Summer 2026 Legal Internship: Voting Rights & Election Protection

Overview

Promote the Vote Fund (PTVF) is a coalition of more than a dozen leading partner organizations who are dedicated to removing barriers to voting and safeguarding Michigan’s elections. From educating and engaging voters, to combating voter suppression, to coordinating Michigan’s legal response to election subversion, our coalition effectively cuts through the partisan noise to protect voting rights for the people of Michigan.

PTVF co-leads Michigan’s statewide nonpartisan Election Protection Program. As part of this work we recruit and train lawyers and law students to answer calls from Michiganders to the (866) OUR-VOTE nonpartisan Election Protection Hotline. Each year, thousands of voters and advocates call this hotline with questions about voting and to report incidents of voter intimidation and suppression. We also lead the coalition’s efforts to recruit and train on-the-ground election protection volunteers and to rapidly respond to voter suppression and to post-election canvass and certification issues.

We are seeking a hardworking, proactive, and organized law student to assist PTVF’s Election Protection Director with this work over the summer. If desired by both parties, the internship could continue through the fall semester to cover the November 2026 election, which is bound to be both pivotal and exciting. This internship is an excellent opportunity for a law student who is interested in gaining real world election law experience, so they can carry the fight for voting rights and democracy into the future. Although this internship can be fully remote, we have a preference for individuals who are from or based in Michigan.

Responsibilities

• Assisting PTVF’s Election Protection Director with the administration of the Michigan Call Center within the (866) OUR-VOTE Nonpartisan Election Protection Hotline. Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, training volunteers and answering their questions, assisting volunteers with legally complex calls during their shifts, and reviewing call data for completion and accuracy.
• Addressing incidents of voter suppression and other voting-related issues by reaching out to clerks and other election officials.
• Developing and updating election law training materials for hotline volunteers.
• Monitoring state and federal litigation in order to maintain PTVF’s litigation tracker and provide the PTVF team with updated summaries on a weekly basis.
• Assist PTVF’s Election Protection Director and Government and Public Affairs Director with legal research concerning proposed legislation, campaign finance, and any rapid response issues that arise during the voting period.
• Participate in regular check-ins with PTVF staff, and attend workgroup meetings with PTVF’s partner organizations, as needed.
• Monitor the election process at clerk’s offices, early voting sites, and/or polling places as a poll monitor or challenger, if Michigan based.

Qualifications

• Be a rising 2L or a rising 3L at an ABA-accredited law school.
• The ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment and to ask questions, gather information, think creatively, and ensure the work moves forward.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Superior organizational and time-management skills and the ability to work on multiple projects at the same time and complete tasks by their deadline.
• The ability to work flexible hours under tight deadlines and to effectively collaborate with Promote the Vote Fund staff and partner organizations.
• A passion for voting rights and ensuring that all eligible voters, regardless of who they plan to vote for, can cast a ballot free from intimidation and interference.
• Knowledge of and/or experience with Michigan election law is preferred.

Position Details

The internship term will be 10 weeks from June 2026 to August 2026 (exact start and end dates are negotiable, but the intern must be available to work through the August 4, 2026 Primary Election). There may be an opportunity to extend the contract beyond August 2026, if desired by both parties.

A stipend of $5,000 is available for this internship. Alternatively, the internship could count for school credit or pro bono hours. PTVF would also support an intern seeking external funding.

Although this position is fully remote, if the intern is based in Michigan, they may have the opportunity to attend in-person events or serve as a poll monitor or challenger.

The internship term will be 10 weeks from June 2026 to August 2026 (exact start and end dates are negotiable, but the intern must be available to work through the August 4, 2026 Primary Election). There may be an opportunity to extend the contract beyond August 2026, if desired by both parties.

A stipend of $5,000 is available for this internship. Alternatively, the internship could count for school credit or pro bono hours. PTVF would also support an intern seeking external funding.

Although this position is fully remote, if the intern is based in Michigan, they may have the opportunity to attend in-person events or serve as a poll monitor or challenger.