Election Research Intern - Part time

About the role

Research the voting records, sponsored legislation, and public positions of the 20 candidates running in the Lehigh Valley’s 10 competitive state House races, across six topics: ICE/Immigration, Data Centers, Energy, Housing, Education Funding, and Marijuana. Findings feed candidate profiles and voter guide content ahead of the fall election.

Responsibilities

• Incumbents
  • Identify key bills tied to each of the six topics (editor-assigned, hands-on for this part)
  • Track how each incumbent voted on those bills
  • Flag any legislation the incumbent introduced or co-sponsored addressing these topics
• Challengers
  • For candidates with prior local-government experience (Jeff Warren, 137th; Ce-Ce Gerlach and possibly Robert Smith, 22nd), research any legislation or measures they introduced at that level touching the six topics
  • Review campaign websites, social media, and public statements for stated positions on each topic
  • Note where no public record exists on a given topic
• Gaps and follow-up
  • Flag candidates/topics with no paper trail
  • Assist with follow-up outreach or interview questions when direct records aren’t available (editor will determine format; phone/in-person preferred over email)
• Output
  • Produce structured research files per candidate/topic (format to be provided), summarizing sourced findings for editor review and further reporting
• All other duties as assigned

Requirements

• Skills: Detail-oriented researcher
• Knowledge: Political campaigns and research; experience with Public Media or similar organizations
• Experience: Working toward Bachelor’s degree in journalism, political science, communications, or government/public policy
• Traits: Creative team-player able to build and execute an event strategy that meets organizational goals
• Characteristics: Passionate ambassador, able to inspire and engage the broader community with the organization’s mission

May be asked to work longer hours and occasional weekends with short notice. Must possess a valid driver’s license and a good driving record as determined by a driver’s license background check. All team members must successfully pass a background check (7 years), FBI fingerprint clearance, and PA child clearance.