Law Team Staff Writer (Remote)

The Position

Ballotpedia is seeking a full-time, 100% remote Staff Writer to join our Law Team to primarily focus on election policy. 

The Law Team is responsible for becoming experts in the policies, stories, and conflicts that matter most to voters, constituents, and the public at large, including election administration. We are responsible for neutrally presenting the most important facts and news updates about these stories. We focus on the stories that matter most to the administration of elections in the U.S., and therefore may have a great effect on the balance of power and political outcomes in the country. We cover stories and policies at all levels of government, from federal to local. 

A successful staff writer will be passionate and knowledgeable about politics and public policy—including election policy. They will be comfortable conducting extensive research using media and political websites, state and federal law, official government sources, and through direct person-to-person outreach.

They must have the ability to write about complex topics in a neutral, clear, and concise manner. They must have a passion for accuracy, completeness, innovation, neutrality, and for creating a delightful experience for Ballotpedia’s readers. They should be able to demonstrate excellent writing, organizational skills, proofreading ability, and familiarity with the use of style guides. Ballotpedia has its own style guide that is based on the AP Stylebook.

They love critical feedback and view it as an opportunity to deliver greater value to our readers. Finally, they enjoy organizing their own lives and the world around them. They maintain orderly habits and perceive external disorder as an opportunity to innovate and improve.

Responsibilities

As a Law Team Staff Writer, you will:

• Conduct original research and analysis on topics relevant to election policy. 
• Develop 50-state knowledge of election administration policies and procedures, including recent history of changes to these policies, and ongoing debates or litigation in specific states, circuits, or groups of states (e.g., Republican trifectas). 
• Internalize the election administration issues covered across Ballotpedia to understand when a news event implicates an update to on-site articles. 
• Identify opportunities to expand Ballotpedia’s coverage of election policy topics, including through new articles and analysis opportunities. 
• Build and manage assigned articles in line with Ballotpedia's writing guidelines and expected quality levels.
• Contribute to the operation of Ballotpedia’s Election Policy Legislation Tracker.
• Monitor breaking news daily and make timely updates to articles based on judgment about what updates will most satisfy readers.
• Respond to news by quickly developing new articles as needed.
• Contribute to the publication of Ballotpedia's newsletter products.
• Use and generate complex procedure checklist documentation to perform key tasks.
• Ensure that your team's managing editor is aware of project progress.
• Learn and master Ballotpedia’s taxonomy of bias.
• Interact with co-workers, customers, and the media in a professional, helpful, and pleasant manner.

Skills and Qualifications

An ideal Law Team Staff Writer will possess:

• A demonstrated passion for Ballotpedia’s mission
• Knowledge of the United States political system
• Personal interest in U.S. election policy, with professional experience in covering election policy an added benefit
• Professional or academic writing or legislative research experience
• Experience using spreadsheets to manage large quantities of data 
• Superb organizational skills and a focus on detail
• A desire to work collaboratively with Ballotpedia staff from multiple departments
• Comfort seeking and responding to feedback
• A drive for innovation and flexibility, and an ability to identify and solve problems proactively
• Self-awareness and a drive toward constant improvement
• Interest in or experience using AI tools to increase productivity

Environment

The Law Team Staff Writer will work remotely from their home location. All Ballotpedia staff work remotely. To join Ballotpedia, you must have a computer with Internet access. Ballotpedia uses the Google Suite (Gmail, Google Calendar, Drive, and more), Slack, and Asana to accomplish our goals. Some familiarity with the Google Suite, Slack, and Asana are helpful.

Ballotpedia has a flexible work environment, BP Flex, in which every employee enjoys unlimited vacation and flexibility in 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 Law Team Staff Writer is $42,500-$44,000, 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 please visit our job opportunities page and complete an application on our website. Please attach the following in PDF format if possible:

• résumé
• cover letter detailing your interest in Ballotpedia’s mission/this position
• neutral writing sample (under five pages)

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.