How to Subscribe to CalMatters Newsletters

Updated

CalMatters offers free newsletters you can sign up for at calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters. The signup page is the only subscription entry point referenced on the site, and the homepage describes the offering as "fact-based, quality reporting for free from CalMatters' reporters on issues that matter to you." If you want ongoing California politics and policy coverage delivered to you rather than checking the site manually, this is the route to take.

What you get

CalMatters is a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom focused on explaining California politics and policy. Its newsletters carry reporting from its own journalists, and the site's homepage lists the beats that coverage spans, including:

  • Politics — campaign and election coverage, plus commentary from columnists such as Dan Walters
  • Technology — including data centers and AI policy
  • Policy explainers — wildfires, reparations, housing costs, homelessness, minimum wage, and abortion access
  • Election resources — proposition breakdowns, quizzes, and voting guides

The homepage also notes a Spanish-language offering, "CalMatters en Español," which explains California's public policies and laws.

How to subscribe

  1. Go to calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters.
  2. Choose the newsletter or newsletters you want.
  3. Enter your email address and confirm.

The expected result is that CalMatters reporting arrives in your inbox on the schedule of whichever newsletters you selected. The site does not publish a fixed frequency for each newsletter on the pages reviewed here, so treat the cadence as something you'll learn after subscribing.

What the site does not specify

The available site material does not state how many newsletters exist, how often each one sends, or whether any newsletters carry a cost. The homepage and signup links describe the reporting as free, but no pricing page or payment platform is referenced, so nothing here should be read as confirming paid tiers or their absence.

Other ways to follow CalMatters

If email isn't your preference, the homepage points to several other channels:

  • In-person events — including VotingMatters community discussions about California's 2026 election
  • Digital Democracy — a custom-built AI tool that tracks words spoken in public hearings, donations to politicians, and votes cast
  • Inside the Newsroom — a section on how investigative stories come together and what challenges journalists face
  • CalMatters en Español — Spanish-language policy and law explainers

A reasonable way to decide

If your goal is simply to keep up with California politics and policy without hunting for stories, subscribe to the main newsletter and add topic-specific ones later once you see what arrives. If you mainly want election guidance, the proposition breakdowns and VotingMatters events may serve you better than a general newsletter. Either way, the signup page is the place to start.