Clerk's Office recognized for excellence in election administration with national Clearinghouse Award

Today, the Douglas County Clerk’s Office is being recognized for excellence in election administration with a national Clearinghouse Award. The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) presents these awards annually to highlight best practices. This year’s winning programs took place during the 2025 election cycle.

The Douglas County Clerk’s Office was honored in the small-jurisdictions “Innovations and New Practices in Election Administration” category for innovation in workflow using Microsoft 365. The multi-year project was led by Deputy County Clerk Ed Healy.

“This work has significantly improved our efficiency, accuracy and chain-of-custody tracking, and it reflects the dedication of our entire elections team,” County Clerk Jamie Shew said.

It was one of 46 programs recognized with a Clearinghouse Award.

These awards 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 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.

This is a special year for the Clearinghouse Awards, not only for the caliber of the winners but also for the 10th anniversary of the awards. Over the past decade, we have seen shining examples of election officials’ creativity, spirit, and drive to serve their communities. This year is no different. The EAC is pleased to provide a national platform and commemorate their hard work."

This is the second Clearinghouse Award for the Douglas County Clerk’s Office. It also received an award in 2023 in the same category for its use of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags to build an asset tracking system, which improves security, chain-of-custody logs and accountability for election supplies and equipment.

“This award reflects the forward thinking leadership of County Clerk Jamie Shew and his staff,” County Commissioner Shannon Reid said. “Their innovative approach to election administration not only improves local processes but also serves as a model that other counties across the country can learn from.”

For more information about Douglas County Elections, visit https://dgcoks.gov/elections.