On Sept. 28, Americans will celebrate National Voter Registration Day with a massive cross-country effort to register voters ahead of critical state and local elections in 2021 and midterm elections in 2022.
Every eligible American voter should have the option to exercise his or her right to be heard at the ballot box, and National Voter Registration Day is the right day to start by getting registered. Communities across the country, in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, are planning to use National Voter Registration Day to get registered and get #VoteReady.
The Delaware County District Library participates in National Voter Registration Day to let our community know of the resources available at the public library. Not only are libraries a great place to research and identify your candidates and ballot issues, but all public libraries in the state of Ohio may accept voter registration forms and turn them into the county board of elections on a voter’s behalf, making the registration process even easier.
The effort’s website, www.NationalVoterRegistrationDay.org, provides a listing of National Voter Registration Day events across the country, in communities and held virtually. It also includes comprehensive and state-specific resources on all things voter registration and voting more generally.
Founded in 2012, National Voter Registration Day is designed to create an annual moment when the entire nation focuses on registering Americans to exercise their most basic right – the right to vote. Nearly 4.5 million Americans have registered to vote on the holiday since the inaugural National Voter Registration Day.
Additionally, www.delawarelibrary.org/vote has a list of important 2021 election dates for voters in Ohio, information about voter registration, and answers to some common myths about voting in difficult circumstances.
The next election date takes place on Tuesday, Nov. 2. The polls open at 6:30 a.m. and will close at 7:30 p.m. Early voting is available at the Delaware County Board of Elections, located at 2081 U.S. Route 23 N., in Delaware. The facility is open for early voting beginning Tuesday, Oct. 5, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. Hours expand to 7 p.m. and the office opens on the weekend one week prior to the general election.
If you have questions about the local issues, candidates, ballot initiatives, or want to find your polling location, visit vote.delawarecountyohio.gov to learn more directly from the Delaware County Board of Elections. If you’d like help printing a sample ballot, stop by your home Delaware County District Library branch and ask at the information desk.
We’re always glad you asked. While you’re in, look through our new shelves for some thrillers and suspense novels. It’s the perfect time of year for a mystery
• “The Woman in the Purple Skirt” by Natsuko Imamura. This spare, creepy tale of obsession displays the ways extreme loneliness can warp a person’s character. You’ll meet The Woman in the Purple Skirt, who visits the same park every day; and The Woman in the Yellow Cardigan, a hotel housekeeper whose empty life and curious mind lead her to grow increasingly fascinated with The Woman in the Purple Skirt. Natsuko Imamura is a bestselling, award-winning Japanese novelist, but this is the first of her works to be translated into English.
• “Fierce Little Thing” by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore. Twenty years after escaping from a cult, five people start receiving threatening letters demanding they return to the group’s compound in rural Maine. At stake is the truth about a terrible crime the five people committed as teenagers, which could destroy the independent lives they’ve built if it comes out.
• “The Damage” by Caitlin Wahrer. A sexual assault and the subsequent failures of the legal system have left a devastating impact on a survivor and his family. Well-developed characters offer their own unique perspectives through alternating narration duties and focus on a male survivor, when such assaults often go unreported, will make this an interesting read unlike one you’ve found before. You’ll meet Nick, a college student who was assaulted by a local powerbroker; Raymond, the perpetrator, who uses his community ties to evade justice; Nick’s brother Tony, who is increasingly desperate to take justice into his own hands; and Julia, an attorney who must watch as her husband Tony is consumed by his desire for vengeance.
• “Double Threat” by F. Paul Wilson. Con artist Stanka Daley begins hearing a voice in her head after a strange encounter in the California desert, and when she soon develops remarkable healing powers, she’s pursued by a wealthy, alien-obsessed cult. “Double Threat” offers an offbeat, thought-provoking, science fiction-based thriller while also featuring a surprisingly effective blend of suspense and whimsy.
