Democracy Associate Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Job Title: Election Administration and Field Associate

Organization: Michigan United

Nature of Work: 501(c)(3)

The Election Administration and Field Associate serves as the operational backbone of Michigan United’s election protection program. This role develops and maintains the vital infrastructure that makes our field deployments possible: building local clerk relationships, managing the challenger credentialing pipeline, building data models, and coordinating with our coalition partners. Because election administration requires continuous engagement, this is a year-round position. The relationships cultivated in the winter shape what Michigan United can achieve in August, and the frameworks built after the general election serve as the foundation for the following cycle.

As the division’s primary liaison to Michigan’s election administration community, the Associate builds collaborative, professional relationships with local clerks to deeply understand each jurisdiction's unique dynamics. This ensures Michigan United operates with the highest level of professionalism and effectiveness when it matters most.

This role is beautifully balanced between relationship-building and technical data management. You will serve as our internal expert on BOB (Michigan United’s internal field data system), VoteGuard (our coalition site-coverage platform), and the organization’s precinct analysis models.

Michigan United is building a vibrant, inclusive democracy in Michigan where community members organize to build power to affect change at local, state, and national levels. We work to dismantle systemic barriers perpetuating inequality by building power. Michigan United defines power as the ability to act, which comes in the form of organized people and organized money. We focus on issues through a racial, economic, gender, immigrant, and environmental justice lens, serving as a hub of people-centered leadership development, issue organizing, and civic power building. We are guided by our Theory of Change.

We are dedicated to dismantling oppressive systems and transforming lives through tangible victories and leadership development. We believe in the power of a united community driven by a shared vision and strategic action. Our commitment to a democracy that reflects our base is at the core of our work, guiding us as we organize and mobilize communities, build collective power, and seek just outcomes. We aim to create a Michigan where the government and our economy are inclusive, accountable, and equitable.

Michigan United's approach is grounded in practicality, driven by our values, and focused on building a state where dignity, equity, and justice are realities, not just aspirations. Through strong relationship-building, continuous leadership development, and strategic collective action, we are paving the way for the systemic changes our communities deserve. We are a statewide organization of community members and institutions fighting for the dignity and potential of every person.

Cultivating long‑term, trusted relationships with local election officials is a cornerstone of this role. Supporting targeted municipalities across Wayne, Genesee, Saginaw, Oakland, Washtenaw, and Macomb counties, the Associate maintains active, open communication with local election administrators.

• Relationship Tracking: Maintain a living engagement log for targeted municipalities, tracking key contact information, relationship status, ongoing conversations, and follow‑up tasks.
• Log Maintenance: Keep the engagement log consistently updated following clerk interactions to ensure accurate organizational records.
• Goal Alignment: Ensure targeted municipal profiles are thoroughly mapped out and active ahead of the primary season, keeping leadership informed of progress during active election periods.
• Convenings & Spaces: Represent Michigan United at key administrator convenings, including the Michigan Department of State Democracy Partner Meeting and the Election Official Workgroup.
• Operational Insights: Build collaborative dynamics that provide early insights into site logistics, equipment changes, polling location alterations, and other adjustments impacting field planning.
• County Protocols: Coordinate Oakland County clerk engagement in alignment with the Oakland Forward protocol, ensuring collaboration frameworks are finalized prior to launching local program activities.

Michigan United directly manages its own challenger credentialing process. The Associate guides the entire pipeline, from initial application tracking through Election Day site assignments.

• Regulatory Compliance: Develop a deep understanding of the Michigan statutory credentialing framework, including application windows, site capacity limits, permissible challenge guidelines, and the differing protocols for early voting vs. Election Day and absent voter processing facilities.
• Application Submissions: Manage and submit primary election credentialing applications by the mid‑May statutory deadline.
• General Election Scaling: Oversee general election credentialing applications with a goal of confirming 250 credentialed challengers by August.
• Data Organization: Maintain a clear credentialing tracker detailing challenger names, site assignments, training statuses, and contact logs.
• Capacity Mapping: Proactively connect with priority county clerks ahead of elections to confirm challenger capacity limits at absent voter processing facilities.
• Early Voting Strategy: Coordinate credentialing logistics for the early voting windows, aiming to support 30–40 primary sites and 60–75 general election sites.
• Pipeline Updates: Monitor site coverage closely and collaborate with the Deputy Director to quickly address any regional volunteer gaps.

Our precinct data model guides our site prioritization, resource sharing, and volunteer deployment. The Associate maintains and refines this model to keep our strategies data‑driven.

• Model Upkeep: Maintain the living precinct data model for target areas, integrating prior incident data, demographic trends, historical barriers to voting, and partner feedback.
• Strategic Validation: Review and update the data model with the Deputy Director ahead of primary and general early voting windows.
• Field Guidance: Use model outputs to provide data‑backed recommendations for volunteer placements, high‑priority site double‑coverage, and Poll Chaplain locations.
• Post‑Election Refinement: Integrate post‑election feedback and field data back into the model within 30 days of an election to continually sharpen our approach.
• Coalition Sharing: Share relevant data trends with our broader coalition partners through the VoteGuard platform.

VoteGuard is Michigan United’s partner‑facing tool used to share volunteer coverage plans and collaborate transparently across the progressive ecosystem.

• Primary Updates: Populate VoteGuard with Michigan United’s primary election coverage footprint well ahead of the early voting window.
• General Election Entry: Manage data entry for 200+ target sites in VoteGuard prior to the start of general early voting.
• Coalition Collaboration: Connect with partner organizations to minimize coverage overlap and maximize the collective footprint across key regions.
• Strategic Visibility: Stay informed of partner deployments via VoteGuard to help guide Michigan United's own field strategies.

BOB (Bob the Voter) is Michigan United’s internal data application where field volunteers input real‑time qualitative and quantitative updates directly from polling locations.

• System Administration: Act as the lead administrator for the BOB system within the division.
• Volunteer Onboarding: Train field volunteers on data entry protocols prior to active deployment windows.
• Real‑Time Monitoring: Keep a pulse on incoming data during early voting and Election Day, flagging anomalies or reporting gaps to the team.
• Reporting: Convert raw field data into accessible post‑election reports and reflection summaries within 30 days of an election.
• Tech Collaboration: Work closely with the internal technology team to test features, provide feedback, and maintain system health.
• Long‑Term Planning: Ensure field data maps cleanly into our long‑term precinct models to assist with future cycle planning.

To navigate an ever‑evolving policy landscape, the Associate tracks legislative shifts to inform our field operations and voter education efforts.

• Legislative Monitoring: Stay updated on key federal and state voting rights policies, bills, and ballot initiatives.
• Coalition Tables: Participate regularly in spaces like the PTV Policy and Legislative Meeting and the MI CES Workgroup.
• Leadership Briefings: Provide monthly written updates on legislative statuses to the Deputy Director during active program cycles.
• Educational Integration: Share relevant legislative updates with the Voter Services and Access Associate to help keep Know Your Rights curricula up to date.

• Assignment Matrix: Create comprehensive site assignment schedules detailing volunteer roles, shift times, and supervisor contacts before each election.
• Safety Coordination: Coordinate closely with the Democracy Defenders program to align volunteer placements at high‑priority locations.
• Program Integration: Align site selections and logistics collaboratively with the Poll Chaplains program.
• Legal Corps Liaison: Partner with the Election Legal Volunteer Corps to coordinate attorney coverage schedules and legal observer placements.
• Reporting Rhythms: Share regular progress reports with the Deputy Director during peak preparation and deployment weeks.
• Incident Routing: Help manage the (866) OUR‑VOTE incident routing system alongside field supervisors.
• Incident Escalation: Document and route priority field incidents to legal counsel within 24 hours when legal review is required.

• Program Post‑Mortems: Complete a thorough post‑election reflection for the operations lane within 30 days of an election, highlighting highlights, data overviews, and future adjustments.
• Certification Tracking: Coordinate scheduling and logistics for volunteers monitoring county board of canvassers meetings in target counties.
• Off‑Season Relationship Building: Maintain consistent, warm touchpoints with local election clerks during the off‑season to preserve organizational relationships.
• Strategic Input: Contribute operational insights to the team's annual planning and future program design.

• Experience: Minimum 2 years of experience in election administration, election protection, field organizing, or civic engagement operations.
• Election Knowledge: A solid foundational understanding of Michigan election processes (such as credentialing rules and polling place roles), or a proven ability to quickly master complex regulatory frameworks.
• Organization: Strong project management skills with experience tracking multiple distinct workflows and timelines simultaneously.
• Technical Comfort: Experience working with databases, spreadsheets, or field data software, along with a comfort for maintaining data quality.
• Diplomacy: Ability to build and maintain respectful, professional relationships with public officials from diverse backgrounds and political viewpoints.
• Travel: Valid Michigan driver’s license and access to reliable transportation for regular statewide travel.
• Schedule: Flexibility to work non‑traditional hours, including evenings and weekends, during active election deployment windows.

• Prior experience working directly within Michigan municipal clerk offices, the Bureau of Elections, or in non‑partisan election administration.
• Familiarity with tools like VoteGuard, BOB, or comparable civic tech data platforms.
• Familiarity with the regional layout and political landscape of Wayne, Genesee, Oakland, Saginaw, Washtenaw, and Macomb counties.
• Experience working within a 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) structure, with a comfort navigating respective organizational guidelines.

• Job Classification: Exempt, Full‑Time
• Compensation: $60,000
• Work Schedule: 40 hours per week, primarily weekdays with some evenings and weekends based on campaign cycles.
• Location: Hybrid (Detroit, MI office & virtual options)
• Benefits: Health, Vision, Dental, PTO, 401K, Discretionary Year‑End Contributions, etc.

Michigan United contracts with BOOM LLC for backend and operational support, including hiring and employment. BOOM LLC is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. We strongly encourage applications from people of color, women, LGBTQ+ individuals (including trans, queer, and non‑binary communities), individuals with disabilities, parents, system‑impacted individuals, immigrants, and anyone who has experienced systemic oppression or gender‑based violence.