weekends, evenings, and holidays. Any overtime over 40 hours will be compensated at 1½ times the regular rate. Selected individuals must be available for the entire employment period until the end of their assignment. The last anticipated day of employment is ten days after Election Day, November 13, 2026.

Qualifications

• Minimum one year of general clerical, office assistant, phone services, or computer experience (especially for Voter Registration/Clerical Support).
• Ability to prioritize work, coordinate multiple activities, organize and maintain accurate files and records, and follow oral and written directions.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

San Mateo County is an equal opportunity employer.