Vote Smart - Profiles Internship Program

Vote Smart Internship Program Overview

Are you passionate about empowering voters and promoting transparency? Join Vote Smart’s Internship Program, where you'll gain hands-on experience in political research and public service. Contribute to impactful projects that support your career aspirations, and directly support our mission of providing free, factual, and unbiased information on candidates and elected officials to all Americans.

Details

• Duration: Summer 2025 semester, starting May 27, 2025, ending August 22, 2025.
• Commitment: 10–20 hours per week. If you are doing this internship for academic credit, your total and weekly hours may change.
• Location: Remote or Des Moines, IA office.
• Compensation: Unpaid, but academic credit may be available through your institution.
• Candidates must be at minimum a Junior in College.

Profiles Internship

Overview
The Profiles Program collects biographical and contact information on candidates running for office as well as currently elected officials. This will include, but is not limited to, a candidate’s work experience, education and political histories, their social media handles, and campaign email. Interns in this program will conduct thorough research on lists of candidates running for federal and state offices in order to provide voters with a sense of who seeks to represent them.

A good candidate will be able to sift through large amounts of information on a candidate and pick out the most relevant and important information. Additionally, attention to detail and accurate formatting of the data entered will contribute to a successful internship.

Responsibilities

• Research candidates and officials and find as much biographical and contact information as possible.
• Organize biographical experiences by type and category.
• Ensure database accuracy by correctly formatting biographical experiences.
• Collaborate with the Profiles Research Associate and Director of Elections to maintain consistency.

Ideal Candidate

• Skilled in research and fact-checking.
• Curious about the electoral process.
• Self-motivated with strong time management skills.