Elections and Democracy Fellow

The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) is seeking a Fellow with policy research and/or operational expertise to advance our elections and democracy work. As part of CDTs Elections and Democracy team the Fellow will join CDTs efforts to support secure accessible informed and trustworthy elections by working with election officials AI companies and online platforms legislators voting rights organizations and other stakeholders.

CDT supports election administrators in defending election infrastructure against cybersecurity threats and helping voters access authoritative information about elections and campaigns. We monitor trends and conduct research to understand how AI is impacting elections from new campaign uses to cyberattacks to the risks of deepfakes and manipulation to ensuring that widely-used AI tools return accurate information about when and how people can vote. CDT engages with these issues from both technical and policy-minded perspectives creating solutions-oriented policy resources and actionable guidance for companies and election officials alike.

The Elections and Democracy Fellow will contribute to the organizations work across theseissues supporting the cybersecurity program in particular. The position requires a combination of administrative research and advocacy skills to bolster existing projects and respond to emerging issues. This individual will report to the Elections and Democracy Lead and will work under the supervision of and in collaboration with other senior and mid-level program staff.

About CDT

The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that fights to advance civil rights and civil liberties in the digital age. We champion policies laws and technical designs that empower people to use technology for good while protecting against invasive discriminatory and exploitative uses. CDT was founded in Washington D.C. in 1994 and has operated a second office in Brussels since 2014. CDT works to protect peoples rights across a range of technology uses and applications including privacy and data governance (including specific projects on health privacy student privacy worker privacy and disability rights & tech) as well as projects on government surveillance elections & democracy free expression / platform governance and AI governance. We engage policymakers in the U.S. and the European Union advocate for companies to adopt best practices represent the public interest in multi-stakeholder processes and standards bodies file amicus briefs in court conduct original research and raise public awareness about how technology design and governance impact our democracy and social inequality.

Responsibilities

Key responsibilities for this position include:

• Coordinate and execute logistics for convenings including trainings for elections officials stakeholder working groups and public and private briefings; managing timelines materials and communications with internal teams and external partners

• Support the development of high-quality communications and event materials including drafting presentations agendas briefing memos talking points and follow-up summaries;

• Track synthesize and analyze federal and state policy developments related to elections generative AI and technology governance; maintain internal trackers and contribute to rapid-response analysis.

• Conduct qualitative and desk research on emerging issues at the intersection of elections and technology including AI-generated content the role of political influencers in elections platform policies cybersecurity threats and voter information ecosystems.

• Contribute to the drafting and editing of policy outputs including blog posts briefs reports public comments and similar materials in order to raise awareness about vulnerabilities highlight best practices and develop/disseminate recommendations among private and public sector stakeholders;

• Collaborate across all CDT teams including those focused on free expression disability rights AI governance state engagement and communications.

Qualifications

This is a full-time Fellowship that runs from the agreed start date through December 31 2027 with the possibility of extending or transitioning to a permanent role at CDT after the fellowship based on performance the organizations needs and availability of funds.

• 1-3 years of relevant professional experience (no specific degree is required and we encourage people from a variety of backgrounds to apply);

• Demonstrated interest and experience with elections including topics such as election technology and cybersecurity election administration trust and safety policy and information environment issues;

• Outstanding organizational skills and attention to detail including the ability to stay organized when working on multiple projects and adhere to deadlines with minimal oversight;

• Some experience using qualitative and/or quantitative research methods and producing research-based reports blogs or papers for publication;

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills including the ability to communicate easily with non-experts about complex topics;

• Comfort working on long- and short-term tasks finding solutions to problems as they arise and taking ownership of your work;

• Sound judgement and interpersonal skills for communicating with diverse stakeholders from across government the private sector and civil society;

• An analytical approach and excitement to actively contribute ideas and opinions during meetings develop impactful research products and learn about technology policy; and

• An energetic entrepreneurial and collaborative attitude and commitment to building trust-based relationships with colleagues
  

Compensation and Location

The compensation for this position ranges from $. Compensation is determined on a tiered pay scale based on years of experience and the responsibilities of the role. Candidates may request guidance on where they would fall within the salary range prior to their first interview or any time thereafter. CDT provides a generous benefits package that includes health care and dental coverage for employees and dependents a retirement plan paid vacation sick days and parental leave.

This position is based in CDTs Washington D.C. office. Staff in the D.C. area are expected in the office on Mondays Wednesdays and Thursdays.

To Apply

Please send a CV and cover letter describing your interest in the position and your experience/qualifications for such work by clicking the apply for this position button below. These materials should be compiled into one PDF or document for submission. If you have any questions please feel free to contact .