Volt Voting Platform Project - Vacancies

What is it?

The Volt Voting Platform is an open-source, secure digital voting system designed specifically for Volt Europa's internal democratic processes and elections. It provides end-to-end verifiable voting with cryptographic security while maintaining ballot secrecy and transparency.

System Architecture

Two Main Frontend Applications:

• Admin Interface (@/admin) - Election management dashboard for administrators
• Public Voting App (@/app) - Voter-facing interface for casting ballots

Backend & Infrastructure:

Laravel 12 API

MariaDB Database

Docker Containerization

Integration Services:

• Logto.io Authentication and user management
• CiviCRM Member database integration for voter eligibility
• ElectionGuard Cryptographic voting security

Key Features

• Secure Cryptographic Voting End-to-end verifiable elections
• Multi-language Support Internationalization for European audience
• Ballot Designer Visual ballot creation with drag-and-drop interface
• Voter Management Automated sync with CiviCRM member database
• Audit Logging Complete transparency and accountability
• Magic Link Authentication Secure, passwordless voter access

Our Commitment to Inclusive Volunteering

Volt Europa is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment. Our process for bringing on new volunteers is designed to provide equal opportunities and remove barriers for all applicants. We actively seek volunteers from all backgrounds, regardless of disability, age, gender identity and expression, national origin, race and ethnicity, religious beliefs, or sexual orientation. We welcome all kinds of diversity.

Research shows that people from underrepresented groups often only apply when they meet 100% of the requirements. We explicitly encourage you to apply: you don’t have to tick every box. We value your potential and motivation!

Volunteer Team Roles Needed

We are looking for passionate volunteers to join our team. Below are the roles we are currently looking to fill. All roles are remote and flexible.

What we offer all volunteers:

• A collaborative and dynamic pan-European team.
• Opportunities to develop your skills in a real-world, modern open-source project.
• A chance to make a significant impact on democratic technology in Europe.
• A flexible, remote-first environment with mentorship from experienced team members.

Core Development Team

Frontend Developer (React/TypeScript)

What you'll do:

• Maintain and enhance the admin dashboard (@/admin) and the voter-facing interface (@/app).
• Implement responsive design and accessibility features.
• Work on internationalization and multi-language support.

What you'll bring:

• Experience with React, TypeScript, and Tailwind CSS.
• Familiarity with modern frontend tooling (Vite, npm).
• An understanding of UI/UX design principles.
• Experience with drag-and-drop interfaces is a plus.

Backend Developer (PHP/Laravel)

What you'll do:

• Maintain and enhance Laravel API endpoints.
• Work on database schema design and migrations.
• Help with integration of external services (CiviCRM, Logto, ElectionGuard).
• Focus on performance optimization and security hardening.

What you'll bring:

• Strong knowledge of PHP 8.2+ and the Laravel framework.
• Experience with RESTful API design.
• Familiarity with database design (MariaDB/MySQL).
• Understanding of authentication systems (JWT, OAuth).

UI/UX and Security

UI/UX Designer

What you'll do:

• Design intuitive and voter-friendly interfaces.
• Ensure accessibility compliance (WCAG guidelines).
• Work on multi-language interface design.
• Conduct user research and usability testing.

What you'll bring:

• Experience with UI/UX design tools (Penpot, Figma, or similar).
• Knowledge of accessibility standards.
• An interest in democratic processes and user-centric design.
• Consideration for European language and cultural contexts.

Security & Cryptography Specialist

We are looking for individuals with expertise in application security and cryptography to help ensure the integrity of our voting platform. If you have a background in security audits, penetration testing, or applied cryptography, please reach out!

Quality Assurance

QA Engineer

What you'll do:

• Perform manual and automated testing of the platform.
• Help with election simulation and stress testing.
• Ensure cross-browser and device compatibility.
• Coordinate with the development team on security testing.

What you'll bring:

• Experience with test automation frameworks or a willingness to learn.
• A methodical approach to manual testing.
• An understanding of voting processes.
• Excellent attention to detail.

Documentation & Community

Technical Writer

What you'll do:

• Maintain and improve API documentation.
• Write user guides for administrators and voters.
• Enhance our developer onboarding documentation.
• Help with translation coordination.

What you'll bring:

• Strong technical writing skills and the ability to explain complex topics clearly.
• Familiarity with documentation tools (Markdown, etc.).
• European language skills are a plus.

Community Manager

What you'll do:

• Help with GitHub issue triage and management.
• Coordinate and onboard new volunteers.
• Communicate with Volt Europa stakeholders.
• Foster a welcoming and productive open-source community.

What you'll bring:

• Strong project management and communication skills.
• An understanding of open-source workflows.
• Familiarity with the Volt Europa structure is beneficial.

Integration Specialists

CiviCRM Integration Developer

What you'll do:

• Maintain and improve the CiviCRM API integration.
• Work on voter eligibility synchronization logic.
• Help optimize member database interactions.
• Develop custom CiviCRM extensions if needed.

What you'll bring:

• Experience with the CiviCRM API.
• Strong PHP development skills.
• Knowledge of database synchronization techniques.
• An understanding of membership systems.

Commitment Levels

We are flexible and appreciate any time you can contribute. As a guideline, we suggest the following commitment levels to be effective in the roles:

• Core Team (Frontend/Backend): 10-15 hours/week
• Specialized Roles (Security, UI/UX): 5-10 hours/week
• Support Roles (QA, Documentation): 3-8 hours/week
• Community Roles: 2-5 hours/week

How to Get Involved

We have a straightforward process to welcome new volunteers and ensure a great experience for everyone.

1. Review Our Project: Get a feel for what we're building. You can review our CONTRIBUTING.md guide and browse issues labeled "good first issue" on GitHub to see how you can contribute.
2. Express Your Interest: by applying here:
   • For any questions: Send an email to humanresources@volteuropa.org with the role(s) you are interested in. Tell us a bit about yourself and your motivation.
3. Introductory Call: We'll schedule a brief, informal chat to get to know you, discuss your interests and skills, and see how you can best contribute to the project.
4. Onboarding: Once you're ready to join, we'll help you get set up:
   • Set up the development environment using Docker.
   • Join our team communication channels.
   • Attend our weekly team sync meetings to meet the team.
   • We'll help you find your first task or a "good first issue" to get started.

This platform is crucial for Volt Europa's democratic processes, making it an impactful project for volunteers passionate about democracy, technology, and European integration!

Use this form to apply.