Where the Appointees Are

That's what the Office of Personnel Management wants to know. The agency has sent a memo to agency chief human capital officers telling them to provide lists of of their politically appointed positions. The lists then will be passed on to the Republican and Democratic presidential nominees. The agency is required to collect and transmit the information under the 2004 Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act.

Specifically, OPM wants agencies to list:

• All positions that are appointed by the president, including the title and description of the duties of each position.
• The names of the people holding these positions.
• Any vacancies in the positions, and how long they've been vacant.
• The date after the election on which an appointment to each position must be made to ensure effective operation of the government.