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The Democratic Party of Illinois (DPI) is hiring a Voter Protection Director for the 2026 Coordinated Campaign. This is a historic election cycle, with the Governorship, U.S. Senate, and 17 Congressional seats at stake, along with the State Senate, State House, and critical county and local-level races across the state. DPI is building a first-of-its-kind coordinated effort to meet this challenge and win competitive races up and down the ballot.

The Voter Protection Director is a senior member of the coordinated leadership team, and will lead the statewide voter protection program to promote and protect voting access in support of Democratic candidates. This is a full-time, in-person position based in Chicago, Illinois.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the coordinated campaign’s voter protection program to ensure eligible voters can participate in the November general election and that barriers to voting access do not impede the election of Democratic candidates

• Serve as primary resource on voting rights, triaging and troubleshooting voting issues

• Maintain relationships with County Clerks and all elected officials, partner organizations, and relevant staff working on voter protection efforts across the state

• Organize and train volunteers, partners, and affiliates to support voter protection programs, including poll-watching, voter protection hotline management, and legal oversight

• Oversee voter protection operations during active elections, including the statewide boiler room, hotline, digital response, and ballot cure and chase

• Partner with community organizations and stakeholders to conduct voter education and outreach, including know your rights initiatives and resource sharing

• Coordinate with national committees and internal teams to advance and integrate voter protection objectives across departments

• Maintain robust knowledge of legal developments, election activity, political landscape, Democratic party actions, and current events affecting voting access

• Other duties as assigned

Required Qualifications

• Campaign and electoral issue experience, with previous voter protection experience and proficiency in LBJ preferred 

• J.D. preferred, or equivalent experience in law, public policy, or voter protection

• Knowledge of the legal, political, and historical context of state election law and policy

• Ability to work strategically and collaboratively with diverse groups and individuals

• Demonstrated capacity to use data to develop strategy, monitor progress to goal, and report on and analyze outcomes

• Excellent attention to detail and project management skills

• Must have a cell phone, reliable laptop, valid driver’s license, and vehicle

The salary for this position is $8,000 per month. The position concludes on November 15, 2026, with the opportunity for continued growth after the election cycle. This role requires working long and irregular campaign hours, including nights and weekends, and travel throughout the state. The position includes a full benefits package, with health, vision, and dental insurance. Additional benefits include PTO, paid parental leave, and paid sick leave.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should apply HERE. Interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis.

The Democratic Party of Illinois is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local fair employment practices laws.  The Democratic Party of Illinois strictly prohibits and does not tolerate discrimination against employees or applicants because of actual or perceived race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender, age, physical or mental disability (including unlawful discrimination against an individual because of the individual's association with a person with a disability), citizenship status, work authorization status, past, current, or prospective service in the uniformed services, military status, unfavorable discharge from military service, genetic information, order of protection status, marital status, arrest record (including an arrest not leading to a conviction, a juvenile record, or criminal history information ordered expunged, sealed, or impounded), conviction record (unless there is a substantial relationship between the previous criminal offenses and the position or the employment would involve an unreasonable risk to property or to the safety or welfare of specific individuals or the general public), status as a victim or perceived victim of domestic violence, sexual violence, gender violence, or any other crime of violence, credit history or credit report,  or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.

The Democratic Party of Illinois complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), as amended by the ADA Amendments Act, the Illinois Human Rights Act (IHRA), and all applicable state and local law. Consistent with those requirements, The Illinois Democratic Party of Illinois will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with a disability if such accommodation would allow the individual to perform the essential functions of the job, unless doing so would create an undue hardship. If you believe you need accommodation during the hiring process, please contact us at [email protected].  The Democratic Party of Illinois will also, where appropriate, provide reasonable accommodations for an applicant or employee's religious beliefs or practices.