EAC recognized 46 election-administration programs in its tenth Clearies awards

The U.S. Election Assistance Commission announced 46 winners of its tenth annual Clearinghouse Awards on May 12, 2026, recognizing election-office programs from the 2025 cycle. The agency said the winning jurisdictions ranged from fewer than 10,000 registered voters to more than 5.8 million. Another 37 programs received honorable mentions. ^[1]

The agency received nearly 200 entries. Submissions were assessed for innovation, sustainability, outreach, cost-effectiveness, adaptability elsewhere and positive results. Panels included current and former election officials, commissioners and advisory-board members. Judges could not score entries from their own jurisdictions, a restriction that applied to the selection process described in the announcement. ^[1]

An earlier January 12 notice shows the breadth of work considered: disability access, voter education, emergency planning, election administration, HAVA grants, poll-worker recruitment and training, security, and voting stickers. It also introduced a category for services to military and overseas voters. Entries were due February 20. ^[2]

The awards began in 2016 and support the EAC’s role as a national clearinghouse for election-administration information under the Help America Vote Act. Its May statement emphasized that other election offices could adapt the selected programs to their size and resources. That assessment is the commission’s stated reason for highlighting the programs. ^[1]

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