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Election Essentials

At Bexley Public Library, we are dedicated to empowering our community with accurate and comprehensive information, especially during election season. In an era of abundant information and potential misinformation, making informed decisions can be daunting. Our 'Election Essentials' page offers reliable resources and tools to help you navigate the electoral process, understand the issues, and make your vote count!

VOTE411.org

Launched by the League of Women Voters Education Fund (LWVEF) in October of 2006, VOTE411.org is a "one-stop-shop" for election related information. It provides nonpartisan information to the public with both general and state-specific information on the following aspects of the election process:

  • Absentee ballot information
  • Ballot measure information (where applicable)
  • Early voting options (where applicable)
  • Election dates
  • Factual data on candidates in various federal, state and local races
  • General information on such topics as how to watch debates with a critical eye
  • ID requirements
  • Polling place locations
  • Registration deadlines
  • Voter qualifications
  • Voter registration forms
  • Voting machines

VoteOhio.gov

The VoteOhio.gov website offers a comprehensive range of resources to support Ohio voters. Key features include:

  • Online voter registration and updates
  • Tools to check voter registration status
  • Ability to locate polling places
  • Request absentee ballots
  • Track the status of your ballots
  • Early voting locations
  • Access to election results
  • Voting schedules
  • Resources for voters with disabilities


Tools to help spot Misinformation

We are committed to providing clear and honest information. In an age of information overload and prevalent misinformation, distinguishing fact from fiction can be challenging. This page is designed to help you find reliable resources and develop skills to identify misinformation.

This was a great talk on media literacy and critical thinking with Dr Melissa Foster from OSU. She helped us learn how to navigate news consumption for a healthier democracy. 

Melissa Foster explores the intersection of media and societal impact, delving into questions about leveraging media to enhance public health engagement and fostering informed citizenship. She earned a PhD and MA in Health Communication from The Ohio State University, complemented by degrees in Experimental Psychology from Western Kentucky University and Alfred University.

Check out other great programs here!

We celebrated National Voter Registration Day 2024 with a local "That's On The Ballot?" panel discussion about local issues.

In collaboration with the Bexley Chamber of Commerce, Bexley City Schools, and COTA.

Non-Partisan Fact Checking Websites

AP Fact Check

  • The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business.

FactCheck.org

  • FactCheck.org is a nonpartisan, nonprofit “consumer advocate” for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. They monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews and news releases. Their goal is to apply the best practices of both journalism and scholarship, and to increase public knowledge and understanding.

AllSides

  • AllSides exposes people to information and ideas from all sides of the political spectrum so they can better understand the world — and each other. Their balanced news coverage, media bias ratings, civil dialogue opportunities, and technology platform are available for everyone and can be integrated by schools, nonprofits, media companies, and more.

Open Secrets

  • Nonpartisan, independent and nonprofit, the Center for Responsive Politics is the nation's premier research group tracking money in U.S. politics and its effect on elections and public policy.

Politifact

  • Fact-checking journalism is the heart of PolitiFact. Our core principles are independence, transparency, fairness, thorough reporting and clear writing. The reason we publish is to give citizens the information they need to govern themselves in a democracy.

Snopes

  • The oldest and largest fact-checking site online, widely regarded by journalists, folklorists, and readers as an invaluable research companion.

Digital Literacy Tools

American Library Association (ALA) Evaluating Information Guide

  • Resources for librarians to use to equip students and the general public to identify reliable sources of news and other information.

Bexley Public Library Online Resources

  • A collection of over 70 online resources ranging from databases for scholarly articles to language encyclopedias and everything in between--including databases like NewsBank, Newspaper Source, and New York Times Online, that offer high-quality news for free.

News Literacy Project

  • The News Literacy Project, a nonpartisan education nonprofit founded in 2008, is building a national movement to create systemic change in American education to ensure all students are skilled in news literacy before they graduate high school, giving them the knowledge and ability to participate in civic society as well-informed, critical thinkers.

  • The Sunlight Foundation is a national, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that uses civic technologies, open data, policy analysis and journalism to make our government and politics more accountable and transparent to all.

TinEye

  • TinEye is an image search and recognition company. Their tool allows for images to be reverse-searched to showcase possible alterations and sources with an image.