How to plan your Election Day coverage folo

Develop your Election Day coverage game plan

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By Massarah Mikati

Election Day is around the corner — are you ready to cover it?

We don’t need to tell you that the best way to prepare for the grind and chaos of Election Day is to prepare early. We joined Jessica Huseman, editorial director of Votebeat, and Ana Radelat, D.C. reporter for MinnPost, for a conversation on how to plan your Election Day coverage, from effectively utilizing available resources to streamlining your workflows as news comes in.

Here are some top takeaways from the conversation. Be sure to check out the video below for the full discussion!

  • Reach out to key election officials like the Secretary of State’s office ahead of time, not just on Election Day, to establish relationships and get access to information.
  • Be strategic about where you deploy reporters on Election Day — focus on problem areas from past elections or places with a history of issues.
  • Avoid the temptation to immediately debunk every rumor or piece of misinformation on Election Day, and instead focus on verifying and reporting on misinformation that is actually spreading widely.
  • Prepare your courts/legal reporters now for the likelihood of post-election litigation, as both parties have invested heavily in legal efforts.
  • Pay close attention to election technology and security issues, as these are likely to be a major focus of claims and challenges after the election.

🔗 Bookmark this link:

Votebeat Election Desk Sign Up: Get quick, turn-around answers from election experts — former officials, tech experts, election law scholars — in a Slack channel moderated by Huseman, plus access to post-Election Day resources and support.