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Summer 2025 Paid Intern, National Political Advocacy Department-Electoral Team

Remote/Hybrid-Washington DC

The ACLU seeks an Undergraduate or Graduate Intern in the National Political Advocacy Department – Electoral Team of the ACLU’s National office in Washington, DC. This position can be remote or hybrid.

 

The Team:

The National Political Advocacy Department builds power to achieve an accountable, representative democracy in order to protect and expand civil rights and civil liberties, and advance the freedom, equality, ability to prosper, and humanity of all people. Our electoral team aims to protect and expand civil rights and civil liberties by educating voters on the policy positions of candidates on ACLU priority issues.

What You’ll Do:

The Electoral Intern will be a crucial part of our small team, supporting the strategy and implementation work of the Deputy Director for Candidate Races and the two Electoral Strategists.

Your Day to Day

  • Joining meetings with external partners and ACLU affiliates in electoral priority states; scheduling meetings, maintaining agendas, note-taking, other administrative duties
  • Compiling and circulating press clips for upcoming electoral priority states
  • Tracking and organizing electoral data (we have many spreadsheets)
  • Drafting written materials for paid/earned media
  • Researching candidates or electoral opportunities

 

What You’ll Bring:

  • Please note: this opportunity is available for graduate students, recent graduates, and undergraduates who have completed at least 2 years of their BA. Early career applicants without a BA but with equivalent professional experience will also be considered.
  • A demonstrated/strong interest in electoral work, especially statewide and down-ballot elections
  • Excellent written/verbal communication, research and interpersonal skills
  • Strong organizational and time-management skills, strong attention to detail, ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines
  • Ability to work independently and collaboratively
  • Strong computer skills, especially spreadsheet skills or familiarity with spreadsheets

 

Future ACLU-ers Will:

  • Be committed to advancing the mission of the ACLU
  • Center and embed the principles of equity, inclusion and belonging in their work by demonstrating commitment to diversity with an approach that respects and values multiple perspectives
  • Be committed to work collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and conflict

Internship Logistics:

  • Location: Our internship program offers a limited number of remote or hybrid intern positions. This internship can be remote or hybrid and based in our DC National office. Please note that the Electoral Team is remote from several different states.
  • Time Commitment: Term-time internships may be completed on a part-time basis (10, 15, or 20 hours/week) or full-time (35 hours/week). Summer internships require a full-time commitment.
  • Internship Duration: Full-time internships span 10 consecutive weeks and part-time 12 weeks. This internship has a start date of May 27th or June 9th 2025.
  • Stipend: A stipend is available for students who are lawfully authorized to work. Arrangements can be made with educational institutions for work/study or course credit. Below are the stipend rates:
    • $20/hour for undergraduate students or equivalent experience
    • $24/hour for graduate and law students or equivalent experience.

Priority Application Deadline: February 28, 2025
While there is a priority deadline, our team is committed to reviewing all applications on a rolling basis until the closing of the posting.

 

Why the ACLU:
For over 100 years, the ACLU has worked to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States. Whether it’s ending mass incarceration, achieving full equality for the LGBTQ+ community, establishing new privacy protections for our digital age, or preserving the right to vote or the right to have an abortion, the ACLU takes up the toughest civil liberties cases and issues to defend all people.

Our Commitment to Accessibility, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Accessibility, equity, diversity, and inclusion are core values of the ACLU and central to our work to advance liberty, equality, and justice for all. For us diversity, equity and inclusion are not just check-the-box activities, but a chance for us to make long-term meaningful change. We are a community committed to learning and growth, humility and grace, transparency and accountability. We believe in a collective responsibility to create a culture of belonging for all people within our organization – one that respects and embraces difference; treats everyone equitably; and empowers our colleagues to do the best work possible. We are as committed to anti-oppression and anti-racism internally as we are externally. Because whether we’re in the courts or in the office, we believe ‘We the People’ means all of us.  

With this commitment in mind, we strongly encourage applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status and record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.  

The ACLU is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying online, please email benefits.hrdept@aclu.org. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request accommodations for the interview process.

The ACLU does not accept unsolicited calls or emails from candidates regarding their application status.

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The ACLU often engages in down-ballot races (e.g. Secretaries of State, State Supreme Courts, sheriffs, etc). Please write an informal but professional email to the hiring manager describing your interest in down-ballot races. Some suggested prompts: Is there a statewide or lower elected office you think people should care more about when it comes to civil rights and civil liberties issues? Was there a candidate that impressed you in 2024, or that you’ll be watching in 2025 or 2026? What interests you, and do you see any major opportunities and obstacles for that office or candidate?

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