Durham, N.C. – On Thursday, April 21, 2022, the Durham County Board of Elections was named a 2021 Clearinghouse Award winner, also known as the “Clearie” Awards, by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC). The BOE secured the award in the category of Creative and Original “I Voted” Stickers.
The Clearinghouse Awards, also known as the “Clearie” Awards, are presented annually across the U.S. for best practices in election administration by the EAC. Established by the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA), the EAC is charged with serving as a clearinghouse for election administration information. To further this mission, the EAC launched the Clearies in 2016 to promote best practices in elections and celebrate the accomplishments of election officials.
Durham County’s sticker was the winning entry in the Board of Election’s second biennial “I Voted” sticker design contest for residents that was held in the summer of 2020. It features a bull surrounded by stars and the colors of the City of Durham flag with the text “No Bull I Voted.” The design was submitted by Mark Congiusta. Durham is known as the Bull City because of its history with tobacco companies and a product from the late 1800s called “Bull Durham Tobacco.”
Judges remarked that “this sticker design encapsulates so much of what Durham represents, it was the clear winner out of the final stickers. The artists of the top three sticker submissions received monetary prizes. In addition to a monetary prize, the winner received a custom plaque that is presented by the Durham County Board of Commissioners at an official meeting.”
“We are very excited to win our second Clearie from the United Stated Election Assistance Commission (EAC),” said Durham County Board of Elections Director Derk Bowens. “We would like to thank our winning designer Mark Congiusta and all the staff, from the County to the City, that helped put this awesome contest together.”
This year’s award categories include: Outstanding Innovations in Elections, Improving Accessibility for Voters with Disabilities, Best Practices in Recruiting, Retaining and Training Poll Workers, Creative and Original “I Voted” Sticker Design, Outstanding Innovation in Election Cybersecurity and Technology, Outstanding Use of HAVA Grants in Election Modernization, and Outstanding Election Official Association Program.
Winners were selected by independent panels of election officials and members from the EAC’s advisory boards, with the EAC Commissioners serving as judges for the sticker category.
This marks the second consecutive year that the Board of Elections has received a Clearinghouse Award. The BOE was a winner in 2021 for Outstanding Innovations in Elections for the department’s Early Voting Wait Time Tracker used in the 2020 Primary and General Election. The innovative ESRI tool, created to help voters locate sites closest to them, view voting information, view current site wait times, view bus routes, and get GPS directions through Google Maps, has two components: the wait time entry application that is added to each site cellphone and the website application where voters search for information using their address.
“The Clearie Awards give the EAC an opportunity to recognize the hard work and dedication of election officials across the country,” said EAC Chairman Thomas Hicks. “The recipients of these awards should be incredibly proud of the work they did to ensure the accuracy, security and accessibility of the 2021 election. Their innovative thinking, resourcefulness and creativity are excellent examples for other election administrators to follow and learn from. On behalf of myself and my fellow Commissioners, I congratulate them on their outstanding work and look forward to seeing how their contributions continue to impact the administration of elections for years to come.”
Now in its sixth year, the Clearie Awards recognize the innovative efforts of election officials across America. Entries were judged based on each initiative’s depiction of positive results, innovation, sustainability, outreach efforts, cost-effectiveness, and replicability. More information about each awardee is available on the EAC’s website.
EAC Commissioner and 2021 Chairman, Donald Palmer said, “Despite ongoing challenges, election officials proved once again that they are some of the greatest civic leaders our nation has to offer. Their adaptability and perseverance allowed millions of voters across the country to successfully cast their votes in the 2021 elections.”
If you are interested in the Durham County Board of Elections and upcoming elections, visit www.dcovotes.com or call 919-560-0700.
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