2024 - Honorable Mention for Distinguished Voter Education and Communications Initiatives

With a high turnout in the 2024 presidential election, the Hall County Election Commission worked to ensure that all the ballots cast were clear and easy to read for optical scanners. The Hall County Election Commission launched a clear marks campaign that encouraged voters to color in the ovals on the paper ballot, as opposed to using an X, a checkmark, or a scribble/partial mark. The Hall County Election Commissions early voting staff and ballot judges at the polling sites provided each voter with instructions on clear marks using a laminated clear mark instruction sheet that demonstrated what a clear mark looks like. The Commission also put the same instruction sheet up in every voting booth. This campaign was well-received by election staff and voters. Only a small number of the ballots cast required review by the resolution board to clarify the voters mark, saving time on election night.