Arena Careers

Special Note: This opportunity is only available to applicants who are existing Sumners Scholars. This internship is part-time, flexible, paid, and remote. Ballotpedia interns work up to 20 hours/week and can set their own working hours/schedules, including working evenings and weekends, as long as internship goals are met.

“This internship was one of the most hands-on opportunities I have had and played an influential role in how I view myself and civic engagement. Working for Ballotpedia was a collaborative effort, and my team and supervisor were consistently involved in my improvement and growth this summer. It is a must for potential interns!” — Brynley Jones, Summer 2024 Sumners Scholar Editorial Content Intern

"Interning at Ballotpedia was a wonderful opportunity to approach politics from a new angle. As a journalism student, I am often told to maintain neutrality, but the people at Ballotpedia are the first people who have shown me how to do that. It is refreshing to work for an organization so committed to non-partisan and fair coverage." — Claire Harrison, Summer 2024 Editorial Content Intern

“Ballotpedia's internship is a phenomenal way to get hands-on experience and learn more about American politics. The team is flexible and very supportive, open to hearing suggestions for new processes and implementing them. Team leads go above and beyond to answer questions and are attentive to making the internship a better experience. While it's 100% remote, Ballotpedia does a great job of making you feel part of something bigger. The team is always looking to improve, and it shows. Would highly recommend!” — Nicholas Callaghan, Fall 2023 Editorial Content and Policy Intern

“As an intern, I've not only become a better researcher, but I've also become more informed about state and local governments across the county. And as a journalist, you always are told to be impartial and unbiased, but at Ballotpedia, I've learned about specific ways to sound neutral in my writing.“ — Nick Konopka, Summer 2023 Editorial Content Intern

"Interning with Ballotpedia was a wonderful experience. I was guided and taught throughout various projects while also allowed to be creative and explore my own ideas and projects. I have learned not only about American politics, but meaningful ways to reach and educate people. It was an invaluable experience with great mentorship!" — Abigail Campbell, 2020 Communications Intern and current Communications Manager

Program Description

As a Sumners Scholars Intern, you will go through an onboarding experience similar to that of full-time Ballotpedia employees. You will learn how to code the Ballotpedia website, be oriented to Ballotpedia’s style guide, learn about what we do to prevent and detect bias in our resources, and much more. Following orientation, you will join the Local Elections team within our Editorial Content department, working alongside full-time staff members.

Our Sumners Scholars interns have a unique opportunity to develop their research and writing skills by significantly contributing to Ballotpedia’s mission to cover every election in America, all the way down to the local level, as we work to expand our local elections coverage. During the Summer 2025 Sumners Scholars Internship Program, interns will research, analyze, and publish content on political information relevant to states in their region of the country.

As a Ballotpedia Sumners Scholar Editorial Content Intern, you will:

• research and write about elections and other political information for a select group of region-specific states;
• learn to navigate Ballotpedia’s database;
• publish your researched content to Ballotpedia.org;
• write and research on other topics as assigned;
• participate in in-depth virtual and in-person training sessions to learn more about their topic area.

Ballotpedia’s Sumners Scholars Summer 2025 internship runs for nine weeks, from Monday, June 2, 2025, through Friday, August 1, 2025. Ballotpedia’s Sumners Scholars Internship is a part-time program; interns will work up to 20 hours per week, depending on availability.

Ballotpedia is happy to facilitate credit for your internship experience if that is available to you. If you are seeking credit for your internship, and if there is anything that Ballotpedia needs to do to assist you, please include that information in the same file as your cover letter.

Environment

Ballotpedia interns will work remotely, as all Ballotpedia staff work remotely. To join Ballotpedia, you must have a well-functioning computer with Internet access. Ballotpedia uses Google Applications (Gmail, Google Calendar, Drive and more) to accomplish our goals. Some familiarity with Google Applications is helpful.

Compensation

Interns will be compensated at $15.00 per hour.

Please note: If the minimum wage in your area is more than $15.00 per hour, you will be compensated per your area’s minimum wage.

To Apply

To apply, click “Apply for this job” below and complete the form.

Please provide the following in PDF format:

• résumé
• cover letter which states your interest in Ballotpedia’s mission, including the contact information for two professional references
• neutral writing sample (under five pages)
  Note: please include this in the same file as your cover letter

Please ensure that your resume or cover letter includes your current address. Applications must include a current address to be accepted.

Special Note: If you are a Sumners Scholar, please confirm this in your application form. Sumners Scholars will be expected to attend one in-person event in Texas during the program dates. Ballotpedia will pay for lodging and travel. The deadline to apply for Ballotpedia's Sumners Scholars Summer 2025 internship program is February 28, 2025. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and interested applicants should apply as soon as possible.

If you are hired for this position, Ballotpedia participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. If E-Verify cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, Ballotpedia is required to give you written instructions and an opportunity to contact the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or Social Security Administration (SSA) so you can begin to resolve the issue before the employer can take any action against you, including terminating your employment. Employers can only use E-Verify once you have accepted a job offer and completed the Form I-9. For more information on E-Verify, or if you believe that your employer has violated its E-Verify responsibilities, please contact DHS.

About Ballotpedia

Ballotpedia is a mission-driven organization dedicated to providing Americans with accurate, relevant, and reliable information about politics, elections, and public policy. Our goal is to close the ballot information gap and help voters make informed decisions. We value innovation, humility, hunger, and a collaborative spirit and are committed to continuously improving our offerings to better serve our audiences, readers, and candidates.