How the Capital-Star will cover the 2020 Election: What you need to know, how to help

If you’re familiar with the Capital-Star, you know we are a nonpartisan, nonprofit news site dedicated to honest and aggressive coverage of state government, politics and policy.

The Capital-Star is part of States Newsroom, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by grants and a coalition of donors and readers.

Our staff includes veterans of PennLive/ThePatriot-News, Harrisburg and Lehigh Valley Magazines, the PLS Reporter, and TheBurg.

Even still, given our small staff, and the need to cover an impactful election affecting nearly 13 million Pennsylvanians, we know that we can’t be everywhere at once. We can’t do it all. 

That’s where you, our readers, come in. We’re asking you to help us accurately, fairly, and justly cover the 2020 election.

How you can help:

1. Ask us questions and we’ll get you answers. Do you have questions about the election, election process or Pennsylvania politics? Do you have a question for the candidates? Send them to us here. 
2. Tell us your story. What do you think about the election or other political issues? What are you experiencing across Pennsylvania? We want to hear from you and include your voices in our stories. Share them with our staff here.
3. Submit a tip about voting problems. This year, election integrity, security and technology has been at the forefront of the discussion.  Tell us if you experienced or witnessed any problems when casting your ballot. Send them to us here or on Twitter @PennCapitalStar

2020 election coverage

With a presidential election, statewide and local races on the ballot this year, our staff is going to continue covering the last leg of campaign season and the lead up to the election by reporting on the following: 

• The candidates and where they stand on key issues in Pennsylvania;
• State legislative races from across Pennsylvania;
• The latest poll numbers;
• Tracking campaign funding, spending and finance;
• Reporting on changes in election procedures; 
• Analyzing and reporting on misinformation/disinformation and fact checking.

Inclusion & Access

Our election coverage will aim to be representative of the many voices that make up Pennsylvania, including LGBTQ+ voices, third party candidate and voter voices, immigrant and indigenous voices, and non-English speaking residents. 

We will do this by: 

• Expanding our election coverage to Estrella-Capital, our Spanish language page; 
• Amplifying the voices of our partners at The Philadelphia Gay News, The Central Voice Presente: Pittsburgh Latino Magazine, The Philadelphia Tribune and more; 
• Employing correspondents from all areas of Pennsylvania, including Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Lancaster, Scranton and Erie; 
• Creating multimedia content for those with disabilities to access and stay informed.