Ballot Processing Clerk – San Francisco Department of Elections (1404 Clerk)

Department Background

The Department of Elections (Department) conducts all federal, state and local elections in the City and County of San Francisco, currently serving approximately 510,000 registered voters. The Department follows the rules and regulations established by federal, state, and local laws – notably, the Voting Rights Act, the Help America Vote Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the City’s Language Access Ordinance. Additionally, the Department operates in an open and transparent manner to inspire the City’s confidence in the integrity of elections processes.

The Department strives to cultivate a workplace environment in which employees of all racial and ethnic backgrounds feel respected, valued, and supported in providing the fairest and most effective services possible to San Francisco residents. The Department is committed to maintaining an inclusive workplace and to providing the training and resources necessary for all employees to succeed in delivering equitable services to city residents.

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

Position Description

In preparation for the November 5, 2024 General Election, the Department is seeking applications for seasonal positions of 1404 Ballot Processing Clerks to assist the Ballot Distribution division with various ballot processing tasks.

Vote-by-mail ballot-processing consists of four steps: 1) envelope scanning, 2) signature comparison, 3) ballot extraction, and 4) votemark scanning. As part of Step 4, dedicated teams “adjudicate” (interpret ambiguous marks using standardized procedures) or “remake” (duplicate valid votemarks on irregular ballots onto new ballots for counting). The persons in these positions will be assigned to perform a combination of ballot-processing steps with ordinary difficulty that may involve ballot tabulation, adjudication, and remake, using a set of standardized procedures provided.

In addition to the range of duties assigned to the 1404 job code, https://careers.sf.gov/classifications/?classCode=1404&setId=COMMN, the person in this position will have the following tasks:

1. Ballot Processing: Assist with ballot sorting and backfolding, ballot extraction, preparing ballots for tabulation, ballot duplication, ballot tabulation, ballot adjudication and remake, and ballot preparation and distribution to poll workers.
2. Ballot Handling: Open ballots and prepare them for tabulation; extract vote-by-mail ballots from envelopes; sort vote-by-mail and provisional envelopes; prepare polling place ballots.
3. Tabulation and Tracking: Assist with ballot tabulation; scan ballots for tracking; maintain processing logs and reports.
4. Reporting and Documentation: Provide regular updates and reports to the Ballot Distribution Manager; assist with maintaining attendance sheets and timesheets for clerks and junior clerks.
5. Quality Assurance: Ensure quality control and adherence to procedures in assigned sections; sort vote-by-mail envelopes for record retention.
6. Clerical Support: Offer general clerical support as needed; assist with organizing, staging, assembly, and distribution of supplies.

These positions are responsible for a variety of important tasks and applicants are encouraged to learn more about what to expect during employment with the Department by watching this video: https://youtu.be/qgH-4bgAMLs

Position Schedule, Requirements, and Location:

The hires for this position may have different start dates which may be between September 23, 2024 and October 28, 2024, depending on the operational needs of the Department. Assignment may run until around three weeks after Election Day, November 5, 2024, with opportunity for assignment extension; the exact assignment end date will be determined by the operational needs of the Department.

Candidates must be willing to work flexible working hours, including on Election Day, November 5, from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m., as needed. Work hours will vary widely in accordance with the demands of the election cycle and will range between 20 and 70 hours per week. Position may require mandatory evening and weekend work. Overtime hours are paid at 1.5 the hourly rate.

Position requires sitting/standing for prolonged periods of time and lifting up to 25 lbs. Work will primarily be at the Department of Elections’ Office at City Hall, and occasionally at the Department of Elections’ warehouse facility at Pier 31.

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: $30.0125 to $36.475 hourly

$62,426 to $75,868 annually

Minimum Qualifications

One (1) year 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:  Completion of an approved City and County of San Francisco Clerical Administrative Training program, or completion of a clerical training program (240 hours), or 15 semester units (or equivalent quarter units) of coursework from an accredited college or university may substitute for up to 6 months of required experience.

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.)
• Ability to multi-task
• Ability to analyze process and provide solutions to potential issues
• Able to work flexible hours as needed

Application filing will be open continuously at least through September 23, 2024, 2024, and will close any time thereafter.

If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the Elections Hiring Team 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.

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.