State of Maryland

An Election Clerk Lead/Advanced is the lead level or advanced level of specialized clerical work in a local election office or the primary support to an Election Director in a small local office. Employees in this classification process and maintain voter records and apply election laws, rules, and procedures to work problems. Employees in this classification that perform advanced level work dos not supervise other positions but may provide training and guidance to Election Clerks and other designated support staff. Employees in this classification that perform lead level work do not supervise other positions but do assign, train and review the work of lower-level Election Clerks and other support staff.

Employees in this classification receive general supervision from an Election Supervisor, Election Deputy Director or Election Director. The work may require travel to schools, nursing homes or other facilities to register voters or provide related services. Employees may be required to work evenings and weekends, particularly prior to and following an election.

Positions in this classification are evaluated by using the classification job evaluation methodology. The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work sections of the class specification.

The Election Clerk Lead/Advanced is differentiated from Election Clerk III in that the Election Clerk Lead/Advanced acts as a lead worker for lower-level Election Clerks, is the primary assistant to an Election Director in a very small office or performs advanced duties while the Election Clerk III performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision. The Election Clerk Lead/Advanced is differentiated from the Election Clerk Supervisor I in that the Election Clerk Supervisor I has supervisory responsibility for lower-level Election Clerks and other support staff.

When assigned as lead worker, assigns work to Election Clerks and other support staff, reviews work for accuracy and completeness, and trains Election Clerks and other clerical staff in election laws, regulations, policies and procedures;

When assigned as primary support in a very small office, performs backup duties for the Election Director as required;

When assigned as advanced worker, performs higher-level election duties such as the following: Uses knowledge of the Election Law Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland, the Code of Maryland Regulations and the Federal Voting Assistance Program to implement, manage and revise all phases of absentee voting policies and procedures;

For all three of the above functions:

Performs the full range of specialized clerical work in a local election office;

Registers voters at local election offices and outside facilities, completes registration forms and assigns voter district and precinct;

Checks voters’ records for possible duplication and maintains records by updating addresses and names, districts and precincts and reassigning precincts as required by precinct splitting;

Processes absentee ballot applications, issues ballots to qualified voters, receives completed ballots and secures ballots;

Notifies voters of changes;

Enters information into automated and manual records and maintains filing systems;

Compiles and maintains statistics;

Answers inquiries regarding election procedures in person, by telephone, by U.S. mail and electronic mail;

May assist the Election Director or the Election Deputy Director in re-precincting by obtaining census information, researching appropriate boundary lines and markers, and checking and recommending potential polling locations;

Recruits election officials needed to staff polling places, organizes required training sessions, and implements and revises policies and procedures related to judge recruitment;

Accepts and processes candidate and committee filings;

Assists in coordinating census activities in conjunction with the Maryland Office of Planning in order to define boundaries for redistricting and re-precincting and to assure an accurate street database;

Oversees the implementation and maintenance of polling place accessibility in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and State policies and guidelines;

Maintains current knowledge of the National Voter Registration Act and all related regulations for the purpose of managing all phases of the Act, including the category of Inactive Voters;

May prepare election calendar;

May purchase and inventory supplies;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of State election laws, statutes and ordinances;

Knowledge of Maryland State primary and general election procedures for federal, State and municipal elections;

Knowledge of business office practices and procedures;

Skill in maintaining accurate and detailed records;

Skill in maintaining workflow despite frequent interruptions and changing priorities;

Ability to use word processing, personal computer and other office automation equipment and applicable software applications;

Ability to communicate effectively and tactfully with the general public, State officials, candidates and co-workers;

Ability to use independent judgment in applying and explaining election laws, rules and procedures;

Ability to meet time sensitive deadlines and demands.

Education:   Graduation from an accredited high school or possession of a high school equivalency certificate.

Experience: One year of experience applying election laws, rules and procedures in a local board of election office.

Notes:

1. Candidates may substitute specialized clerical experience for the required experience applying election laws, rules and procedures in a local election office at the rate of one year for each six months of the required election office experience. Specialized clerical experience is defined as work in an office which requires reviewing, verifying and interpreting information in order to make determinations and resolve work problems in accordance with policies, regulations, guidelines and procedures.

2. Candidates may substitute general clerical experience for the required experience applying election laws, rules and procedures in a local election office at the rate of two years for each six months of the required election office experience. General clerical experience is defined as work performing a variety of clerical duties which are clear-cut and typically found in office settings, such as filing, copying, posting data and directing telephone calls.

3. Candidates may substitute thirty credit hours from an accredited college or university for the required experience.

4. Candidates may substitute additional experience applying election laws, rules and procedures in a local election office on a year-for-year basis for the required education.

1. Employees in this classification are required to be registered voters in the State of Maryland in accordance with the Election Law Article, Section 2-207(d), Annotated Code of Maryland.

2. Employees in this classification may not hold or be a candidate for any elective public or political party office or any other office created under the Constitution or laws of this State in accordance with the Election Law Article, Section 2-301(b).

Class Descriptions are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies.  Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.

Class Descriptions provide information about the Nature of Work, Examples of Work, General Requirements and Acknowledgements.  The Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities; Minimum Education and Experience Requirements; Special Requirements; and recruitment and testing procedures are set by the using agency.

This is a Skilled Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Skilled Service positions.  Some positions in Skilled Service classifications may be designated Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is not assigned to a bargaining unit, as indicated by the designation of S (Supervisor), M (Manager), T (Agency Head), U (Board or Commission Member), W (Student), X (Used by Agency or Excluded by Executive Order), or Z (Confidential).  As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded from collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.

Employees in this classification are eligible to receive overtime compensation. An employee who works more than the normal workweek is entitled to be compensated for that overtime, as provided by the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 8-305.