‘Have You Ever Thought About My Job?’
A local election official writes about how she came to appreciate the challenges of her future role — and imparts what she's learned to a wider audience.
Welcome to Civic Writing, the Substack home of Civic Right. You can read about the work here. This is Civic Writing’s first-ever post, from Douglas County, Nevada, Clerk-Treasurer Amy Burgans.
It was a typical Tuesday morning in mid-December of a year none of us will forget — 2020. Sitting at my desk as the Assistant to the Board of Commissioners, my mind was drifting between end-of-year tasks, the upcoming Christmas holiday, and the excitement of welcoming newly elected Commissioners. Then my computer chimed with a new email.
It was from the county clerk-treasurer. That alone was not unusual; our offices worked closely together. But the message itself was puzzling:
“Have you ever thought about my job?” it read.
I read it twice. What did she mean? My reply was blunt in its confusion: “What job?” Her answer was even more unexpected, as if she were leading me onto something: “Clerk/Treasurer. Come see me during your lunch break.”
And so I did. When lunch came, I walked into her office unaware that the conversation would change the course of my career. She explained that she was resigning — an outcome of the immense strain the 2020 election had placed on her. Though she still loved the job, she had accepted another opportunity. Then she told me something that left me speechless: She believed I should put my name in to be appointed as the next clerk-treasurer.
I spent the next two days deep in thought. What would it mean to take on such a critical role to my community? Was I ready for it? Could I serve my neighbors in this way? Ultimately, I decided to take the leap. I submitted my name, and soon after, I was appointed to complete her term. That was five years ago.
At the time, I had no idea how expansive the responsibilities of the job truly were. Today, I oversee three departments. The Clerk’s Office manages Board of Commissioners meetings, Passport Services, DMV services, marriage licenses, business licenses, and more. The Treasurer’s Office is responsible for depositing and reconciling all county funds daily, overseeing investment accounts, billing and collecting property taxes, conducting tax sales, and more. And then there is elections.
This structure exists in many jurisdictions across the country — local election official is often just one part of a much larger role. Over the last half-decade, however, I’ve developed a deep passion for the elections side of the job.
In and following 2020, election officials nationwide faced unprecedented scrutiny, including widespread falsehoods about the nature of our work and the integrity of the system. The stress was immense. Turnover in election offices has steadily increased, according to research from the Bipartisan Policy Center and Issue One — and it’s difficult to say whether that trend could worsen given today’s political climate.
To kick off this Substack, at the outset of another federal election year, I find myself returning to that original question. And now, I ask it of you:
Have you ever thought about my job?
***
Based on conversations I’ve had with constituents, I would guess — and if we’re being honest — that most people haven’t given much thought to what local election offices actually do. For a long time, that made sense: Election administration was a community service that was obligatory, overlooked, and far from the political spotlight it occupies today. It made sense because the election administration profession doesn’t exist for the sake of horserace politics.
But let’s be clear: That remains the case today. If campaigns hand out yard signs that say “Vote for X,” election officials hand out stickers that say “I Voted!” Our pride is in the process — the people’s power to decide.
What has changed is the personal strain on local election officials, to do something patriotic and in the public interest. People rarely see the long nights, early mornings, and countless hours spent away from family. They don’t see the months of preparation, the intricate planning, or the extensive training required to ensure every election is fair, secure, and accessible. A survey of local election officials across the country, undertaken by Reed College, framed it this way:
One of the primary difficulties [to election offices] is managing workloads that spike dramatically during election periods, often overburdening officials with complex logistical, legal, and operation tasks. Hiring and retaining full-time staff is another persistent issue, as many jurisdictions struggle to offer competitive wages or long-term job stability.
And that’s especially the case in more rural jurisdictions.
There are other realities that voters are unlikely to see, including harassment and threats. Reed College’s survey found that more than half of election officials in jurisdictions serving 5,000 people or more — including me — reported experiencing personal harassment and/or threats during the last election year. About half overall said they know colleagues who left the profession at least in part due to safety concerns.
So why do we do it? Why do we stay in a profession that is often misunderstood, sometimes thankless, and now exposes the people who do it to unwarranted hostility? Because at our core, every election official I’ve met shares the same motivation: a commitment to the democratic process that defines our nation. Since taking office, I’ve engaged not only locally but at the state and national levels, working alongside election administrators from all corners of the country. Despite our different backgrounds and communities, our purpose is unified. We are not driven by outcomes or politics. We are driven by process: by ensuring that each eligible voter can cast a ballot with confidence, knowing their voice matters.
Our passion is for both integrity and inclusion, and the protection of a system that belongs to every American.
So, the next time you cast a vote, I ask you to remember the unseen commitment behind that simple act. Perhaps you’ll find yourself wondering, even briefly, about what it is that I do — and how what I do is mirrored by someone in your own community, one of more than 10,000 local election jurisdictions across America.
Amy Burgans is the Clerk-Treasurer of Douglas County, Nevada.