Election Protection and Policy Organizer (Temporary)

We are looking for a collaborative and energetic Election Protection Organizer to join the Common Cause Michigan team. This is a key role supporting our work to grow and diversify our audience and volunteer base as we work to engage millions more in our fight to protect and strengthen democracy in advance of this significant upcoming election.  

This role is at the intersection of community and democracy. You will work with various communities across the state to expand our growing membership base through recruitment efforts and by engaging members in our Election Protection programming. You will also provide comprehensive Election Protection training and serve as a first point of contact for volunteers and members.   Additionally, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring our elections run smoothly through building strong relationships with local elections officials.

This role reports to the Michigan Executive Director and is located within Michigan, with the expectation to travel to various in-state locations 3-4 times per week. This is a full-time, temporary role, starting ideally September 16, 2024 and running through December 15, 2024.

Responsibilities  

Engage members in our Election Protection efforts

· Recruit and train members and volunteers to serve as volunteers for early voting, election day, and post-election activities

· Develop and lead engaging Election Protection trainings for members, volunteers, and community partners

· Develop our membership through engaging and informative member events

· Create and disseminate Election Protection-related educational resources and toolkits using traditional (print, tv, etc.) and digital communication platforms

· Create systems to manage Common Cause members and volunteers for early voting and election day, including sign-up and placement of volunteers, calling volunteers to engage or re-engage them, collecting data from volunteers, etc.

Build and maintain relationships with community partners, elected officials, and local elections officials

· Represent Common Cause in various coalitions, particularly those related to election official engagement

·  Lead Common Cause Michigan’s election official outreach work with a focus on building strong relationships with local elections officials

·  Support Common Cause Michigan’s election administration advocacy work by developing resources for partners, elections officials, and the general public

·  Collaborate with Boards of Elections across Michigan to discuss early voting, election day, and post-election needs

·  Build relationships with key stakeholders and host community meetings to understand current barriers to voter participation

• A strong commitment to Common Cause’s nonpartisan mission 
• Experience working quickly and in a fast-paced environment   
• A track record of building strong relationships and working collaboratively with diverse groups of people 
• An ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously 
• Strong organization skills, and an ability to manage your time independently 
• Strong oral and written communication skills  
• Openness to feedback and awareness of your own strengths and areas for growth  

• Experience growing volunteer and membership bases
• Experience working on an issue-based or political campaign 
• Experience using Microsoft Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), and learning new software (bonus if you know how to use Zoom, Canva, Find Your Shift, Mobilize, and Periscope)
• Ability to travel within the state ranging between a few times a week up to daily during the peak of our season for in-person activities, with the ability to work weekends and evenings
• You must have access to a vehicle to transport election materials (miles driven on official business in your personal vehicle will be reimbursed at the federal mileage rate)
• Per our non-partisan policy, Common Cause staff members may not currently be in elected office (or running for office); on the Steering Committee or Finance Committee for any political candidate; or affiliated with the leadership of a political party

• This position is temporary. Therefore, it is not included in a union-represented collective bargaining unit and specific employment terms and conditions are subject to collective bargaining negotiations.  
• Common Cause is unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time; please note that if hired, you will be asked to produce documentation for authorization to work in the US.   

Common Cause is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applicants of any race, creed, color, religion, ethnicity, national origin, income class, political affiliation, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, veteran status, or marital status, as well as applicants who have been previously incarcerated.  

Common Cause (501(c)(4)) and Common Cause Education Fund (501(c)(3)) are nonpartisan, nonprofit grassroots affiliate organizations dedicated to upholding the core values of American democracy. We work to create an open, honest, and accountable government that serves the public interest; promote equal rights, opportunity, and representation for all; and empower all people to make their voices heard in the political process.  

Founded in 1970 and headquartered in Washington, DC, Common Cause has more than 1.5 million members and supporters living in every congressional district in the United States, and offices in 23 states around the country.