Remote Non-Partisan Internship
In an age of "fake news" and political hyperbole, voters deserve factual, unbiased information to help them make informed decisions. Our Internship Program offers positions in one of our six departments which provide interns an insider's look into modern day campaigning. Interns work to provide voters with unbiased information by researching and collecting information on the voting records, issue positions, biographies, special interest evaluations, and public statements of elected officials at both the state and federal level. The work of our interns empowers voters by allowing them to instantly research candidates without worry of misdirection or partisan spin. While this position is an unpaid internship, we are willing to work with Universities for intern credit if paperwork is supplied and talked about during interview/application process.
In 2018, Vote Smart Researchers delivered factual information on over 18,000 candidates, from all 50 state legislature to the president, to over 11 million users. Vote Smart is highly regarded by all sides of the aisle as a source for factual and truly nonpartisan info having been cited by hundreds of news outlets nationwide and around the globe!
A great opportunity for anyone looking to start a career in politics, journalism, or data analytics by fostering skills and a deep respect for non-partisan cooperation, objective fact seeking, and big-data handling.
Vote Smart interns work in all areas of Vote Smart's operations including:
- Election Monitoring and collection of political resources, such as Ballot Measures and Voter Registration information
- Biographical information and Issue Positions for candidates and elected officials
- Legislative Research, to include writi thisng and editing state and Congressional Key Vote summaries, as well as entering and checking vote breakdowns for selected votes
- Evaluations and Ratings by Special Interest Groups
- Public Statements made by members of Congress
Vote Smart interns will:
- Gain valuable experience in a nonpartisan environment
- Build primary and secondary research skills critical to working in a data-driven political era
- Strengthen writing and communication skills
- Apply and expand your learning about the American political system
Ideal candidates will:
- Be able to set aside political beliefs and be objective and nonpartisan while working.
- Demonstrate strong research and writing skills
- Have strong attention to details
National Intern applicants must submit the following:
- Completed application form, available at http://votesmart.org/internships/application
- Resume
- Cover letter.
- Three professional or academic references
For additional information, students and recent graduates interested are encouraged to check out our website and internship program page
Qualifications
Be able to set aside political beliefs and be objective and nonpartisan while working.
Demonstrate strong research and writing skills
Have strong attention to details
Be committed to completing hours (Full time: 400; part time: 130)
Documents needed
Resume
3 Professional or academic references
Application completed here: https://votesmart.org/internships/application#.XK5KhNs3kfI
Check with your Internship Coordinator BEFORE accepting to determine how you might do this internship for credit.
Company Description
Vote Smart's mission is to provide free, factual, unbiased information on candidates and elected officials to ALL Americans.
Vote Smart offers resources online at VoteSmart.org. Users can search our database of over 40,000 candidates and find their "political soulmate" using VoteEasy.
We also offer a toll-free hotline and a hard copy resource, the Voter's Self-Defense Manual.
Departments
Officials Research: conducts research on politicians in state and federal office
Elections Research: conducts research on candidates for state and federal office, as well as election information
Development and Communications: communicates our resources to the general public, media, and thousands of our members across the country
Information Technology: responsible for maintaining our internal systems and our online products
Achievements
A study comparing Project Vote Smart to the New York Times, Yahoo, Fox News, CNN, and other major political information systems reports that Project Vote Smart is superior to all.
- Markle Foundation
For reliable, meat and potatoes political information, research experts nearly all recommend Project Vote Smart.
- The New York Times
[Project Vote Smart] would make the Founders weep with joy.
- U. S. News & World Report
Award
VoteEasy was honored with:
- a 2011 WebVisionary Award
- a Communication Arts Interactive Annual Award
- selection for the Museum of Modern Art's "Talk to Me" exhibit showing the most advanced methods of displaying complex data sets
Future
Our goal is to develop our system for getting facts to citizens, particularly on mobile, in order to increase our users base from the 12 million Americans that used us in 2016.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/votesmart
Work Environment
Working diligently independently, our open office allows for effective collaboration between researchers and teams.
Training
Each staff member and intern receives individualized, on-the-job training within their area of expertise.
Tuition Reimbursement more
We can assist in scholarship requirements and class credit internship requirements.
Work Hours
Monday-Friday
8am-5pm
Part time interns work 10-12 hours per week.
If you have any questions, email intern@votesmart.org.