While Election Day is still more than a month away (Nov. 2), it’s time to get registered to vote! That’s why Tuesday, September 28 is National Voter Registration Day, celebrating American democracy and voter registration. Established in 2012 by the National Association of Secretaries of State, National Voter Registration Day is an occasion for businesses, organizations, and individuals to host voter registration events.
Your vote helps to choose the people who set the priorities and allocate the funds at the local, county, state, and federal level—including funding for our local libraries. Here in Brunswick County, the branch libraries—including Barbee and Harper—are funded by the county. County Commissioners set the budgets, and libraries compete against all other county services for funding.
The book collections you find in the libraries depend on government funding. The roads that you drive on to get to the library are maintained by local or state governments, sometimes with federal funding. The broadband infrastructure that you use to access electronic resources or use library computers is also funded by the government. The resources provided by your child’s school library were funded by your local school board. That wonderfully written and illustrated book you and your family enjoyed? Perhaps the author or artist was the beneficiary of a government grant.
In each case, elected officials decided that education and literacy were important and worth fighting for as they established budgets.
In some countries, voters are willing to risk their lives to vote. Here in America, sadly, voting is often an afterthought to millions of eligible voters who have not taken the time to register or to evaluate the candidates and their positions on issues. Despite reminders that previous generations fought and died for our right to vote, many feel disenfranchised and alienated by partisan politics.
We hope that you’ll get registered if you’re not already registered, and that you’ll study the candidates’ positions on the issues that matter to you!
[Go here for complete voter registration information, or download North Carolina voter registration application.]
Great piece, Barbara! Voting is so important to every aspect of our lives… and especially in the “off” years (non-presidential elections). So much is decided at the local level, as you noted. Thanks for this info!