Meet our democracy reporter, covering how NC votes — and whether votes count
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- N&O names Kyle Ingram democracy reporter to focus on voting and elections.
- Beat will track gerrymandering, voting rules, registration and ballot integrity.
- Ingram will investigate elections boards, judicial politics and campaign funding.
Covering our democracy — including the problems that come along with it and the threats to its future — is part of every politics reporter’s job at The News & Observer.
But now there’s a reporter keeping democracy at the forefront of his beat every day.
Kyle Ingram is The N&O’s democracy reporter — a new role, but one that formalizes and deepens the work Ingram has already been doing as a state politics reporter.
Ingram, a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill’s Hussman School of Journalism and Media, joined The N&O in 2023 after an internship and a stint as a freelance reporter for the newspaper.
The N&O’s politics team has a lot to keep up with: The daily goings-on in three branches of state government. Actions at the federal level that impact North Carolina. Higher education and the political appointees who run the state’s public university system. The latest developments on candidates running for office. Allegations of waste, malfeasance and ethical lapses to investigate.
So why dedicate a reporter specifically to democracy?
For years, North Carolina has been ground zero for the political and legal fights over gerrymandering — the manipulation of district lines to benefit particular partisan or racial voting groups. Local cases have gone all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court and helped shape the law for the whole country.
The state has also seen battles over the number of voting days, the rules for in-person and mail-in voting, and the office holders and parties that control the administration of elections.
And just in the past year, the state made national news for an attempt at disqualifying voters’ ballots on a massive scale.
As democracy reporter, here’s some of what Ingram will cover:
- What voters need to know before they cast their ballots.
- Shifts in the trends and patterns of registration and voting.
- How laws and administrative rules affect voting rights and the integrity of elections.
- Gerrymandering and what it means for the affected communities.
- The struggle for power between the executive and legislative branches.
- Decision-making by state boards and commissions stocked with political appointees.
- The politics of the state’s judicial branch and how judges wield power.
As with all of The N&O’s politics reporters, Ingram pays special attention to how powerful politicians fund their campaigns.
“At its core, democracy is about giving people a voice,” said Nicole Stockdale, executive editor of The News & Observer. “We’re honored to deepen our reporting on voting rights and election integrity. And we invite every reader — no matter where they stand politically — to get involved with our coverage, and help us ensure that our voting system is strong, fair and serves the public good.”
Tell us what you want from a democracy reporter
To that end, we want to hear from you, our readers and subscribers. Just as voting gives citizens a voice to make our democracy stronger, we want to amplify readers’ voices to make this coverage stronger.
What questions do you have about elections and voting in North Carolina? What concerns do you have about voting rights and political power? What stories do you want to see in The N&O?
Get in touch with Ingram at kingram@newsobserver.com or on social media, where he is @kyle_ingram11 on X and @kyleingram.bsky.social on Bluesky.
