FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Friday, January 24, 2020
Annual “Clearie” Awards Recognize Innovations in Elections, Improvements in Accessibility, and Best Practices in Recruiting, Training and Retaining Election Workers
Silver Spring, Md. – The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) today announced the recipients of the 2019 Clearinghouse Awards for best practices in election administration, also known as the “Clearie” Awards. Established by the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA), the EAC is charged with serving as a clearinghouse for election administration information. To uphold this, the EAC launched the Clearies in 2016 to promote best election practices. The award categories celebrate innovation in election administration, improving voting accessibility for voters with disabilities, best practices in recruiting, training and retaining election workers, and new this year, creative and original “I Voted” sticker design.
“Presidential election years present unique challenges for election officials and voting has already begun in the Nation’s first primary," said EAC Chairwoman Christy McCormick. "We are excited to announce the Clearie awards to recognize election officials across the country who did exceptional work to improve election administration in 2019, while they buckle down for a busy election year. The recipients of these awards displayed ingenuity and creativity in their service to voters and election workers, and they are outstanding examples for other election administrators. On behalf of myself and my three fellow Commissioners, I congratulate their achievements and look forward to seeing their contributions from 2019 continue in the 2020 elections and beyond."
Now in its fourth year, the “Clearie” awards recognize the innovative efforts of election officials across America. Entries were judged based on each initiative’s creation of positive results, innovation, sustainability, outreach efforts, cost-effectiveness and replicability. More information about each awardee is available on the EAC’s website. The 2019 honorees are:
Improving Accessibility for Voters with Disabilities
- Merced County Registrar of Voters Office, CA: Multilingual Virtual Poll Worker Program for Voters who are Deaf
- National Council on Independent Living (NCIL): Achieving Accessibility for Election Websites and Sample Ballots Toolkit
- Board of Elections, Washington DC: Overall Commitment to Assisting Voters with Disabilities Throughout the Voting Process
Creative and Original “I Voted” Sticker Design
- Clark County Election Department, Nevada
- Louisiana Secretary of State
- State of Alaska, Division of Elections
- Douglas County, Clerk-Treasurer’s Office, Nevada
- Washoe County Registrar of Voters, Nevada
Outstanding Innovations in Elections
- Ann Arbor City Clerk’s Office, MI: The Line Tracking Project
- Coconino County Elections Office, AZ: Native American Elections Outreach Program
- Maricopa County Recorder’s Office, AZ: County-wide Roundtable Outreach Project
- Salt Lake County Election Division, UT: “Innovating and Accountability” Initiative
- Office of the Secretary of State, WA: VoteWA Project
- Yolo County Elections Office, CA: Harnessing Technology to Improve Polling Place Resources and Response Time, Strengthen Voter Communications, and Increase Future Turnout
Best Practices in Recruiting, Retaining, and Training Poll Workers
- El Paso County Clerk and Recorder’s Office, CO: Election Judge Video Training Program
- Martin County Elections Office, FL: Work the Polls Program for Recruiting High School and College Students
- Wake County Board of Elections, NC: Vote to Volunteer Program
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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.