Newsrooms Face Staffing and Resource Crises Ahead of 2026 Midterms

Local and regional newsrooms across the country are bracing for a brutal 2026 midterm election cycle — one that promises high stakes and complex stories but comes with a crushing lack of reporters and resources. A recent MuckRock survey of 35 news organizations, ranging from solo digital outlets to multistate collaboratives, paints a stark picture: most have five or fewer reporters assigned to election coverage, many don’t know where to start, and nearly all are hamstrung by budget constraints.

The top priorities for coverage are clear: candidate background vetting, voter guides, local races (including school boards and sheriffs), voting rights and access, and campaign finance transparency. But beyond these essentials, reporters want to dig into election fraud claims, foreign and federal election policy impacts, and candidate stances on urgent issues like housing and public safety.

Despite the appetite for hard-hitting election journalism, 30 out of 35 newsrooms say they lack the staff to do it justice. Many also struggle with access to commercial databases and official election data, which are often locked behind paywalls or bureaucratic hurdles. Specialized skills and time are in short supply, leading some outlets to delay or even skip pre-election planning entirely.

What would help? Survey respondents overwhelmingly want better infrastructure: tools to prepare and publish voter guides, easier access to campaign finance data, real-time election results, and legal records. They also express openness to collaboration — sharing data, documents, and reporting resources to amplify local stories and investigations.

This resource crisis is more than a newsroom problem — it’s a threat to democracy. Understaffed and underfunded newsrooms mean less scrutiny of candidates and election systems, leaving voters in the dark and accountability gaps wide open. The 2026 midterms demand robust, well-supported journalism to cut through misinformation and expose corruption. Without it, the public loses.

The MuckRock survey underscores the urgent need for funding, data transparency, and cooperative reporting models to empower journalists on the front lines of election coverage. If we want elections that are fair, transparent, and accountable, we must first ensure the newsrooms covering them are not left behind.