Public Citizen- Internship on Voting Rights

Democracy in the United States is under systematic attack – big money raised in secret undermines the voice of the people in our elections, voting rights are being undermined and the security of our elections is threatened. Join the Democracy Is For People team in mobilizing the power of the people to combat these threat and defend our democracy.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission that corporations have a constitutional right to spend unlimited amounts of money to promote or defeat candidates for office.
Public Citizen has played a lead role in the effort to overturn Citizens United and is working on solutions to the problem of big money in politics locally too. We are looking for a few amazing interns to join us at ~20 hours per week during the spring and fall, and 20-40 hours a week during the summer.

You’ve heard that corporations have lobbyists. At Public Citizen, we’re the people’s lobbyists, representing the public in the halls of power. We fight for public health and safety, champion corporate and government accountability, and campaign for fair trade, clean energy, and consumer rights.

The Democracy Is For People Campaign has senior staff in our Washington, D.C.  and Syracuse, New York offices.

Responsibilities:

You’ll be working closely with our campaign organizers to build the campaign and help make it happen. Your work could include:

• working with activists around the country, including locally and in key states, to get them involved in strategic campaigns;
• develop issues and/or organizing expertise through dedicated assignments;
• conduct social media and online outreach to build campaign visibility and assisting with press outreach and events;
• reach out to potential partner organizations and officials to gain their endorsement and support;
• research and write on current topics regarding money in politics and election security.
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This is your chance to truly play an active role in making an impact in our nation’s history.

To Apply:

Public Citizen internships are available year round. Our summer internships are typically full time (40 hours a week for around eight weeks), although we have some flexibility as to hours and weeks. 

 **We accept unpaid internship applications on a rolling basis and currently are accepting applications for paid internships for Winter 2022.**

Public Citizen offers unpaid internships (credit can be arranged) and a small number of paid internships ($15.20 an hour). 

To be considered for a paid internship for Winter 2022, candidates must apply by November 15, 2021, and submit materials listed below.  Our Summer internships are typically full time (40 hours a week for around eight weeks), although we have some flexibility as to hours and weeks.  Chosen applicants will be notified by Monday, December 1, 2021.

Please send your cover letter and resume to Public Citizen, Attn: Jonah Minkoff-Zern, jzern@citizen.org.

Be sure to include what makes you passionate about the internship and past experiences you would bring to the campaign. Applications that are missing this key detail are typically not considered.

If you are applying for a paid internship, please include an essay outlining why you want to intern at Public Citizen and any other information about you that you wish to have considered, including your need for financial support (500 words or less). If you have completed the FAFSA, please also submit a copy of your Student Aid Report (SAR).

We are currently accepting applications, and applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible to be competitive.  Public Citizen is an equal opportunity employer.  women, people of color and LBGT candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.