Job Specifications
Intern Testimonials
"The Ballotpedia internship experience sharpened my research and analytical skills, deepened my understanding of American politics, and gave me a front-row seat to the inner workings of a mission-driven organization. I'm grateful for the mentorship I received and the meaningful projects I contributed to. This internship has truly provided pivotal growth in my professional journey." - Sydney Baker, Summer 2025 Editorial Intern
"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 Editorial 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 Intern
"Interning with Ballotpedia was a wonderful experience. I was guided and taught throughout various projects while also being allowed to be creative and explore my 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 Associate
"Participating in the editorial internship program was an exceptional learning experience that prepared me for my current role as a staff writer. Through the internship, I received extensive training on preventing bias, learned how to code the website, and worked on challenging projects, all with the support of helpful and encouraging Ballotpedia staff." -- Janie Valentine, 2019 Spring Intern and current Managing Editor of the Law Team
Program Description
As an intern, you will go through a similar onboarding experience to 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 either the Editorial, External Relations or Tech teams, working alongside full-time staff members.
As a Ballotpedia Editorial intern, you may:
be embedded in one of our Editorial teams (i.e. Ballot Measures, Elections, Events, Law, Local Expansion, News, or Policy) and work directly with Editorial staff members;
research elections and candidates, policy topics, legislation, ballot measures, or other topics, depending upon your assignment;
Support creation or create original encyclopedic articles
assist our teams in news tracking, legislation tracking, and primary source monitoring;
process candidate surveys;
conduct other detailed research projects;
participate in brainstorming sessions and planning meetings with experienced staff members;
process new volunteer applications and work with volunteer program activities; and
assist with metrics and reporting on data collection
Ballotpedia's Tech and External Relations Departments also offer internship opportunities. You can find more information on how to become a Tech or External Relations intern on our Job Opportunities page.
Ballotpedia's spring 2026 internship runs from Monday, January 12, 2026 through Friday, May 1, 2026. Ballotpedia's spring internship is a part-time internship program; interns will work approximately 10-20 hours per week depending on their availability.
Ballotpedia is happy to facilitate credit for your internship experience if that is available to you. If you will be seeking credit for your internship, and if there is anything that Ballotpedia will need 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 on "Apply for this job" below and fill out the form.
Please provide the following in PDF format:
resume
cover letter which states your interest in editorial work and 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 either your resume or your cov
About the Company
Ballotpedia is the online encyclopedia of American politics and elections. Our goal is to preserve and expand knowledge about politics by providing exceptionally high-quality, accurate, and objective information about local, state, and federal politics and policies. Our content includes neutral, accurate, and verifiable information on government officials and the offices they hold, political issues and public policy, elections, candidates, and the influencers of politics. Headquartered in Middleton, Wisconsin, Ballotpedia wa...
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