(1) No person shall be denied the opportunity to become an applicant for a position under the merit system in any covered department by virtue of political opinion or affiliation.

(2) No person employed by the county under the merit system may be dismissed from service as a result of political opinion or affiliation.

(3) A county career service employee may voluntarily contribute funds to political groups and become a candidate for public office.

(4) No county officer or employee, whether elected or appointed, may directly or indirectly coerce, command, or advise any officer or employee covered under the merit system to pay, lend, or contribute part of his or her salary or compensation or anything else of value to any party, committee, organization, agency, or person for political purposes. No county officer or employee, whether elected or appointed, may attempt to make any officer’s or employee’s personnel status dependent upon the employee’s support or lack of support for any political party, committee, organization, agency, or person engaged in a political activity.

(5) No officer or employee may engage in any political activity during the hours of employment nor shall any person solicit political contributions from county employees during hours of employment for political purposes, but nothing in this section shall preclude voluntary contribution by a county employee to the party or candidate of the employee’s choice.

(6) Nothing contained in this chapter shall be construed to permit partisan political activity of any county employee who is prevented or restricted from engaging in such political activity by the provision of the federal Hatch Act.