Law Team Staff Writer (Remote)

Ballotpedia

12h • $42,500 - $44,000 • Remote

About 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.

Requirements

• A demonstrated passion for Ballotpedia’s mission
• Knowledge of the United States political system
• 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

Nice To Haves

• Personal interest in U.S. election policy, with professional experience in covering election policy an added benefit
• Interest in or experience using AI tools to increase productivity
• Some familiarity with the Google Suite, Slack, and Asana are helpful.

Responsibilities

• 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.

Benefits

• Unlimited vacation
• Flexibility in scheduling
• 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.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed