Local Expansion Staff Researcher (Remote)

The Position

Ballotpedia is seeking to hire a full-time, 100% remote Local Expansion Staff Researcher. 

Reporting to the Local Expansion Managing Editor, the Staff Researcher will conduct research and outreach to gather official election documents and information needed to comprehensively cover local elections, all the way down to the smallest cities and school districts. The researcher will ingest this data into Ballotpedia’s database to support accurate election and candidate coverage, assist in managing and auditing candidate research workflows, and monitor changes in election calendars to ensure Ballotpedia reflects the most up-to-date information.

As a Local Expansion Staff Researcher, you will build a strong understanding of how local elections are documented and communicated by jurisdictions of all sizes. You will learn to identify and interpret official election materials, extract relevant information, and contribute to improving the scope and quality of Ballotpedia’s local election and candidate coverage.

This is a great position for a skilled researcher who is passionate about the opportunity to help expand fact-based, neutral election coverage in the United States for American voters, especially at the local level.

Responsibilities

As a Local Expansion Staff Researcher, you will:

• Research reliable election information sources and conduct outreach to gather official election documents for local contests.
• Process and ingest election and candidate data into Ballotpedia’s database, using both automated tools and manual review.
• Monitor changes to election schedules and documentation to ensure Ballotpedia reflects up-to-date information for upcoming local elections.
• Maintain and improve databases of sources and research processes to enhance the consistency and completeness of election coverage over time.
• Conduct data review and data cleanup activities, including:
• Reviewing data for accuracy and completeness, making corrections based on Ballotpedia’s data standards and current information in our database.  
• Building knowledge of state and local election practices across assigned jurisdictions to support accurate interpretation of election materials.
• Participate in other election activities supporting Ballotpedia’s elections coverage, including: 
• Researching election laws and other relevant electoral topics as needed.
• Identifying opportunities and implementing workflows to add to the depth and quality of Ballotpedia’s local election coverage.
• Improving access to Ballotpedia’s local election coverage on-site.
• Promoting Ballotpedia’s local election coverage.

Qualifications and Characteristics

An ideal Local Expansion Staff Researcher will:

• Have a passion for elections, election and voter information, and politics, with a commitment to Ballotpedia’s mission to remain neutral in providing fact-based, objective coverage.
• Have excellent research skills and the ability to follow general guidelines to locate appropriate online and direct outreach sources and record information in an organized, concise manner to answer detailed questions.
• Exhibit resourcefulness, curiosity, and an ability to recognize when information falls outside existing processes to investigate further and communicate findings that can improve team understanding.
• Have exceptional attention to detail and an ability to understand complex processes and consistently follow instructions over a large number of iterations.
• Be able to accurately and concisely summarize complex concepts, difficult text, and detailed structures.
• Have sharp critical thinking skills with the ability to understand the varied structures of a large number of sources and apply more general categories and logical statements to those structures.
• Work collaboratively within a team by proactively communicating progress, sharing relevant discoveries, and coordinating efforts to ensure smooth cooperation on shared election and candidate research.
• Enjoy organizing their own lives and the world around them through elegant structures. 
• Enjoy receiving and implementing critical feedback for constant improvement.
• Be adept at using utilities such as Google Chrome, Docs, and Sheets, or similar tools to navigate, find, record, organize, and clean up information gathered from the Internet.
• Have interest in or experience using AI tools to increase productivity.
  

Environment

The Local Expansion Staff Researcher will work remotely from their home location. All Ballotpedia staff work remotely. To join Ballotpedia, you must have a computer with Internet access.

Ballotpedia offers a flexible work environment, BP Flex, in which every employee enjoys unlimited vacation and flexible scheduling. Each employee will be oriented to the principles of Ballotpedia’s flexible environment during new employee training.

Compensation

The starting pay range for the Local Expansion Staff Researcher is $42,500-$44,000/year, commensurate with experience.

In addition to salary, Ballotpedia offers an annual benefits stipend equivalent to $8,000 that is paid out in equal increments in each paycheck once an employee becomes benefits eligible. The stipend may be used to pay for a full benefits package, including health, vision, and dental insurance; retirement accounts; and more. If benefits are not elected, the stipend is taxed as regular income and added to salary. 

To Apply

To apply, visit the Ballotpedia job opportunities page and fill out the form.

Please attach the following in PDF format:

• Résumé
• Cover letter detailing your interest in Ballotpedia’s mission and this position

Please ensure that either your résumé or your cover letter includes your current address.

Please note that 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 unbiased information about politics, elections, and public policy. Our mission is to ensure that the only unknown on your ballot is who gets your vote. We value innovation, humility, intellectual curiosity, drive, and a collaborative spirit and are committed to continuously improving our offerings to better serve our audiences, readers, and candidates.