About the Department of Elections  

The mission of the Department of Elections (Department) is to provide equitable access to voting and election-related services and to conduct free, fair, and functional elections for the City and County of San Francisco.

Serving more than half a million registered voters, the Department maintains open and transparent operations in order to inspire public confidence in the integrity of San Francisco’s elections. The Department is committed to maintaining an inclusive workplace by providing the training, resources and tools necessary for all employees to succeed in delivering equitable services to City residents. (To learn more about the Department’s internal racial equity goals, please read our 2021-23 Racial Equity Action Plan.) To find out how our employees put democracy into action on a day-to-day level and learn about some of the tasks that Department of Elections are involved in, watch this short video about  Working at the Department of Elections.

The Department is committed to reaching job seekers from underrepresented communities. Applicants with such backgrounds are therefore strongly encouraged to apply.

In preparation for the November 8, 2022, Consolidated General Election, the Department is seeking applications for seasonal positions to assist with processing vote-by-mail ballots returned by voters.

The Ballot Distribution division is responsible for processing voted vote-by-mail ballots for each election.  When vote-by-mail ballot envelopes are returned to the Department, staff of this division are tasked with extracting the voted ballots from the envelopes, preparing the ballots for tabulation, and, when necessary, assist with other election related duties.  

Position Schedule and Hours

 The start date for this position is October 24 or 31, 2022, and will run through approximately November 25,2022; the exact start and end date will be determined by the operational needs of the Department.

Candidates must be willing to work flexible working hours. Although work hours are generally 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., work schedules will vary widely in accordance with the demands of the election cycle and will range between 30 and 70 hours a week. The person in this position must be available to work overtime both during the week and on weekends as necessary. Overtime hours are paid at 1.5 the hourly rate. Position requires sitting/standing for prolonged periods of time and lifting 20 lbs.

This is a temporary exempt as-needed position. Temporary exempt as-needed employees who have worked more than 1040 hours in any consecutive 12-month period, and whose normal work week at the time of inclusion in the system is not less than 20 hours are eligible for health coverage and retirement benefits. For more information on the City and County of San Francisco benefit policies, refer to the Employee Handbook available at https://sfdhr.org/sites/default/files/documents/Forms-Documents/Employee-Handbook.pdf

Position Salary: $25.9125/hour

Position Description

The Ballot Distribution division is responsible for processing vote-by-mail ballots returned by voters for each election.  When voted vote-by-mail ballot envelopes are returned to the Department, staff of this division are tasked with extracting the voted ballots from the envelopes, preparing the ballots for tabulation, and, when necessary, assist with other election related duties in City Hall.

In addition to assisting with processing vote-by-mail ballot envelopes, staff may be tasked with recording and maintaining data, operating mail sorting equipment, and assisting with other tasks on as-needed basis. 

Minimum Qualifications

Experience:
Six (6) months of clerical experience including preparing and maintaining a variety of records and/or documents, filing, use of office equipment, public contact and processing of incoming and outgoing mail.

Substitution:

Any one of the following may substitute for the required experience:

Completion of 15 semester units (or equivalent quarter units) of coursework from an accredited college or university; OR

Completion of a clerical training program (240 hours); OR

Completion of an approved City and County of San Francisco Clerical Administrative training program (as designated on the job announcement).

Desired Qualifications

•         Experience with operating mail sorting machine

•         Experience working with voting system vendor to tabulate ballots using central counting machines

•         Experience operating sheet count machine

•         Experience with using computer software (e.g., Microsoft Office, ballot tracking database, election specific programs, etc.)

If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact Tish McNorton, by email at [email protected].

Additional Information Regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco:

• Information About The Hiring Process
• Conviction History
• Employee Benefits Overview  
• Equal Employment Opportunity 
• Disaster Service Worker
• ADA Accommodation
• Veterans Preference
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement

Carol Isen - Human Resources Director

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT:  All City and County of San Francisco employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. Someone is fully vaccinated when 14 days have passed since they received the final dose of a two-shot vaccine or a dose of a one-shot vaccine. Any new hire must present proof of full vaccination status to be appointed. Any new hire who will be routinely assigned or occasionally enter High-Risk Settings, must provide proof of having received a COVID-19 booster vaccine by March 1, 2022, or once eligible.

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.