My Local Press targets local election coverage as midterms near

My Local Press is urging independent journalists, citizen reporters and community members to cover local races ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, especially in towns that have lost their newspapers. The platform combines mobile publishing, live coverage, polling and monetization tools aimed at filling local news gaps and helping outlets build sustainable businesses.

Why it matters: - Local elections often decide who controls schools, taxes and roads, but many communities no longer have a newspaper covering those races. - More than one-third of U.S. newspapers have closed since 2005, leaving about 55 million Americans with limited or no access to local news. - My Local Press is aiming to help voters get information on city council, county commission, school board and ballot measure races before November 3.

What happened: - My Local Press said it is inviting independent journalists, citizen reporters and community members to cover local races ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. - The company said the platform can be used from a smartphone app in the field or from a desktop computer. - My Local Press said users can publish news stories and community alerts, record video and audio interviews, and produce podcasts.

The details: - Premium members can run polls and surveys on local issues. - Premium members can stream live video or audio from candidate forums and town halls. - The platform geo-fences coverage so it reaches voters in the community being covered. - The My Local Press Newsroom feature lets publishers invite reporters, photographers and editors to work together and split up races. - Adam Smith, co-founder of My Local Press, said voters often lack coverage of local races and that the platform is designed to let people inform their communities with a phone and a platform. - My Local Press lets publishers create and sell ads, offer subscriber-only content, accept reader donations and set up payments. - Publishers keep 90% of what they earn. - The platform can turn coverage into print-ready PDFs sized for home printers and community presses, which can reach voters who are not online, including older residents. - Anyone can sign up for free. - Premium membership costs $12 per month and includes a 30-day refund guarantee for new members. - My Local Press says it has grown to nearly 4,000 publishers since launching in January 2026. - More information is available at the membership page, and the My Local Press app is available for iPhone and Android.

Between the lines: - The pitch goes beyond election coverage and into rebuilding local news businesses in markets that lost newspaper infrastructure. - The product bundle combines reporting, distribution and monetization tools, which is meant to lower the barrier to launching a small local outlet. - The emphasis on geo-fenced coverage and print-ready PDFs suggests the company is targeting both digital-first voters and residents who still rely on offline access.

What's next: - My Local Press is positioning its users to cover local races before Election Day on November 3. - The company is betting that election-season traffic can turn into longer-term local news audiences and revenue streams after the votes are counted.