We’re in an election year, and it’s a key one (is it ever not?). If you’re not already sick of political ads, you better get ready to be bombarded with misinformation. Politicians spend a huge amount of money trying to convince you that they’ll fix all of our society’s problems (and that their opponents are evil and hate children—seriously I saw an ad in Illinois that said that), yet the facts about every politician are out there and easy to find. A big part of the reason why is Project Vote Smart, a non-profit organization based on a ranch in Philipsburg, Montana. According to Wikipedia Project Vote Smart was founded in 1992 by “40 national leaders, including Barry Goldwater, John McCain, former U.S. Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter.” PVS calls itself “The Voter’s Self-Defense System,” as it operates with the goal of collecting and distributing information about U.S. political candidates in a non-partisan way. They want voters to be able to make informed decisions based on personal values, regardless of what they may be, not political hyperbole.

Are You Smart Enough?

It’s hard to believe that an organization started by politicians is actually non-political, but it is. PVS only takes money from individual contributors and non-political foundations, and they only allow board members to join if they join with a political opposite. Project Vote Smart is all about preserving Democracy and ensuring that we the people are well enough informed to vote in a way that actually aligns with our beliefs. The best way to learn more about PVS is to watch the video embedded below. It’s a little long, and looks a bit outdated, but the content will tell you all of the basic information that you need to know about the organization.

If you like what you saw in the video, then you should check out jobs at Project Vote Smart. They don’t typically pay very much, but you’ll get to live on their Montana ranch/research center, which is surrounded by wilderness, elk, moose, and lots of outdoor opportunities. Right now they’re looking for a Media Coordinator and a Web Designer/Computer Artist at the entry level. There’s also an Executive Assistant position in their Tuscon, AZ office posted on Idealist. PVS looks like a fantastic organization to start your career with, so give them a deeper look.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

• VoteSmart.org
• Jobs at Project Vote Smart
• About Project Vote Smart
• Project Vote Smart’s History

What do you think of Project Vote Smart?

We've identified Project Vote Smart as having career opportunities in the following categories:

• advocacy
• all employers
• Arizona
• Montana
• non-profit
• public policy
• research

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