Deputy Director of Voter Protection

About Ohio

Over the next two years the Ohio Democratic Party (ODP) will build an organization to win highly consequential elections up and down the ballot. The ODP is building back better as a focused, modern, and nimble force to elect Democrats statewide now and in the future.

Ohio is a top tier U.S. Senate pick up opportunity for national Democrats because of retiring Republican incumbents. The battle to save the Senate majority will be fought in Ohio. 2022 offers the chance to take control of the Ohio Supreme Court, make gains under new legislative maps, and win control of state government constitutional offices including Governor/Lt. Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Treasurer, and Auditor. These opportunities give Democrats in Ohio early and strategic gains in rebuilding the Ohio Democratic Party.

About the Opportunity

The Ohio Democratic Party is seeking a talented Deputy Director of Voter Protection to ensure that all eligible Ohioans are able to cast their ballot in the 2022 midterm elections. The Deputy Voter Protection Director is a crucial role that will focus on implementing a comprehensive voter protection plan by leading particular components of Ohio’s voter protection program. This individual will also help identify issues arising during all aspects of the election – voter registration, absentee ballot requests, early voting, election day voting and canvass – and will be a key part of the team that implements solutions.

Key Responsibilities:

• Work alongside the Voter Protection Director to implement Ohio’s voter protection plan
• Lead the Voter Protection Team’s programmatic efforts in one or more of the following areas: poll watching, voter protection hotline, county liaisons, chase and cure (to be assigned depending on your skills and experiences)
• Design and maintain strong data practices using the tools at our disposal, including LBJ, VAN/Votebuilder, Google sheets and other tools to track issues, volunteers, and voters
• Conduct legal research and assist the team with legal questions relating to voting procedures, voter suppression, intimidation, or efforts aimed at disenfranchising voters
• Recruit, train and organize volunteers to support the Voter Protection Team’s goals
• Support the Voter Protection Boiler Rooms on Election Day, making sure that voters’ issues are thoroughly documented, resolved where possible, and escalated and aggregated where appropriate
• Additional duties as assigned by the Voter Protection Director.

Core Competencies:

• JD preferred, but not required – Preference is given to individuals with a strong understanding of political campaigns and organizing principles who are committed to increasing access to the vote. Those who show a commitment to understanding election law and rules are strongly encouraged to apply.
• Experience with campaigns – The ideal candidate will have some prior voter protection experience (e.g., poll watcher, poll worker) and prior campaign experience in another area (e.g., organizing or field).
• Excellent problem-solving skills – You can find and utilize a variety of approaches to solve a problem.
• Strong project management skills – Demonstrated excellence in developing and leading the execution of multiple, complex projects simultaneously.
• Strong familiarity with VAN/Votebuilder, LBJ and Google Sheets

Personal Characteristics:

• Passionate and thoughtful about what and how they do work and with whom they work
• Resilient, resourceful, and adaptive to priority shifts and change (big and small);
• Kind but willing to apply soft elbows when needed
• Realistic but positive in outlook, not ego- or turf-driven, able to focus on opportunities when faced with challenges
• Collaborative by nature
• Fully invested in the success of Ohio Democrats.

Interested candidates should submit their resume and a detailed cover letter to Voter Protection Director, Cecilia Ugarte Baldwin, cbaldwin@ohiodems.org with subject line Deputy Voter Protection Director – (Insert Name).

ODP recognizes that our success requires that we be a place where a diverse mix of talented people want to come and do their best work. We are focused on building a staff that is diverse of race, gender and gender expression, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, national origin and all the other fascinating characteristics that make us different. Candidates of color, women, LGBTQI, and more are encouraged to apply.