The efforts of the Canton Township Clerk's office to improve accessibility for voters with disabilities were recently honored by a national group.
The clerk's office was awarded an honorable mention from the Clearing House Awards for a proposed plan to improve accessibility for voters with special needs.
The Clearinghouse Awards, also known as the “Clearie” awards, are presented annually across the U.S. for best practices in election administration by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (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, according to the organization website.The Canton clerk's office was recognized for the data driven election program. Canton officials have proposed a data-driven election research program wherein volunteers will conduct exit polls at voting centers.
Volunteers will administer a survey to participants, using tablets, mobile devices, or laptops to collect general information about the voter's experience. Staff in the clerk's office will then quantify data regarding election wait times, accessibility, language accommodations, and other metrics to drive further innovation. A link will be distributed via social media so that voters can also relay their experience with mail voting and the findings summarized in a public report.
