Silver Spring, Md. – The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) is seeking submissions for its third annual national “Clearie” awards. Born of the commission’s mandate to serve as a national clearinghouse of information on election administration, the annual “Clearie” awards recognize best practices in elections that can serve as examples to other officials and jurisdictions.
The Commission will present awards in the categories of best practices related to voting accessibility, outstanding innovations in elections, and recruiting, training and retaining election workers. All entries must be received by Friday, November 30, 2018. The 2017 winners of the Clearie awards can be found here.
This year, the Clearie awards will be dedicated to the life and legacy of Wendy Noren and R. Brian Lewis. Wendy Noren served as Boone County Clerk for over three decades and was a member of the EAC’s Board of Advisors before passing away in March 2018 following a long battle with cancer. R. Brian Lewis served as Counsel to the office of the Senate Majority Leader and the Senate Rules and Administration Committee before his passing and was an early and steadfast proponent of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) and election officials. Both were luminaries in the field of election administration who will long be remembered for their work and friendship.
“Election officials are known for their commitment to the values expressed in the EAC Clearie awards: excellence, innovation, maintaining accuracy and integrity in the election process and ensuring all eligible citizens can cast a ballot,” said EAC Chairman Thomas Hicks. “The Clearies are a testament to their work and dedication and highlight best practices other election administrators can emulate.”
This year’s entries will be judged using the following criteria:
- Efficacy
- Innovation
- Sustainability
- Outreach efforts
- Cost-effectiveness
- Replicability
All submissions should be sent to the EAC via an email to [email protected]. Nominators should use the following subject lines based on entry category: Election Worker Competition, Accessibility Competition or Outstanding Innovations Competition.
All entries must include a brief summary of the election program nominated and attach relevant documents, images and links that can be used to assess the entry. Submissions should also include contact information for the person submitting the program for consideration. Each entry must be submitted in a separate email.
For more information about this year’s competition, please contact Patrick Leahy at [email protected].
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The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) was established by the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA). It is an independent, bipartisan commission charged with ensuring secure, accurate and accessible elections by developing guidance to meet HAVA requirements, adopting voluntary voting system guidelines, and serving as a national clearinghouse of information on election administration. EAC also accredits testing laboratories and certifies voting systems, as well as administers the use of HAVA funds. For more information, visit www.eac.gov.