Consultant: Michigan Nonpartisan Election Observation – Legal Analyst
About The Carter Center
The Carter Center is guided by a fundamental commitment to promoting human rights, alleviating human suffering, enhancing freedom and democracy, and improving health conditions. The Center seeks a highly qualified, motivated, and energetic consultant to serve as Legal Analyst for the Center’s nonpartisan election observation efforts in Michigan.
The Democracy Program works globally to support and strengthen participatory democracy, consistent with human rights. Beginning in 2020, The Carter Center began efforts to support good election administration in the United States, including expanding nonpartisan observation, bolstering dispute resolution, tracking disinformation and dangerous speech, contributing to electoral reform and accessibility, and promoting principles for trusted elections.
Employment Details
- Level of effort: Up to 22 days per month
- Start date: As soon as possible
- Location: Michigan (U.S.); travel within Michigan may be required; work may be based in Grand Rapids or Ann Arbor may be expected and remote work is also expected
- Pay: Commensurate with experience
- Length of assignment: Through January 30, 2027, with a high likelihood of extension/renewal depending on performance
Scope of Work and Responsibilities
Working under the supervision of a Democracy Program associate director, and in close coordination with the Atlanta-based project team, the consultant will:
Legal and Electoral Framework Analysis
- Serve as the primary point of contact for legal and regulatory analysis related to the Michigan election observation effort;
- Become familiar with the legal and regulatory framework governing elections in Michigan, as well as other relevant laws, regulations, procedures, and administrative rules related to the electoral process;
- Assess the legal framework and its implementation in practice, including its consistency with relevant domestic law and applicable democratic principles and standards;
- Collect, review, and summarize laws, regulations, procedures, and other legal materials relevant to the election process in Michigan for use by the project team;
- Prepare written analyses of the legal framework and identify key issues, strengths, gaps, or areas of concern relevant to the observation effort.
Stakeholder Engagement and Legal Monitoring
- Meet with relevant election officials, legal actors, and other stakeholders involved in implementing or interpreting election law and procedure;
- Liaise with relevant bodies and offices responsible for election administration, oversight, and dispute resolution;
- Engage, as appropriate and in coordination with the project team, with political stakeholders, civil society representatives, and other election-related interlocutors to understand legal and procedural issues affecting the election environment;
- Attend relevant public meetings, hearings, proceedings, or other events related to election administration, election disputes, or implementation of election law, and report on relevant developments;
- Monitor and analyze legal issues arising during the election period, including questions related to implementation, consistency, and dispute resolution.
Complaints, Disputes, and Issue Tracking
- Monitor and assess complaints, appeals, legal challenges, and other dispute-related developments relevant to the election process;
- Maintain a database or structured record of relevant legal developments, complaints, appeals, and dispute resolution processes, as needed;
- Ensure that relevant information about legal disputes or complaints is communicated to appropriate members of the project team in a timely manner;
- Analyze, from a legal perspective, the activities of election administration bodies and other relevant institutions, including the conduct and effectiveness of complaints and appeals processes.
Observation Methodology and Team Support
- Assist in the implementation of The Carter Center’s election observation methodology through contribution to the development and refinement of reporting tools, checklists, briefers, and other materials;
- Brief project team members on key legal issues relevant to the observation effort;
- Contribute to observer trainings by providing guidance on election law, relevant procedures, legal issues, and related reporting considerations;
- Support the integration of legal analysis into broader observation planning, field guidance, and reporting.
Reporting and Written Products
- Prepare supplemental memos and written analyses on specific legal or procedural issues, such as campaign finance and procurement and usage of election technology, on an as-needed basis
- Contribute to internal reports, briefing papers, and other written products related to the Michigan observation effort;
- As requested, contribute to preliminary statements, public reports, and the final project report, with primary responsibility for sections focused on the legal framework, legal developments, and dispute resolution;
- Review draft products for legal accuracy and inclusion of relevant legal references, as appropriate;
- Remain available for consultation on legal sections of project products through the completion of the reporting process.
Additional Support
- Assess other legal or rights-related issues relevant to the observation effort, including as they affect participation, access, inclusion, and election administration, as requested;
- Complete other tasks as requested to support the good functioning of the project.
Qualifications
- Relevant experience in election law, legal analysis, public law, administrative law, voting rights, election administration, and/or democracy, rights, or governance programming;
- Demonstrated ability to analyze legal and regulatory frameworks and explain complex legal issues clearly to non-legal audiences;
- Experience conducting legal research and producing concise, high-quality written analysis under tight deadlines;
- Familiarity with dispute resolution, complaints processes, administrative procedures, or litigation related to elections or public institutions is strongly preferred;
- Strong ability to synthesize legal and procedural developments into briefings, memos, and report sections;
- Experience contributing to trainings, briefings, or team guidance materials is preferred;
- Familiarity with U.S. elections is strongly preferred; ability to quickly learn Michigan-specific election law and procedures is required;
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills;
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office and legal or policy research tools.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience supporting election observation, election administration, voting rights, or civic monitoring work;
- Familiarity with Michigan election law, procedures, and post-election processes;
- Experience tracking election-related complaints, appeals, or litigation;
- Knowledge of accessibility, nondiscrimination, and inclusion issues in election administration;
- Experience working with diverse stakeholders, including election officials, civil society organizations, and legal practitioners.
How to apply
Please submit an application at the following link, including your CV and contact information: https://thecartercenter.formstack.com/forms/michigan_consultancy_application
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Only applicants selected for an interview or additional consideration will be notified.