Elections Specialist

Eaton County; Charlotte (MI); On-site; USD 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

Eaton County Elections Department seeks a detail-oriented Clerk Assistant to support the Elections Administrator in managing voter records, election procedures, and customer inquiries. You will assist at the counter and by phone, ensuring accurate handling of files and compliance with laws.

Responsibilities include pre-election tasks, processing petitions, staff training support, and helping with early voting logistics, ballot preparation, and electoral documentation.

Qualifications

• MS Office Suite proficiency required.
• Accurate typing skills required.
• Notary/Public accreditation may be required within 6–12 months.

Responsibilities

• Assists the Election Administrator with petition verification and document receipt.
• Provides information at counter and by phone regarding election records and procedures.
• Assists with training of precinct inspectors and local election officials on election operations and standards.
• Prepares and distributes election materials, maintains and orders election supplies.
• Assists with Early Voting logistics, voting equipment testing, and post-election activities.

Skills

MS Office Suite

Typing

Education

Associate’s degree with one year of experience in clerical/data processing

One year of college in political science, event planning, business administration/management, or a related field; two years clerical experience

High school diploma or GED with four years of clerical/data processing experience

Job description

Under the supervision of the Elections Administrator, receives, processes and corrects Qualified Voter files. Serves as Chief Assistant to the Elections Administrator on election activities for the County. Assists customers at the counter and by telephone by responding to inquiries related to election records and the election procedures of the Clerk's Office.

Pre-Election Activities

1. Reviews, monitors, verifies petition signatures, for both candidate and ballot petitions, and prepares receipt as proof of transaction for candidate filings, and other documents.
2. Assists with the development and delivery of training to precinct inspectors and local election officials, regarding election operations and standards. This includes assisting the Election Administrator in reviewing updates to election laws, regulations that may require an update to County Clerk’s election procedures and training materials for maintaining compliance.

1. Assists the Election Administrator with election activities such as forwarding voter registrations, ballot requests, absentee ballot applications, and absentee ballots to local clerks.

1. Assists the Election Administrator by providing administrative assistance in preparation for 9 days of Early Voting. This includes providing logic and accuracy testing of the County Early Voting equipment, as required by law.

1. Assists the Election Administrator with election activities by organizing materials to be mailed to candidates, proofreading ballots, maintaining and ordering election supplies, and performing related election activities.

Week of Election Activities

1. Assists the Election Administrator with day-to-day elections operations, including ordering supplies, using voting equipment, ballot programming and printing, prepares printing order, testing ballots and voting equipment, preparing forms, training materials, voter education, reimbursement claims, post-election audits, and handling of Election Administrator Committee meetings for in-county school and library districts.
2. Assists with Election Night Reporting of election results, compilation of election returns, and the preparation of the election returns for certification.
3. Assists the Election Administrator and participating municipalities by providing for the administration of a central polling place and conducting the 9 days of Early Voting on behalf of local units.

Campaign Finance

1. Assists the Election Administrator with campaign filing administration. Receives and reviews campaign finance and filing documents. Notifies candidates of errors, omissions, required corrections, and filing deadlines. Collects filing fees, fines, and additional charges.

OTHER FUNCTIONS

1. Assists citizens, candidates, and other interested parties with questions and concerns regarding the election process and related department operations. This includes but is not limited to reviewing, responding, processing other such inquiries. This may include directing inquiries to the proper agency, local unit of government, group or individual.
2. Responsible for retrieving election records from storage area, may entail locating and moving boxes of stored files, as well as moving certain permanent records into long-term storage as directed.
3. Responsible for updating the elections web pages as needed.

This list may not be inclusive of the total scope of job functions to be performed; duties and responsibilities may be added, deleted, or modified at any time

Must meet at least one of the following combinations of education and/or experience, and meet the other criteria:

• Associate’s degree with one year of experience in a clerical and data processing environment at a similar level, or a closely related field.
• One year of college in political science, event planning, business administration/management, or a closely related field. Two years of experience in a clerical and data processing environment at a similar level.
• High school degree or GED with four years of experience in a clerical and data processing environment at a similar level.

Other Requirements

• Must be able to become commissioned by the State of Michigan as a Notary Public within 6 months of employment.
• Must be able to achieve accreditation through the Michigan Bureau of Elections Clerk within 12 months of employment.
• Valid State of Michigan Driver’s License.
• Working knowledge of MS Office Suite and must be an accurate typist with high proficiency.

Preferred Education, Certification, or Experience

• Preferred college coursework in political science, event planning, business administration/management, or a closely related field.
• Preferred experience in a municipal setting working with elections.

The qualifications listed above are intended to represent the minimum skills and experience levels associated with performing the duties and responsibilities contained in this job description. The qualifications should not be viewed as expressing absolute employment or promotional standards, but rather as general guidelines to be considered alongside other job-related selection or promotional criteria.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to enter and access information from a computer..
• Have the ability to operate a copy machine, fax machine, calculator, computer and other office equipment.
• Ability to access office files.
• Ability to retrieve and move books and indexes weighing up to 20 lbs.
• Ability to attend evening meetings.

• Have the ability to stoop, kneel, crouch and stretch to retrieve and store files and other documents in the office and basement storage vault.
• Have the ability to move freely about the office to help other staff members with work related tasks.

Working Conditions

• Works in normal office conditions.