Elections and Democracy Fellow

Center for Democracy & Technology•Washington, DC

19h•Onsite

About The Position

The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) is seeking a Fellow with policy, research, and/or operational expertise to advance our elections and democracy work. As part of CDT’s Elections and Democracy team, the Fellow will join CDT’s efforts to support secure, accessible, informed, and trustworthy elections by working with election officials, AI companies and online platforms, legislators, voting rights organizations, and other stakeholders. CDT supports election administrators in defending election infrastructure against cybersecurity threats and helping voters access authoritative information about elections and campaigns. We monitor trends and conduct research to understand how AI is impacting elections – from new campaign uses, to cyberattacks, to the risks of deepfakes and manipulation, to ensuring that widely-used AI tools return accurate information about when and how people can vote. CDT engages with these issues from both technical and policy-minded perspectives, creating solutions-oriented policy resources and actionable guidance for companies and election officials alike. The Elections and Democracy Fellow will contribute to the organization’s work across these issues, supporting the cybersecurity program in particular. The position requires a combination of administrative, research, and advocacy skills to bolster existing projects and respond to emerging issues. This individual will report to the Elections and Democracy Lead and will work under the supervision of, and in collaboration with, other senior and mid-level program staff. About CDT The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that fights to advance civil rights and civil liberties in the digital age. We champion policies, laws, and technical designs that empower people to use technology for good, while protecting against invasive, discriminatory, and exploitative uses. CDT was founded in Washington, D.C. in 1994 and has operated a second office, in Brussels, since 2014. CDT works to protect people’s rights across a range of technology uses and applications including privacy and data governance (including specific projects on health privacy, student privacy, worker privacy, and disability rights & tech), as well as projects on government surveillance, elections & democracy, free expression / platform governance, and AI governance. We engage policymakers in the U.S. and the European Union, advocate for companies to adopt best practices, represent the public interest in multi-stakeholder processes and standards bodies, file amicus briefs in court, conduct original research, and raise public awareness about how technology design and governance impact our democracy and social inequality.

Requirements

1-3 years of relevant professional experience (no specific degree is required and we encourage people from a variety of backgrounds to apply)
Demonstrated interest and experience with elections, including topics such as election technology and cybersecurity, election administration, trust and safety policy, and information environment issues
Outstanding organizational skills and attention to detail, including the ability to stay organized when working on multiple projects and adhere to deadlines with minimal oversight
Some experience using qualitative and/or quantitative research methods and producing research-based reports, blogs, or papers for publication
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate easily with non-experts about complex topics
Comfort working on long- and short-term tasks, finding solutions to problems as they arise, and taking ownership of your work
Sound judgement and interpersonal skills for communicating with diverse stakeholders from across government, the private sector, and civil society
An analytical approach and excitement to actively contribute ideas and opinions during meetings, develop impactful research products, and learn about technology policy
An energetic, entrepreneurial, and collaborative attitude and commitment to building trust-based relationships with colleagues

Responsibilities

Coordinate and execute logistics for convenings, including trainings for elections officials, stakeholder working groups, and public and private briefings; managing timelines, materials, and communications with internal teams and external partners
Support the development of high-quality communications and event materials, including drafting presentations, agendas, briefing memos, talking points, and follow-up summaries
Track, synthesize, and analyze federal and state policy developments related to elections, generative AI, and technology governance; maintain internal trackers and contribute to rapid-response analysis.
Conduct qualitative and desk research on emerging issues at the intersection of elections and technology, including AI-generated content, the role of political influencers in elections, platform policies, cybersecurity threats, and voter information ecosystems.
Contribute to the drafting and editing of policy outputs, including blog posts, briefs, reports, public comments, and similar materials in order to raise awareness about vulnerabilities, highlight best practices, and develop/disseminate recommendations among private and public sector stakeholders
Collaborate across all CDT teams, including those focused on free expression, disability rights, AI governance, state engagement, and communications.