Pierce County Elections recognized for excellence

Pierce County Elections has been recognized for excellence in election administration with a national Clearinghouse Award for Innovation and New Tools in Election Security and Technology.

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 with a record-breaking number of entries.

Pierce County’s award-winning program, Securing Democracy’s Inbox, was one of 53 programs recognized in the category of Innovation and New Tools in Election Security and Technology. 

This initiative enhances cybersecurity by isolating and securing email attachment handling, protecting the system from threats through a coordinated blend of technology and procedure. 

In addition, the EAC honored Pierce County Elections with an Honorable Mention for its Signature Solutions program. Created in partnership with the League of Women Voters of Tacoma-Pierce County, this targeted door-to-door canvassing effort addressed signature verification challenges, leading to increased ballot acceptance rates, greater voter participation, and valuable insights into voter outreach strategies. 

“Elections in Pierce County rank as some of the safest in the nation,” said Pierce County Auditor Linda Farmer. “Our team is constantly innovating, constantly looking at ways to improve. The Clearies shine a national spotlight on that great work.”

EAC Chairman Donald Palmer, Vice Chair Thomas Hicks, and Commissioners Christy McCormick and Ben Hovland praised the 2024 Clearie winners.

“This year’s Clearinghouse Award-winning programs truly shined amid the high voter turnout in 2024,” they said in a joint statement. “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.”