Fight Fake News with Facts!

Do you know someone in college seeking a research-based internship? Well, look no further than Vote Smart!

Vote Smart is a national, nonpartisan voter education nonprofit that seeks to deliver unbiased political information to empower all voters in making truthful and informed decisions about candidates.

Interns play a crucial role at Vote Smart. The individual talents, ideas and hard work of our interns have been instrumental in the success of many of our most important programs. Interns work with our Research Staff to train in database management and professional communication.

Our Internship Program is a great opportunity for anyone looking to start a career in politics, journalism, or data analytics. By fostering skills and a deep respect for nonpartisan cooperation, objective fact seeking, and big-data handling, this internship prepares individuals for politics and data driven careers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What are the different research programs available for potential interns to work in?

• 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 writing 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

Q: Would Fall 2024 internships be in person, remote, or hybrid?

A: While many of our recent interns have been remote due to living out of state, interns living near our headquarters in Des Moines, IA have the opportunity to come into our office and learn from research staff firsthand! We like to have interns visit our office, but it is not mandatory.

Q: When will Vote Smart close applications for Fall 2024?

A: We like to have most of our Fall interns start sometime after Labor Day, so that students can have the first few weeks of the semester to get acclimated to their schedule. So, we normally close applications no later than the last day of August, as there are still interviews that need to be conducted. If someone applies past the deadline, they are more than welcome to reapply for the spring.

Q: What are requirements to be an intern at Vote Smart?

• 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
• Have experience working independently
• For Remote interns: Access to a personal computer that is Windows 7.0+, macOS 10.11+, or Chrome OS 64.0+
• Commit to a minimum of 130 hours (at least 10 hours/week)

Q: Where do I apply? A: Please apply on our website here. If you have any other questions about Vote Smart's intern program, please read through our Intern FAQ page on our website that covers more questions. If you have a specific question not answered by this email or the FAQ page, please do not hesitate to reach out at [email protected].

Thank you, and we look forward to hosting another round of amazing interns this fall!

Sincerely,

The Vote Smart team