‘Election Countdown’ Topic At Stratford Library

From Stratford Library

STRATFORD, CT — The Stratford Library, 2203 Main Street in Stratford, will host “The Election Countdown Begins!” on Saturday, Oct. 19, at 2 p.m. with Stratford Registrars James Simon and Lou DeCilio.

The talk will be presented live in the Library’s Lovell Room. It is free and open to the public.

“The Election Countdown Begins!” is an inside look at administering the 2024 presidential election in Stratford. Registrars of Voters James Simon (D) and Louis DeCilio (R) will discuss election safeguards and what procedures have changed for the 2024 presidential election.

Questions about Early Voting (starting October 21) vs Absentee Voting vs. Day-Of Voting will be addressed. How does the Town try to prevent election fraud? Why is there an election recount? What can motivate more young people to become involved?

Lou DeCilio attended Stratford High School and went on to the University of Bridgeport where he graduated in 1991 with a double major in accounting and marketing and a minor in psychology.A believer in the strength of community volunteering, DeCilio has volunteered and supported organizations like Sterling House Community Center, Pony Baseball, Pop Warner Football, Little League Baseball, the South End Community Center and a plethora of other charitable and community driven organizations. He served as Stratford’s Sixth District Councilman from 2001-2004 and volunteered on numerous committees and commissions associated with local government. He served as the Vice President of Connecticut’s Registrar of Voters Association from 2015-2019 and currently holds the position on ROVAC as an Auditor for the last two years.

DeCilio also currently serves on Stratford’s Arts Commission, the Boothe Park Commission and as Chairman of the Stratford Republican Party. He has been the town’s Republican Registrar of Voters for 18 years.

Dr. James Simon is in his third year as the Democratic Registrar of Voters in Stratford. He has had a long and varied career. After graduating from Stratford High School, he spent 10 years as a newspaper reporter covering politics and was then hired as Assistant Secretary of the Environment in Massachusetts.

Simon also worked in the presidential campaign of Democratic candidate Michael Dukakis. He went back to school and was awarded a PhD degree in public administration at Arizona State. He taught journalism in college for 25 years, including 18 years at Fairfield University, and later he became Dean of Fairfield’s College of Arts and Sciences. Simon was named a national journalism “Teacher of the Year,” and he is the co-author of the book, Environment Reporters in the 21st Century.

“The Election Countdown Begins!” will be held October 19 from 2-3 p.m. in the Stratford Library Lovell Room.

For more information, visit: www.stratfordlibrary.org or call the library at 203-385-4162.