There seems to be a prevailing view that “everyone has already made up their minds” about the presidential election.
Polling that has Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican nominee Donald J. Trump hovering within points of one another, and barely moving, would seem to support that premise.
I’m not buying it, and nor are MLive editors acting like our readers are locked into their choice and tuned out.
“People are more engaged with this particular presidential election cycle than I can ever remember, and we’re not just talking about the political junkies,” said Eric Gaertner, senior editor for MLive who oversees The Grand Rapids Press, Kalamazoo Gazette and Muskegon Chronicle. “Whether you’ve made your pick or you’re still undecided, our readers want information about these candidates.”
I’m pretty sure that the candidates aren’t buying it, either. I judge that more by their actions than their words as it relates to one of the prize swing states in the election.
The presidential nominees and their running mates have made a combined 22 visits (and counting) to Michigan since Feb. 1. This week, former president Donald Trump was in Flint on Tuesday; his running mate, JD Vance, was in Sparta the same day. Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris was in Michigan on Labor Day weekend, and her running mate, Tim Walz, was in Grand Rapids last week.
The decision by President Joe Biden in late July to not seek re-election put a fresh twist on the race and has cast the differences between the candidates in a different light for voters.
Shannon Murphy, senior editor for MLive who oversees The Bay City Times, The Flint Journal and The Saginaw News, said her motto this season has been to expect the unexpected. “It helps make our coverage plans easier to change when you aren’t rigid,” she said.
“In February, as we were covering what felt like a repeat of 2020, no one thought we’d be where we are now – with Joe Biden out of the race and Kamala Harris closing the gap on a tight election with Donald Trump.”
All of that is challenging MLive journalists to keep pace, both handling the logistics it takes to get to every campaign appearance, and then digging in on the issues that define the candidates.
“The candidates are spending less time answering direct questions from reporters and avoid putting out well-defined policies,” Gaertner said. “We’ll be at these campaign stops to let readers know what the candidates are highlighting, whether that’s critiques of the opponent or a particular policy position.”
The election is consequential of its own accord. But our sense of journalistic obligation is heightened by the fact that voters have more options to cast their ballots, from early voting windows to mail-in voting. Some of this may be confusing, so we’ve made sure to provide information like this article on the whens and hows of casting a ballot.
“The expansion of earlier voting options has created a dilemma,” Gaertner said. “Do we run stories previewing a particular race in September when absentee voters are getting their ballots? If so, what about those who aren’t paying attention to their local races until the weekend before Election Day?
“We’ve decided to get our stories out earlier than previously – depending on the responsiveness of local candidates – and find ways to reelevate that information again for voters closer to Nov. 5.”
One go-to guide is a partnership between MLive and the League of Women Voters. Vote411.org allows Michigan voters to enter their address and see their specific ballot, with candidate bios and stands on key issues. Information is added to the guide throughout the election cycle.
That guide – and truly, the preponderance of our team’s efforts in reporting on elections – is focused on local and state races.
“Down-ballot races, like your local school board, the mayor, your state representatives are equally, or even more, important in daily life,” Murphy said. “Those are the people deciding where your local taxes are spent; approving new businesses coming to your town; setting the curriculum for your kid’s schools.”
We cover all those races, who the candidates are and what they want to do for your community. It’s a heavy lift, but there are few times that thoughtful, balanced journalism is this important.
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