2024 Clearie Award Winner 

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As part of the 10th anniversary of the Clearinghouse Awards, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) is spotlighting previous Clearie winners, like the Board of Elections in the City of New York.   

The EAC interviewed Georgea Kontzamanis, the Board of Elections’ Operations Manager, on the office’s 2024 Clearie award-winning program, “Battle of the Boroughs.”  It was recognized in the Creative and Original “I Voted” Stickers category.  This included five limited-edition “I Voted” stickers, each featuring an iconic landmark from one of the five boroughs.   

 EAC Q&A: GEORGEA KONTZAMANIS, OPERATIONS MANAGER, BOARD OF ELECTIONS IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK 

1. How did you learn about the EAC Clearie program, and what motivated you to author your jurisdiction’s Clearie entry? 

We learned about the EAC Clearies through the election administration community and saw it as an opportunity to share a creative approach that resonated with New York City voters. 

The “Battle of the Boroughs” was a simple idea with a big response, and we wanted to share what we learned with other election officials. If a small, low-cost idea could generate excitement around early voting in New York City, it might inspire other jurisdictions to think creatively about engaging voters. 

2. What improvement to the voter experience were you working to address when you developed your “Battle of the Boroughs” I Voted sticker contest? 

We wanted to make voting feel a little more personal, a little more fun, and unmistakably New York but there was also a practical goal: encourage more New Yorkers to try early voting and build it into their voting habits. 

In a city with more than 5 million voters, over 1,200 poll sites, and 15 hours to vote on Election Day, spreading participation across the voting period can make a meaningful difference. Since early voting debuted in New York City in 2019, we’ve been looking for ways to make it not just an option, but a habit for New Yorkers, helping alleviate lines and congestion on Election Day, particularly in a high-turnout year. 

New Yorkers have an incredible sense of identity and pride in their boroughs, and we saw an opportunity to turn that pride into a friendly little competition. New Yorkers love a good rivalry, so the stickers became more than a souvenir, they became a small badge of civic participation, borough pride and bragging rights.  

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3. Tell us more about how your “Battle of the Boroughs” worked? 

The idea started with something we were watching unfold organically. New York City has nine days of early voting, and every day, turnout numbers are posted. We started noticing New Yorkers on social media egging each other on - challenging friends and neighbors to turn out, celebrating when their borough was ahead, and proudly declaring their borough was “on top.” It was playful, spirited, and very New York. 

We decided to lean into it. For the final weekend of early voting, we introduced five limited-edition “I Voted” stickers, each featuring an iconic landmark from one of the five boroughs. We called it the “Battle of the Boroughs” and brought the competition to life through social media, giving New Yorkers something tangible to rally around, share, and, of course, compete over.  

It was a simple idea rooted in a very New York truth: give New Yorkers something to compete about, and they’ll have something to say. 

4. What impact has it had on your voters and election turnout?  

The response was immediate and highly visible. What began as five limited-edition stickers quickly became a citywide conversation, generating excitement around early voting and turning a simple “I Voted” sticker into a badge of borough pride. New Yorkers compared turnout, cheered on their home boroughs, and embraced the friendly competition, extending the contest well beyond the polling place and into a citywide conversation.  

On the final day of early voting, 149,319 New Yorkers cast ballots - the highest single-day early voting turnout in New York City history. Overall, 23% of voters who participated in the 2024 general election voted early. 

The results reinforced an important lesson for us: improving the voting experience isn't always about major technological or logistical changes. Sometimes, a small, creative idea can make participation feel more personal, social, and fun. Civic engagement can be serious without being solemn.  

5. What advice would you give another election office interested in developing a similar program? 

Start by paying attention to your community. The best ideas may already be happening around you. For us, it was the playful borough competition we saw on social media. We didn’t invent borough pride; we simply found a way to channel it toward voting. 

Find what people genuinely care about, keep the idea simple and visual, and give voters something they’ll want to share. And don’t be afraid to have some fun. Election work is serious, but the voter experience can still have personality. Sometimes the smallest idea can create the biggest conversation. 

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6. What would you tell other election officials who are considering submitting a successful practice for a Clearinghouse award, but haven’t yet? 

Submit it.  

Election officials are constantly innovating, but we don’t always stop to recognize or share what’s working. A successful practice doesn’t have to be a sweeping overhaul. It can be a simple idea that solves a real problem or improves the voter experience. If it worked for your voters, it could inspire another election office to think differently. That’s what makes the Clearinghouse awards so valuable: sharing what works so one good idea can spark another. 

Anything else you would like to add? 

It’s amazing how something as simple as a sticker can create so much energy around voting. The “Battle of the Boroughs” was part of a broader strategy to encourage early voting, helping spread participation across the voting period and reduce congestion and long lines on Election Day. In the 2024 general election, 59% of active registrants voted, with 23% voting early. It’s a great reminder that small, creative ideas can make a meaningful difference in the voter experience.