This month, the EAC is highlighting:
- 2023 Clearinghouse Award Winners
- Launch of the EAC’s Voluntary E-Poll Book Certification Program
- New EAC Resource: Election Official Social Media Toolkit
- Presidential Elections Information Resource
- Register for the Next Election Threat Intel Briefing on June 20
- EAC’s Standards Board Elects New Executive Officers
- Chairman Hovland’s Interview with Microsoft’s Democracy Forward Program
- Celebrating 31 years of the NVRA
- Resources for Election Official Security
- Get Ready: August 1 is National Poll Worker Recruitment Day. Updated Materials Coming Soon
- The EAC Commissioners are continually highlighting the importance of poll workers, and the need for people to sign up is making headlines.
32 State and Local Election Office Programs Win 2023 Clearinghouse Awards!
Throughout the year, state and local election officials work hard to serve their voters. To celebrate this work and highlight best practices, the EAC is excited to announce the winners of the 2023 Clearinghouse Awards or “Clearies”! A panel of judges selected 32 programs for awards and 20 for honorable mentions from over 100 submissions.
The categories include:
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Outstanding Use of HAVA Grants in Election Modernization
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Distinguished Voter Education and Communications Initiatives
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Improving Accessibility for Voters with Disabilities
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Outstanding Innovations in Election Cybersecurity and Technology
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Outstanding Innovations in Elections
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Best Practices in Recruiting, Retaining, and Training Poll Workers
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Outstanding Election Official State Association Program
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Creative and Original “I Voted” Sticker Design
Take a look at the list of winners and their programs. Submissions were judged on innovation, sustainability, outreach, cost-effectiveness, replicability, and the generation of positive results.
Thank you to everyone who submitted entries for all your hard work and innovations to better serve your communities. The 2024 Clearinghouse Awards submission period will begin in early 2025. Bookmark eac.gov/clearies for more information.
The EAC Launches Voluntary E-Poll Book Certification Program
The Voluntary Electronic Poll Book Certification Program will evaluate and test the security, accessibility, and usability of these systems across the country. Electronic poll books, or e-poll books, are designed to replace paper poll lists, accessing digital voter registration records on a laptop or tablet. The use of this technology is growing and represents a key component of critical election infrastructure.
The EAC’s Election Supporting Technology Evaluation Program (ESTEP) is accepting submissions for commercial and in-house manufacturers interested in having e-poll books evaluated and tested for certification. States and jurisdictions may decide whether to participate in this voluntary program, which is expected to begin in summer 2024.
In a joint statement announcing the launch, the EAC Commissioners emphasized that, “the current e-poll books in use in over 2,200 jurisdictions are secure and ready for the 2024 elections.”
Find out more about the program and how to register for testing.
Election Official Social Media Toolkit
Many election offices use social media platforms but often have limited time and resources to develop specific graphics and content throughout the year. With that in mind, the EAC developed this new toolkit to give officials a head-start on their social media plans and help them communicate proactively and consistently with their voters. This toolkit includes over 150 customizable images in 17 different categories from "Community Engagement" to "Voting Options."
Each image also comes with pre-written alt text to make posts more accessible for screen readers, as well as sample post text that can accompany each graphic. In addition to the images in this toolkit, election officials will also find:
- Tips for editing your images
- A hashtag guide to help amplify your posts
- Platform-specific information and guidance
- Best practices for community management and social media etiquette
Presidential Elections Information Resource
Each state has its own laws and practices to conduct elections. While state and local election offices are the trusted sources for state-specific information, the EAC’s Presidential Elections webpage provides an overview to voters on how presidential elections are run. This includes presidential primaries, delegates and conventions, and the electoral college.
Register for the Next Election Threat Intel Briefing on June 20
The EAC with Mandiant is hosting the next quarterly Election Threat Intel Briefing on Thursday, June 20, from noon to 1:30 p.m. ET. This webinar is open to election officials and colleagues who may benefit from this briefing, such as IT or cyber staff. Registration is required to receive the Webex meeting link. Register here.
The briefing will include a strategic outlook and provide recommendations to reinforce election offices against cyber-enabled threats that target U.S. elections infrastructure.
Standards Board’s New Executive Officers
The EAC’s Standards Board elected executive offices following its recent annual meeting in April. The new Standards Board Executive Officers are:
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Chair – Derrin "Dag" Robinson, Harney County (OR) Clerk
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Vice Chair – Maria Pangelinan, Guam Election Commission Executive Director
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Secretary – Jamie Shew, Douglas County (KS) Clerk
Other executive officers include:
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Nancy Boren, Director of Elections and Voter Registration (GA)
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Andrew Dowd, Northborough Town (MA) Clerk
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J. Bradley King, Co-Director of the Indiana Elections Division
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Janine Petty, Senior Director of Voter Registration (AZ)
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Kathy Placencia, Rhode Island Director of Elections
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Dwight Shellman III, County Regulation and Support Manager (CO)
Chairman Hovland’s Interview on Microsoft’s Democracy Forward Program
What can election officials do about threats from artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies? That is a central question in addressing the use and misuse of AI and its associated tools. While AI can be a helpful tool, there have already been incidents where it has been used to mislead or confuse voters.
EAC Chairman Ben Hovland’s discussed AI’s impact on the election landscape and tools for election officials with Ginny Badanes from Microsoft’s Democracy Forward program.
Read the blog and watch the video here.
Check out the EAC’s additional resources on AI.
EAC Recognizes 31st Anniversary of the NVRA
To mark the 31st anniversary of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), EAC Chairman Ben Hovland, Vice Chair Donald Palmer, Commissioner Thomas Hicks, and Commissioner Christy McCormick issued a joint statement on its importance and impact. Read the statement and learn more about the NVRA.
Resources for Election Official Security
Law enforcement is crucial to establishing a safe environment for election officials, voters, and the public. However, the involvement of law enforcement may differ between jurisdictions due to different policies, laws, and expectations. For instance, the amount of presence law enforcement can have at polling locations is impacted by these factors. Election officials can learn ways to help plan for a safe and secure election season in this video. from the US Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office).
CISA developed the resource "Swatting Prevention and Response Guidance for Election Workers and Law Enforcement" to provide information on what swatting is and how to prevent and respond to swatting incidents.