How The Courier Herald plans to cover the 2026 election 

The Georgia Trust for Local News election coverage mission is to help Georgia voters make confident, highly-informed decisions when they go to the polls. Our goal is to provide clear, trustworthy and accessible news and information focused on the issues that matter most to the communities we serve. We see elections as more than just a competition of polls, personalities and campaign strategies. That’s why our reporting will center on how candidates, ballot measures and public policy could impact the daily lives of readers.

Our coverage priorities begin with serving and engaging with our audience. Through approaches like community conversations, reader callouts and other public engagement, we will learn from  residents what challenges they want elected leaders to address, what they value most about their communities and which questions they need answered before casting a ballot. Those responses will help to shape our reporting, candidate interviews and voter guides.

We are committed to nonpartisan journalism that holds every candidate and campaign to the same standards of accuracy, fairness and accountability. We will explain what offices do, clarify complex issues such as redistricting and constitutional amendments, examine campaign financing, and provide context that helps readers understand the choices before them without telling them how to vote.

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We also believe that impactful civic engagement begins with unfettered access. Our election coverage will include practical, easy-to-use voter resources—from registration deadlines and polling place information to sample ballots, election results and guides to navigating the voting process—so every eligible voter has the information they need to participate with confidence.

Election Day is not the end of the story. We will continue to report on what the results mean, how elected officials follow through on their promises and how the policies adopted during this election cycle affect Georgians long after the votes are counted. Our goal is to strengthen civic understanding, elevate community voices and provide the independent local journalism voters can rely on before, during and after the election.