As you may have read, big changes are coming to Daily Kos Elections: We're leaving Daily Kos (with the company's blessing) to create a new independent site called The Downballot! Since we expect folks will have plenty of questions, we’ve put together this FAQ, though feel free to fire away in comments if there’s anything we’ve left unanswered.
So what's The Downballot going to be all about?
If you're a fan of Daily Kos Elections, then you already know, because our mission isn't changing one bit! We'll continue to shine a spotlight on the thousands of elections below the presidency, from Senate to city council, as we have for two decades. We'll bring you comprehensive insights through our Morning Digest newsletter every weekday morning, our unique data sets, and our weekly podcast—just as we do right now.
Why now?
In short, the media landscape has grown increasingly difficult, with plummeting ad revenues leading to serious cutbacks, including at Daily Kos. Our goal is to find a sustainable source of revenue that will allow us to keep focusing on these overlooked but critically important elections.
Here’s how: Instead of relying on advertising, The Downballot will be a subscription-based site, and we're asking you, our readers, for your support. Today's technology has opened up a new model for the media, one that gives small outfits like ours the opportunity to thrive by allowing us to depend on loyal readers rather than fickle advertisers.
When are you launching?
You can already check out The Downballot right now, but look for our first newsletter to go out by email under our new name on Monday.
How will these new subscriptions work?
We're asking folks who believe in our mission to pay $7 a month or a heavily discounted $60 a year to support our work. We'll be using the popular Substack platform, which makes subscribing super easy. Just click here or use the form below:
Will there be a paywall?
We hope not! If enough people opt to pay—we need at least 5,000 paid subscribers to become sustainable—then we can keep everything free, including our data sets.
So then why become a paid subscriber?
Over the years, countless people have come to rely on our work analyzing and elevating downballot elections, including journalists, activists, political professionals, academics, and enthusiasts. As more than one person has told us, we've become a public utility—a key piece of infrastructure in the political ecosystem.
And we'd really like to stay public. Thanks to Daily Kos and its legions of supporters, our work has always been freely accessible, but it's far from free to produce.
So we're asking folks to contribute to our cause the same way you might to NPR, a favorite content creator on Patreon, or to Daily Kos itself. We run an extremely lean operation, with a tiny staff and virtually no overhead. We've preached the mantra of donors getting the best bang for their buck for years. Well, we can guarantee you that your contributions will be put to extremely good use, without a single wasted nickel.
And one further note: We have no big backers—no corporate sponsors, no billionaire benefactors. We are 100% supported by individual subscribers like you.
There is one perk we're offering to paid subscribers right at the start, though: You'll be able to join our new private Discord server!
Wait, what's this about a Discord server?
Yeah! We've launched a Discord server for The Downballot that’s available exclusively to paid subscribers. (If you're not familiar with Discord, think of it like a private chatroom with fun bells and whistles.) You'll be able to hang out and shoot the breeze with The Downballot's staff and contributors, as well as your fellow subscribers. Details will be included when you sign up as a paid subscriber.
What do I need to do to get started?
If you already receive the Morning Digest by email, you'll be automatically ported over to our new platform and will continue receiving emails as before. Look for the changeover to happen on Monday.
To upgrade to a paid subscription, simply click here.
If you're not already on our list, just click here to subscribe or fill out the form below:
If I'm already on your list, will I start getting charged?
Only if you choose to become a paying subscriber—which of course we hope you will decide to do!
Will we be able to comment?
You better believe it! Our commenters have been the beating heart of this operation since we first launched as the Swing State Project more than two decades ago and transformed a mere website into a true community. Note that you will need to be a subscriber in order to comment.
Are there any other changes we should know about?
We'll no longer be publishing the Live Digest each day, but the same great content will always be available in the Morning Digest. For our commenters, the Morning Digest will be your new daily hub. We'll still publish Weekly Open Threads, too, though these won't get sent out by email.
One thing that’s not changing: You can count on the links to our data sets to remain rock solid. We hate linkrot!
Who all is coming with?
The entire Daily Kos Elections team! David Nir, who has been Daily Kos' political director since 2011, will be the site's publisher. Jeff Singer, who's been on the Daily Kos staff since 2014, will be our managing editor. The rest of the crew you know and love will continue to contribute to our work: Stephen Wolf, James Lambert, David Jarman, Steve Singiser, Daniel Donner, David Beard, and Quinn Yeargain.
What can we do to help you succeed?
The most important thing is to spread the word about The Downballot, both on social media and by word of mouth to your personal network. Just share this link far and wide: https://the-downballot.com/subscribe
You can also opt to become a "Founding Member" when you subscribe. You'll pay a premium for this distinction, and you will of course earn our undying gratitude. But you'll also be entitled to join a special, private pre-election briefing on Zoom with The Downballot team and more events in the future. It'll be a blast!
And if you'd like to donate directly to our cause, you can do so on our ActBlue page.
