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GIS Analyst Spring 2027 Internship (Paid/Remote)

Role overview

Summary

This internship focuses on supporting Ballotpedia's mission to provide clear election information by researching election boundary rules and processing shapefiles. You will collaborate with the Tech Team to enhance the sample ballot lookup app, ensuring voters have access to accurate election data.

Qualifications

  • Experience with GIS, including working with shapefiles and georeferencing using tools such as ArcGIS or QGIS.
  • Research and data entry skills
  • Attention to detail in following instructions
  • Ability to work remotely with a well-functioning computer and Internet access
  • Preferred: Familiarity with Google Applications

Responsibilities

  • Conduct research to understand election boundary rules
  • Source maps through online research and outreach to government offices
  • Format and process shapefiles to meet database requirements
  • Test and add boundaries to the Ballotpedia database

Key facts

  • Remote from: United States
  • Internships
  • Entry-level / graduate
  • GIS Analyst
  • English

Hard skills

Other skills

  • Research
  • Detail Oriented
  • Google Applications
  • Teamwork
  • Communication

About the company

Ballotpedia logo

Ballotpedia

  • News & Publishing
  • SME
  • 51–200
Ballotpedia is the online encyclopedia of American politics and elections. Our goal is to preserve and expand knowledge about politics by providing exceptionally high-quality, accurate, and objective information about local, state, and federal politics and policies. Our content includes neutral, accurate, and verifiable information on government officials and the offices they hold, political issues and public policy, elections, candidates, and the influencers of politics. Headquartered in Middleton, Wisconsin, Ballotpedia was founded in 2006. It has grown to include over 400,000 professionally authored encyclopedic articles that have garnered more than 1 billion page views.

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Job description

Intern Testimonials

“Interning at Ballotpedia is an incredibly rewarding experience. I have had the opportunity to work with a welcoming, supportive team which allows me to learn new skills and challenge myself. The feeling of knowing we are all working towards a common mission is unmatched — it gives the work a greater sense of purpose.” - Alisha Khodabocus, Summer/Fall 2025 GIS Analyst Intern

“Interning with Ballotpedia provides not just the opportunity to strengthen technical skills, but also the chance to work with a supportive team toward the incredibly important goal of making election information clear for American voters.” - Rook Bowman, Spring/Summer 2024 GIS Analyst Intern

“Ballotpedia is an excellent place to work. You will be encouraged to grow and learn, and be given the freedom to explore new territories.” - Noah Pedroso, Spring 2023 Data Engineering Intern

Program Description

As a Ballotpedia Tech Team GIS Analyst intern, your primary job includes a combination of  1) research and outreach to determine election boundary rules, and 2) formatting and processing shapefiles. All of this is in service of Ballotpedia's sample ballot lookup app <https://ballotpedia.org/Sample_Ballot_Lookup>, which allows voters to see upcoming elections for their address. Specifically,  your work will involve:

  • research to understand the legal requirements for who can vote in which types of elections
  • sourcing maps through online research, outreach to government offices, or georeferencing to create new shapefiles
  • testing and formatting the files to conform to Ballotpedia's database requirements
  • working with the Ballotpedia database to add the boundaries and perform tests

As an intern, you will go through a similar onboarding experience to full-time Ballotpedia employees. You will meet one-on-one weekly with a member of the team to coordinate your tasks. 

Desirable experience for GIS Analyst intern:

  • GIS (working with shapefiles, formatting, georeferencing) using tools such as ArcGIS or QGIS
  • Research/data entry
  • Attention to detail in following instructions

Ballotpedia’s spring 2027 internship runs from Monday, January 11, 2027 through Friday, May 7, 2027. Ballotpedia’s spring internship is a part-time internship program; interns will work approximately 10-20 hours per week depending on their availability. 

Ballotpedia is happy to facilitate credit for your internship experience if that is available to you. If you will be seeking credit for your internship, and if there is anything that Ballotpedia will need to do to assist you, please include that information in the same file as your cover letter.

Environment

Ballotpedia interns will work remotely, as all Ballotpedia staff work remotely. To join Ballotpedia, you must have a well-functioning computer with Internet access. Ballotpedia uses Google Applications (Gmail, Google Calendar, Drive and more) to accomplish our goals. Some familiarity with Google Applications is helpful.

Compensation

Interns will be compensated at $20.00 per hour.

Please note: If the minimum wage in your area is more than $20.00 per hour, you will be compensated per your area’s minimum wage.

To Apply

Please attach the following in PDF format:

  • résumé
  • cover letter which states your interest in the GIS Analyst internship including:
    • a statement of what you hope to learn from this internship

Please ensure that either your resume or your cover letter includes your current address. Applications that do not include a current address will not be accepted.

If you are hired for this position, Ballotpedia participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. If E-Verify cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, Ballotpedia is required to give you written instructions and an opportunity to contact the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or Social Security Administration (SSA) so you can begin to resolve the issue before the employer can take any action against you, including terminating your employment. Employers can only use E-Verify once you have accepted a job offer and completed the Form I-9. For more information on E-Verify, or if you believe that your employer has violated its E-Verify responsibilities, please contact DHS.

About Ballotpedia

Ballotpedia is a mission-driven organization dedicated to providing Americans with accurate, relevant, and reliable information about politics, elections, and public policy. Our goal is to close the ballot information gap and help voters make informed decisions. We value innovation, humility, hunger, and a collaborative spirit and are committed to continuously improving our offerings to better serve our audiences, readers, and candidates.

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