MONTEREY COUNTY — The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) recently announced that the County of Monterey: Books and Ballots program was selected to be honored for excellence in election administration with a national Clearinghouse Award for Innovation and New Practices in Election Administration.
Also known as the “Clearies,” the 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 Books and Ballots program reflects a joint effort of the Monterey County Elections Office and the Monterey County Free Libraries (MCFL). The program brings the Elections Office and all services, including candidate filing, data requests, voter registration and voting, directly to the community on dates and times that are convenient for them in familiar neighborhood locations.
Last year the program was brought to the library branches in South Monterey County, including those in Gonzales, Soledad, Greenfield and King City.
“Part of the public library mission is to help people engage with their rights and resources,” stated MCFL Director Hillary Theyer on partnering with Elections. “Voting is critical and this partnership is a pleasure.”
According to Gina Martinez, Registrar of Voters, “After the successful launch of our Books and Ballots voting program, and the expansion of the program to include Books and Ballots: Candidate Filing, it is an honor to be recognized for our efforts. Books and Ballots expands access to the ballot and enhances participation in the democratic process.”
“We are fortunate to have partners in democracy, including the Monterey County Free Libraries and dedicated election workers, to help us improve access to the ballot,” Martinez added.
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,” the statement said. “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.”
For more information about the U.S. Election Assistance Commission and the Clearinghouse Awards, visit eac.gov/election-officials/eac-clearinghouse-award-winners-2024.
