ABSTRACT
When voters vote locally, their votes contain enormous power. Despite that influence, turnout rates at the local level remain depressingly low. While structural obstacles contribute to low turnout, informational costs for voters are also considerable and increase substantially in the absence of political news coverage occasioned by the closure of thousands of local newspapers, an outcome that has also resulted in decreased voter knowledge and community participation. Renewed civics education, more hyperlocal news, nonprofit news, and structural changes to voting access are recommended changes to increase voter turnout, helping ensure that a vital democracy remains truly democratic.
