IRC Supervisor of Elections recognized with National Clearinghouse Award

news release

The Indian River County Supervisor of Elections was recognized on April 16 for excellence in election administration with a national Clearinghouse Award for Communications: Distinguished Voter Education and Communications Initiatives. 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 Indian River County Supervisor of Election’s Mobile Voter Program was one of 53 programs that were recognized with a Clearie Award. The program was a collaboration with the Senior Resource Association of Indian River County to deliver election information and increase civic engagement to those who may be homebound or have limited mobility.

“Reaching eligible voters is crucial, but often may individuals face barriers to accessing voting information. By partnering with the Senior Resource Association, the Supervisor of Elections team was able to personally engage those served by the Association. The Clearies recognize impactful election programs across the nation and the Indian River County Supervisor of Elections team is truly honored to receive this distinguished award,” said Supervisor of Elections Leslie Rossway Swan.

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.

EAC Chairman Donald Palmer, Vice Chair Thomas Hicks, and Commissioners Christy McCormick and Ben Hovland praised the 2024 Clearie winners in a joint statement:

“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 included:

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