TITLE:
Voter Engagement Canvasser
FLSA STATUS:
Non-Exempt (Hourly)
LOCATION:
West Michigan (Grand Rapids or Lansing areas)
HIRING RANGE:
$18.00 to $20.00, depending on experience and county.
OUR WHY: We believe that ordinary people can do extraordinary things. We uplift the voices of rural communities of color, farm workers and their families, including Latino and BIPOC rural communities. Rural organizing and advocacy are at the heart of what the CEC does; we recognize that our efforts in raising awareness on policy issues, educating farm workers, the public and policy makers—help create more just and equitable policies in government. The more farm workers can thrive by gaining legal status, better wages and worker protections, and a deeper understanding of the importance of their engagement, the greater the social and economic resilience of rural communities and our food system. Help us motivate these communities to engage civically during this critical election year.
THE POSITION: Voter Engagement Canvassers (VE Canvassers) engage and educate the Latino, Black, and BIPOC communities to increase civic participation and voter turnout. VE Canvassers carry out, door-to-door outreach, phone, digital, and text banking, and assist with voter registration and volunteer recruitment. Ideal candidates are bilingual, highly organized, and reliable self-starters who thrive in face-to-face communication. VE Canvassers support Regional Coordinators and Regional Field Managers in executing campaign strategies and goals.
This position may work closely with partner organizations to maximize the CEC’s presence and impact at the national and state levels.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: (This is not an exhaustive list)
- Field Operations & Voter Engagement:
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Educate and engage voters through door-to-door canvassing, digital organizing, phone banking, and text banking.
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Register voters and assist with vote planning; absentee ballot request or early voting processes.
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Provide information about the voting process and answer voter questions.
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Attend and participate in daily team check-ins, pre-briefs, and debriefs to set goals and report results.
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Assist with civic engagement events such as rallies, canvass launches, town halls, or voter education activities.
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Engage in deep canvassing strategies, to have a deeper understanding of voters’ issues.
- Team Support & Collaboration:
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Work under the guidance of the Regional Field Manager and assisted by Lead Field Organizers to execute turf assignments and campaign strategies.
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Collaborate with other canvassers and volunteers to achieve outreach goals.
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Help recruit volunteers for voter engagement events as needed.
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Community Engagement & Partnerships:
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Build relationships with local students, community members, business leaders, civic leaders, and grassroots organizations to support campaign outreach.
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Support broader community outreach efforts in alignment with CEC objectives.
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Data & Reporting:
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Enter and maintain accurate voter and turf data in campaign systems.
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Complete daily and weekly reports on outreach activity and progress.
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Campaign Goals & Culture:
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Help increase Latino, Black and BIPOC voter turnout through Get-Out-The-Vote (GOTV) strategies.
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Maintain a ‘¡Sí Se Puede!’® mindset and model, positivity and professionalism in the field.
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Meet campaign goals and metrics to the extent possible.
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Perform other duties as assigned.
SUPERVISING RESPONSIBILITIES:
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May supervise interns and/or volunteers.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS AND/OR QUALIFICATIONS:
The ideal candidate for this position must have a high level of professionalism and organization. The candidate must demonstrate competency in the following areas:
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Ability to work well with diverse groups, under challenging deadlines.
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Able to work a flexible schedule, including weekday evening and weekend hours as needed.
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Computer literacy: word-processing, Excel charts, and other work-related applications.
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Dedication to Mission. A genuine interest in immigrant and farm worker rights.
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Excellent oral and written communication skills in both Spanish and English.
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Experience with/leading voter engagement and/or community outreach.
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Outgoing and comfortable with talking to the public.
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Punctual, well organized, self-motivated, energetic, and motivated to work independently.
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Si Se Puede ® (It Can Be Done) Attitude. The embodiment of a personal spirit that promotes confidence, courage, and ability to lead.
- Strong organization, oral/written, interpersonal, communication skills: ability to manage time, meet deadlines, work well independently and in a team-oriented setting, and set priorities in an adaptive, fast-paced and responsive environment.
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Language Skills: Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public. This position requires bilingual and/or bi-literate ability (English/Spanish).
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Mathematical Skills: Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, percentages, area, circumference, and volume. Ability to apply concepts of basic algebra and geometry.
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Reasoning Ability: Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to solve practical problems. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:
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High School diploma or equivalent.
CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS:
- Must have reliable transportation and valid Driver’s License and vehicle insurance. Fuel reimbursement is available.
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Must be proficient with MS office applications (Word, Excel, Outlook)
ADDITIONAL AND/OR SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS AND/OR QUALIFICATIONS
COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement – The Civic Empowerment Coalition is committed to ensuring the health and safety of our community, employees, and program participants. While vaccinations and boosters are not currently mandatory, we strongly recommend their use as a crucial measure in reducing the transmission of COVID-19. It is imperative to emphasize that if a pandemic situation arises that necessitates vaccines and/or boosters, we will reinstate this requirement to protect everyone effectively. Vaccinations have proven to be effective in preventing the spread of the virus and reducing severe illness. By choosing to get vaccinated, individuals contribute to the collective effort in mitigating the impact of the pandemic and creating a safer environment for all. We will continually monitor the evolving situation and follow the guidance of health authorities.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
The physical demands described here are representative of those required to successfully perform the essential functions of this role. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear. The employee is extensively required to stand; walk; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision.
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER:
The CEC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We believe a strong commitment to equal employment opportunity is more than a legal and moral obligation – it is also a sound business practice to realize the potential of every individual. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive work environment for all! In order to provide equal employment and advancement opportunity to all individuals, employment decisions at the CEC will be based on merit, qualifications, and abilities. Except where required or permitted by law, employment practices will not be influenced or affected by an applicant’s or employee’s race, color, religion, sex/gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, ancestry, disability, genetic information, age, or any characteristic protected by law.
We encourage all qualified applicants to apply for a position fighting for farm worker and immigrant communities! The CEC believes in second chances. As an organization, we will rely on individualized assessments in the hiring of those with past criminal convictions.
The CEC will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with qualified disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act unless doing so would result in an undue hardship. Persons of color, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, persons with disabilities, persons who have lived in poverty, formerly incarcerated, persons 40 years old or older, and people fluent in more than one language are strongly encouraged to apply for open positions with the CEC.
This policy governs all aspects of employment, including selection, job assignment, compensation, counseling, discipline, termination, access to benefits and training. Our commitment to equal opportunity employment applies to all persons involved in our operations and prohibits unlawful discrimination by any employee, including supervisors and co-workers.
Anticipated end date: 11/06/2026
