Media release from Floyd County, GA:
On Wednesday, the Floyd County Election office announced they were recognized for excellence in election administration with a national Clearinghouse Award for Accessibility: Best Practices for Improving Accessibility for Voters with Disabilities. Also known as the “Clearies,” the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) presents the awards program annually to celebrate the hard work of election offices across the country. Now in its ninth year, this year’s Clearie Awards honored programs that took place during the 2024 presidential election year.
The Floyd County Election Office Voter Accessibility Town Hall was one of 53 programs that were recognized with a Clearie Award. The program, Voter Accessibility Town Hall, covered accessible voting and rights for voters with disabilities.
“We are honored to be recognized for this award,” said Election Supervisor Akyn Beck. “Voter accessibility is a critical part of the election process. Thank you to the EAC for recognizing this vital piece of our efforts to educate citizens on the electoral process.”
The Clearies play an essential role in fulfilling the EAC’s mission to serve as a clearinghouse for election administration information under the Help America Vote Act. The EAC is an independent, bipartisan federal agency solely focused on election administration. Submissions were judged on innovation, sustainability, outreach, cost-effectiveness, replicability, and the generation of positive results.
“This year’s Clearinghouse Award-winning programs truly shined amid the high voter turnout in 2024. They are examples of the outstanding work election officials did to support tens of millions of voters during the presidential election. After nearly a decade, the Clearinghouse Awards continue to grow with a record number of entries received this year. These programs show how state and local election offices are the incubators of innovation. We are pleased to lift their ideas up and celebrate them on a national stage.”
This year’s awards categories include:
• Communications: Distinguished Voter Education and Communications Initiatives – Small/Medium Jurisdictions, Large Jurisdictions, State Level
• Security: Innovation and New Tools in Election Security and Technology
• Contingency Planning: Exemplary Contingency Planning and Emergency Response Efforts – Small/Medium Jurisdictions and Large Jurisdictions
• Election Administration: Innovations or New Practices in Election Administration – Small/Medium Jurisdictions, Large Jurisdictions, State Level
• Help America Vote Act (HAVA) Grants: Outstanding Use of HAVA Grants in Election Modernization
• Accessibility: Best Practices for Improving Accessibility for Voters with Disabilities
• Poll Workers: Best Practices in Recruiting, Retaining, and Training Poll Workers – Small/Medium Jurisdictions and Large Jurisdictions
• “I Voted” Stickers: Creative and Original “I Voted” Stickers – Small/Medium Jurisdictions and Large Jurisdictions
More information on the Clearies and each awardee is available on eac.gov.
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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. The 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.
