Applying for the CEOC

Qualifications and responsibilities

The following information describes the qualifications for being a member of the Citizens’ Elections Oversight Committee (CEOC) and responsibilities expected for members of the committee.

Qualifications to be a CEOC member

1.  A working knowledge of local or state government elections operations and management or a strong commitment to learn about the operation of elections.
2.  A strong commitment to an accountable, transparent, well-managed and efficient elections operation in King County.
3.  A willingness to commit the time necessary to attend committee meetings and activities.
4.  Except for the member representing the Washington State Association of Auditors, a nominee or appointee to the committee shall not hold elective public office or be a candidate for election to public office, other than as a precinct committee officer.
5.  For members that represent the Chinese- and Vietnamese-speaking communities it is highly desirable to be able to read the respective language and to demonstrate strong ties to the respective communities.
6.  It is helpful for all members to have good oral communication skills as well as interpersonal skills and to be able to work well in a group situation.

Responsibilities of CEOC members

1.  Monitor the primary and general elections and canvassing board meetings to observe if proper procedures are followed, to report on any problems that are observed or come to light, to recommend corrective actions on problems that may arise and to ensure that any problems that arise are discussed in an open and public manner.  The committee shall report to the council in a timely way on any significant problems that might occur or on any serious concerns the committee may have.
2.  Review recent reports on elections and recent legislation that affects elections standards, procedures, equipment and technologies.
3.  Conduct oversight of the implementation of new standards or procedures for elections as mandated by federal, state or county legislation.
4.  Meet at least quarterly.
5.  Submit a report to the council on its observations, findings and recommendations regarding the primary and general elections by February 1 of each year by filing eleven copies of the report with the clerk of the council for distribution to all Councilmembers. (Staff drafts the report based on input from CEOC members.)

Administrative procedures for filling vacancies

1. Upon being notified of a vacancy on the CEOC, the chair will send a letter to Councilmembers soliciting nominees. The letter shall identify the specific vacancy or vacancies and enclosed with the letter shall be the Qualifications/Responsibilities document for being a member of the CEOC, the application form and the Administrative Procedures document for filling CEOC vacancies.
2. At the chair’s direction, the Council staff member who staffs the CEOC shall ensure that a notice of the vacancy is published in a local paper of wide circulation. In the case of filling vacancies to represent the Chinese-speaking and Vietnamese-speaking communities, local newspapers that serve these communities shall also be used. At the chair’s discretion, vacancies may be posted on the County’s website.
3. Council staff shall forward all applications to Councilmembers and to the members of the CEOC.
4. The CEOC may provide feedback to the Council’s Employment and Administration Committee (EAC) but is not required to do so.
5. The EAC will review all applications and may interview candidates. By a majority vote, the EAC will appoint new members to the CEOC.
6. Following appointment, all new members of the CEOC must be confirmed by motion.

Application form

Please download the attached application form (MS Word document). Save it onto your computer, complete, save, and email as an attachment to the Clerk of the Council (anne.noris@kingcounty.gov). If you experience problems, please contact us. Thank you for your interest in the CEOC.