Urgent this week: Advocate to New York State Legislature

About the job

Title: New York Legislature Advocate

Reports to: SMART Legislation, Executive Director

Leads & Collaborates with: SMART Legislation Action Team

Send Email with reason you’d like to join our team & resume to: SMARTlegislation@gmail.com

Urgent Need for Advocate to Come On Board This Week

Due to the budget being delayed more than 6 weeks, there is a scramble in the legislature now to get all legislative business done in 1 week.

We would like someone on the ground in Albany to help us rise above the noise and make the point that our top priority piece of legislation is a critical, must-pass bill. It will ensure that New York voters do not lose the option of using hand-marked paper ballots - the system currently in use and that experts recommend.

Due to outdated election statutes, counties have started purchasing touchscreen voting machines that are much more expensive than hand-marked paper ballots. Those touchscreen voting machines contribute to long lines and cannot be audited meaningfully.

Location: New York State, preferably Albany

Salary: $25/hour, approximately 30 hours this week

Diverse Applicants Welcome

Commitment: 1 week, or until legislative session ends (currently 6/4)

Background:  SMART Legislation is the Action Arm of SMART Elections, a non-partisan, organization dedicated to transforming U.S. elections by expanding public oversight, improving security, and advocating for fair, accessible voting. Our mission is to ensure that elections are secure, fair, and inspire public confidence. We are strengthening democracy and addressing critical social issues by inspiring tens of thousands to get more deeply involved in our elections.

(This position is with SMART Legislation, although it's being advertised on the SMART Elections LinkedIn page)

SMART Legislation is focused on passing our top priority legislation through the legislature before the session ends on June 4th, 2026 (this week).

Our priority legislation is called VIVA NY - The Voting Integrity and Verification Act of New York A6287 (Cunningham)/ S7116 (Cleare)

It’s a simple bill that requires hand-marked paper ballots and nontabulating ballot-marking devices be used in all polling places.
Bans votes from being encoded in barcodes.
Uses some language from the Freedom to Vote Act
The Bill has 33 co-sponsors in the Assembly
The bill is currently on the floor calendar to pass in the NY Senate

Position Summary: This is a critically important moment in a 6-year effort to pass legislation to protect New York voters from predatory voting machine vendors who are selling voting systems that experts say are risky and overpriced. We're seeking someone who can help push this bill across the finish line in both chambers.

If you are someone with strong connections in the New York legislature, especially in the New York Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie’s office, and the office of Election Law Chair Latrice Walker, we would like to work with you.

We are seeking someone who understands the way Albany works and has the ability to open doors and get things done.

Breakdown of Tasks for SMART Legislation Advocate

Lead a campaign to move VIVA NY through the Election Law or the Rules Committee, and through passage in the NY Assembly
Lead a campaign to move VIVA NY from the floor calendar, where it has been sitting for weeks, to passage in the NY Senate
Advise on our Social Media campaign that is underway
Advise on any call-in rallies that could help
Activate donors that could be allies
Activate current allies (The bill has memos of support from over 30 organizations, including:

Affiliated Brookhaven Civic Organization

Bethlehem Morning Voice Huddle

Blac (from the Black Institute)

CCoHOPE Indivisible

Center for Common Ground

Center for Law & Social Justice

Citizens for Voting Integrity New York

Common Cause

Common Power

Concerned Families of Westchester

Downtown Nasty Women Social Group

Dutchess County Progressive Action Alliance

Forest Hills Green Team

Former New York State Election Commissioner Douglas Kellner

Justice Coalition USA

Let NY Vote

Markers for Democracy

NAACP

National Voting Rights Task Force

New York Democratic Lawyers Council

New York Progressive Action Network (NYPAN)

NYPAN of the Southern Finger Lakes

NYPAN Greene

OSET – Open Source Election Technology Institute, Inc.

Project Civica

Public Citizen

Reinvent Albany

Sierra Club (NY State Chapter, called the Atlantic Chapter)

SMART Legislation

Team Min

U-Act (Ulster County Activists)

Vote Early New York

Village Independent Democrats

Desired Skillset:

Connections with New York legislative leadership, especially those in the majority
Connections with media outlets
Ability to help move legislation through committee and onto the floor for a vote
Help us organize and connect with allies
Advise on social media campaigns
Advise on call-in campaigns
Good communicator who stays in touch
Highly-organized & efficient
Able to work with limited resources of a nonprofit
Adapt well in changing and start-up environment (flexible)

Qualifications/Requirements

Experience getting legislation passed
Live in Albany, New York, or able to get to Albany easily
Polite, respectful communicator with the team
Diverse applicants welcome

Thank you for your interest.

Google doc listing for job

https://docs.google.com/document/d/18MHa7LiJSKY7jLWZvft7sdzOHdG6vOPs9JVNLMiwjVk/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.ovsj1623nh0k

Or email us at SMARTlegislation@gmail .com

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Urgent This Week: Advocate to NY Legislature