Elections Specialist – State and Local

Class Characteristics

Under general supervision, to provide customer service and information to the public and other internal and external stakeholders regarding state and local elections; to perform a broad range of technical, clerical and specialized support to facilitate effective state and local elections processes in compliance with state and federal laws, administrative rule, and the Secretary of State Vote by Mail manual; and to do other work as required.

Distinguishing Characteristics

The County Clerk's Office is responsible for administering and conducting all federal, state, and local elections in Clackamas County; processing all real property transactions, plats, Board of County Commissioner's Journal documents, and board orders for Clackamas County; issuing marriage licenses and officiating weddings; coordinating the Board of Property Tax Appeals which resolves property assessment appeals; accepting passport applications; and supporting other County departments in making public records available to the general public.

Elections Specialist – State and Local is a position assigned to the County Clerk. It is the first level in the Elections Specialist classification series and is assigned only to state and local elections. Incumbents provide technical expertise to state and local elections processes, clerical support, and customer service to the public and other internal and external stakeholders in person, on the phone, and online. Incumbents apply an understanding of federal, state and local election statutes to perform detailed data entry of complex voter registration records, petition verification, verifying voter signatures, issues and processing ballots, accepting candidate, measure, and voter pamphlet filings, and staffing front counter and phones during state and local election cycles.

Elections Specialist – State and Local differs from Elections Specialist – General which also have responsibility for federal elections. Elections Specialist – State and Local incumbents are part of the Clerk's Office and do not have responsibility for any federal election related activities. It differs from Elections Analyst which acts as the subject matter expert for redistricting, candidate and jurisdiction filing and coordination, voter registration, and election technology and equipment and has primary and lead responsibility for implementing major elections systems and services. The Elections Specialist series differs from Office Specialist and Administrative Specialist classification series which performs a variety of moderately difficult administrative support activities according to generally established guidelines, regulations or instructions but not the specialized functions related to elections.

Typical Tasks

Duties may include but are not limited to the following:

1. Provides outstanding customer service directly to voters (phone, online, in-person); accepts and processes voter registration forms, candidate, measure, and voter pamphlet filings and incoming petitions for state and local elections; accepts public information requests, state and local voter registration lists, maps, and walking lists; issues timely notices to voters when required by statute or administrative rule; drafts or updates voter and candidate correspondence to comply with ORS, OAR, and administrative rule changes; receives payments for state and local candidate, measure, voter pamphlet filings; public information requests, voter registration lists, maps, and walking lists.
2. Answers detailed and complex questions regarding state and local elections about registering to vote, filing for office, filing a prospective petition, and state and local election law; answers general state and local election questions, routes calls to other staff internally and externally as needed; participates in and provides organizational support for voter outreach activities and community events.
3. Uses the Oregon centralized voter registration system to perform detailed data entry, verification, and management of paper and electronic voter registration records from multiple sources for state and local elections (includes registering new voters, updating voter registration information, and cancelling voter registrations); digitizes voter registration cards and other records submitted by the voter.
4. Participates in technical processes for state and local election activities only; reviews and processes replacement ballot requests; receives and tracks ballots received from other counties; sorts and counts ballots; opens and reviews ballots for quality control; scans ballots for tabulation; verifies ballot signatures; mails notices to voters of challenged ballots; processes challenged letters in compliance with federal and state statutes and administrative rules; assists in tracking of unaccepted and rejected ballots and reconciliation of all ballots; processes undeliverable ballots and prepares supplemental ballot mailings; under direction of Elections Specialist, Senior receives and processes UOCAVA (military and overseas) email ballots for state and local elections.
5. Participates in technical and reporting feedback in test environments of the state voter registration and election management database as relates to state and local elections; troubleshoots technology including workstations, office equipment, software, and the state voter registration and election management database.
6. Assists in orientation, training, and monitoring work performed by temporary elections staff assigned to state and local elections; ensures temporary staff accurately provide routine assistance to the public and process voter registration cards according to set policies and procedures; makes recommendations to Elections Manager or County Clerk on improvements or innovations in policies and procedures.
7. Acts as a representative of the Clerk's Office by working collaboratively with coworkers, other division and department staff, other county and state elections staff, and stakeholders to maintain an inclusive, positive, and supportive work environment; actively participates in workplace preparedness, safety and security procedures and planning.

Positions requiring bilingual skills:

Provides written and verbal services in both English and second language for voting, state and local elections, and general services to the public; may be called on to provide written and verbal services in both English and second language to assist other functions within the Clerk's office including assisting the Clerk, recording services, marriage licenses, wedding ceremonies, and public access to government services; participates and provides organizational support for voter outreach activities and community events in English and second language.

Required Knowledge and Skills

Working knowledge of: Administrative office practices, procedures, and techniques; recordkeeping and reporting techniques; customer service excellence techniques and concepts; basic grammar, composition, and spelling; basic math; office equipment and machinery, including computers, software and scanners; concepts and techniques for organizing work.

Skill to: Organize and carry out work assignments in an independent manner; establish and maintain effective and collaborative working relationships and treat others with dignity and respect; provide excellent customer service by effectively meeting and interacting with members of the public, co-workers and county staff from other departments in a courteous, professional manner; enter and maintain accurate records; set priorities and meet deadlines; communicate effectively, both orally and in writing; operate office equipment, including computers, software and scanners with accuracy.

Working Conditions

Considered an essential worker during active state and local election periods (generally sixty days before and thirty days after assigned elections). Must be available for periodic evening and weekend work as required by cyclical elections activities.

Minimum Qualifications

Minimum qualifications are used as a guide for establishing the minimum experience, education, licensure, and/or certifications required for employment in the classification. The following minimum qualifications are established for this classification. Additional minimum qualifications and special conditions may apply to a specific position within this classification and will be stated in the job announcement.

Experience: A minimum of two (2) years of related experience that would provide the required knowledge and skills to perform the responsibilities of this position.

Licenses/Certifications: None required.

Some positions require bilingual fluency in one of the identified languages (Chinese, Russian, Spanish, Ukrainian, or Vietnamese) and English.

Pre-Employment Requirements

Must successfully pass a criminal history check which may include national or state fingerprint records check.

Driving may be necessary for County business. For position(s) with occasional/incidental driving, incumbents must possess a valid driver's license. Accommodation requests for an acceptable alternative method of transportation will be reviewed on an individual basis in compliance with State and Federal legislation. For position(s) with regular driving, incumbent(s) must also possess and maintain an acceptable driving record throughout the course of employment.

Classification No. 637B
Established: 12/18
Revised: 2/24; 11/25
FLSA: Non-Exempt
EEO: 6