Election Day Is Too Late to Start to Protect the Vote.

North Mississippi is home to rapidly changing communities where local elections directly shape education, economic development, health care, public safety and quality of life. But the area has experienced significant declines in local journalism, leaving voters without consistent coverage and vetting of candidates and their promise, not to mention election integrity administration and trustworthy access to the polls and the ballot.

We have the perfect reporter to localize our award-winning Trusted Elections investigations on the ground in North Mississippi: Ahmer Khan. Armed with his new master’s in journalism and his master’s in law from the University of Mississippi, he is ready to report across our new North Mississippi bureau immediately to help ensure voter integrity in November elections.

Pledge Now to Support Trusted Elections in North Mississippi.

With your help bundling $50,000 for his salary and reporting costs, Ahmer’s reporting will go far beyond typical campaign coverage. Reporting will include election administration, voter access, campaign finance and the long-term impact of policies on residents. Using existing relationships with community members and public officials, Ahmer will ensure that local voices—not just political insiders—are represented.

Since 2020 Mississippi Free Press has established a reputation for independent, fact-based journalism across 82 counties that centers the experiences of Mississippians and explains complex issues in accessible ways. Through explanatory reporting, public-records investigations, candidate profiles, fact-checking and solutions-driven journalism, we help readers understand not only what is happening but why it matters.

What Your Gift Now Funds Until and Past Election Day.

Funding will help support the reporter's salary, travel, reporting expenses, public records requests, community engagement, and digital storytelling until and past the 2026 elections.This investment strengthens the election participation by ensuring that North Mississippi residents have access to credible information throughout the election cycle—not just in the final weeks before Election Day.

By supporting this work, funders will help preserve an informed electorate, strengthen local accountability, and ensure that every community in North Mississippi has access to trusted journalism that serves the public interest.

Read Ahmer Khan's full bio here.

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You can mail checks to:

Mississippi Free Press, 125 S. Congress St., Suite 1702, Jackson, MS 39201

Make checks payable to: Mississippi Journalism and Education Group

Email Development Director Cedric Grizzell to arrange donation payment through ACH or other systems at cedric@mississippifreepress.org

Help Us Fund our North Mississippi Reporter!