Elections Specialist - Entry

This position is in-person and headquartered at 201 W Washington Avenue, Madison, WI.

The Wisconsin Elections Commission is charged under Wisconsin Statutes to administer and enforce Wisconsin’s elections laws. The core mission of the Commission is to ensure ongoing and quality education, training, outreach, technical assistance, and advice to municipal clerks, county clerks, and local election inspectors (poll workers) that conduct elections as well as to ensure adherence to, and compliance with Wisconsin election laws and required procedures.

Another core function of the Commission is to provide current and accurate information to the public as well as various governmental and other organizations about the State’s electoral processes, voting statistics, and trends.

This Elections Specialist Entry position functions as part of the elections administration team, and is a resource for county, municipal, and school district clerks and administrators, as well as candidates, voters, and the general public. This position will develop and maintain a high-level working knowledge of federal and state election laws, administrative rules, Commission policies and business processes in order to effectively interpret and apply these requirements to all types of elections held throughout the state and provide expert opinions and advice on election administration issues.

This position:

• Conducts public outreach, education, training, technical assistance workshops, seminars, and certification classes for local election officials and members of the public.
• Is responsible for core election administration tasks, including, but not limited to review of state and federal candidate ballot access documents, ballot design and review, and canvass of election results.
• Participates in implementing other initiatives identified by agency management and the Commission.
• Works in and provides services regarding Wisconsin’s statewide voter registration system called Wis Vote. This is a database of voter and election information as well as a primary tool for administration of elections in the state.
• Provides customer service, training, and guidance to county and municipal clerks in the administration of elections using Wis Vote.

This classification is assigned to pay schedule/range 07-04. The starting hourly rate for this position will be between $28.24 - $31.34 per hour, depending on qualifications plus excellent benefits . A 12-month probationary period will be required for this position.

Pay for current state employees will be set in accordance with the Wisconsin State Compensation Plan.

The selected candidate must not have given a political contribution to a candidate for a partisan state or local office in the twelve months prior to appointment and must comply with the agency’s nonpartisan requirements during employment.

The selected candidate must possess a valid Wisconsin driver license and meet the State’s Risk Management requirements OR have the ability to obtain one's own transportation and have the ability to travel statewide as required.

Due to the nature of the position, WEC will conduct background checks on applicants prior to selection. WEC does not sponsor work visas and is not an eligible OPT (Optional Practical Training) employer for F-1 international students. All persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States, and to complete the required employment eligibility form.

Qualifications below will be evaluated during the selection process and must be addressed in your resume and letter of qualifications.

Minimally qualified applicants will have each of the following:

Experience communicating technical/specialized information to customers or the public, preferably through the administration of training or public outreach

Experience administering and implementing laws and policy directives in a professional setting

Experience learning new computer hardware and software applications

In addition, well-qualified candidates will have at least one of the following:

Experience creating/editing training or public outreach materials, including written materials intended for use in print or online format

Experience with program administration involving a complex database or software application

Experience in oversight, development and maintenance of websites

Experience leading a data quality initiative (e.g., coordinating data quality efforts with program areas, running reports, or conducting data analysis to identify problem areas, or similar