View as a webpage  /  Share

Winners of the 2025 Clearinghouse Awards share their achievements on social media.

On May 12, the EAC announced the 46 winners of the 10th annual Clearinghouse Awards, recognizing best practices in election administration. Also known as the “Clearies,” the awards celebrate programs that took place during the 2025 election cycle.

EAC Chairman Thomas Hicks, Vice Chair Christy McCormick, and Commissioner Ben Hovland issued the following joint statement:

“We congratulate this year’s Clearinghouse Award winners for their exceptional programs. We received nearly 200 entries from across the country, and these were the most innovative and creative ways state and local election officials supported voters in 2025. The winning programs also stood out because they can be replicated and scaled to meet the needs of other election offices, regardless of size or resources, for future elections.”

In addition to the Clearie winners, 37 programs were recognized with Clearie Honorable Mentions.

This month, the EAC is highlighting:

Training Roundtable Highlights the Value of EAC Programs for Election Officials

On May 21, the EAC hosted a virtual roundtable on election official training featuring 10 state and local election officials from across the country.  

During the meeting, EAC Commissioners led discussions with election officials on their experiences with existing training programs, opportunities for engagement, and the EAC’s role in training. 

Many participants noted how the EAC’s on-demand Learning Lab provides valuable foundational training for them and their staff. They mentioned the training courses allow new and experienced election officials to train at their own pace and are especially helpful for smaller offices with fewer resources. They also offered suggestions for future courses.

In addition to online training, participants praised the EAC’s in-person training sessions, which often use classic board game mechanics, to make learning about election administration fun and engaging. EAC staff have presented these trainings at state conferences, most recently to over 600 election officials combined in Connecticut, Utah, New Jersey, and Montana. The EAC’s Learning Lab currently includes 40 courses in seven categories, many with corresponding in-person training. The platform has over 1,700 users from every state, U.S. territory, and Washington, DC. Election officials can sign up for this free training at eac.gov/learninglab.

EAC Releases New Report on Deployment of VVSG 2.0 Systems

The Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSG) 2.0, adopted by the EAC in 2021, establishes the most rigorous federal standards for certifying voting systems to date. Since its adoption, two systems have been certified to VVSG 2.0, and five systems are currently in testing. The EAC has released a report analyzing what would be necessary to achieve widespread deployment of equipment certified to VVSG 2.0. The findings are based on interviews and surveys with state and local election officials, testing laboratories, and voting system manufacturers. It also analyzes publicly available documents and statements from events, as well as quantitative data.

EAC Resources for Election Officials to Support VVSG Migration

Clip from The EAC and Election Security: Testing and Certification video on YouTube.

Differences between VVSG 1.0 and 2.0: This resource shows how VVSG 2.0 differs from VVSG 1.0.

Secure Elections Toolkit: This toolkit and its accompanying materials assist election officials in communicating about the multi-layered approaches used to secure elections. This includes how to share information about election security in their jurisdictions and components of the EAC Testing and Certification program. Download customizable social media graphics via Canva.com.

Video—EAC Testing and Certification: This short video provides background on the agency’s testing and certification program. A longer video about the EAC and election security is also available.

Discussion Focuses on Election Security Best Practices

On Wednesday, May 20, EAC Chairman Thomas Hicks, Vice Chair Christy McCormick, and Commissioner Ben Hovland testified before the Subcommittee on Elections of the Committee on House Administration.

During the hearing, titled “Examining Best Practices for Strengthening Election Security,” the EAC Commissioners discussed how the agency supports state and local election offices to secure elections. This includes testing and certifying voting systems and election supporting technology, providing our Field Services Program, offering training opportunities, sharing best practices, and distributing Help America Vote Act (HAVA) grants.

Clearinghouse Awards 10th Anniversary: Winners Spotlight

Illinois State Board of Elections, 2020 Clearie Award Winner

In the latest blog post, the EAC features the Illinois State Board of Elections’ 2020 Clearinghouse Award for “Innovation and New Tools in Election Security and Technology.”  Public Information Officer Matt Dietrich discusses the board’s winning Cyber Navigator Program, developed with a $14 million HAVA grant and matching state funding. This program provides resources and training to the state’s local election offices to prevent and, if necessary, respond to cyberattacks.

Were you forwarded this newsletter? Sign Up Here