Sunday is Democracy Day, a collaborative reporting project in which newsrooms around the U.S. are producing stories that shine a light on threats to democracy — and sharing practical information with their audiences about how our system works. 

Interested in participating in Democracy Day but not sure what to write about? Here are three quick stories you can do using the resources in the Knight Election Hub about the state of democracy in your community.

1. How easy (or difficult) do your state’s elections officials make it to vote? 

Democracy Day is a great occasion to look into how your state’s election officials have done in the past at making sure eligible citizens can vote. MIT’s Election Performance Index measures several election administration metrics — including the percentage of eligible voters registered, how long voters had to wait on average and the percentage of mail ballots that were rejected — from 2008 to 2022. And the Voting Rights Lab’s state law tracker looks at how introduced or pending legislation could affect that access, for better or worse. 

2. How is your state prepared to protect your vote? 

Due to a combination of cybersecurity fears, conspiracy theories, and perceived voter intimidation, some Americans’ are less confident that their right to vote will be protected and their choice accurately recorded. The Bipartisan Policy Center has an explainer breaking down the policies that are adopted by many states to make sure elections are trustworthy. To go even deeper, Verified Voting has a county-by-county map of the election technology each jurisdiction is using. See which counties are using hand-marked paper ballots versus ballot marking devices or direct recording electronic systems, or learn more about how the individual machine your county plans on using works, and consider informing your audience about what to expect.   

3. What’s the status of the lawsuits shaping voting rights in your state? 

Since the last presidential election, there have been a flurry of lawsuits attempting to reshape voting rights and elections in many U.S. states. Democracy Docket tracks them all, and includes summaries of the case, the resolution (if any) and downloadable PDFs of key documents. 

If you do end up publishing something for Democracy Day, don’t forget to fill out the partner form!