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.

In preparation for the February 15, 2022 Special Municipal Election, the Department is seeking applications for seasonal positions that will assist in processing ballots returned by voters.

Position Schedule and Hours:

The start date for this position will be between January 31,2022 and February 15, 2022, and will run until several weeks after Election Day, February 15, 2022, with opportunity for assignment extension of up to June 19, 2022; the exact start and end date will be determined by the operational needs of the Department.

Work hours are generally 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. However, work hours will vary widely in accordance with the demands of the election cycle and will range between 30 and 70 hours per 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.

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: $24.50/hour

Position Description:

The ideal candidate will have the ability to follow directions, relating both to work and to worksite rules; stay focused while working accurately and consistently; and have diligent attention to safety and detail. The position requires continuous use of hands and arms and sitting for prolonged periods.

When the voted ballots are returned to the Department, staff in these positions manually remove ballot cards from the envelopes, flatten cards, and ready them for scanning.

After ballot cards have been removed, staff will scan the cards for tabulation. When scanned ballots contain potentially valid over-votes, under-votes, blank contests, marginal marks, or write-in votes, scanners divert such ballots for manual review and adjudication. Staff in these positions will be tasked with reviewing non-scannable ballots and interpreting voters’ intent.  

To ensure consistent processing, both tasks are completed by two-person teams using illustrated guides with standardized rules.

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

·       Excellent work ethics and sense of responsibility

·       Ability to work independently and as part of a team

·       Willingness to follow instructions, and work on multiple simultaneous projects

·       Flexibility, tolerance, and stamina for tedious tasks and occasional long hours

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

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 vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment.  For details on how it is applicable to your employment, please click here.

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.