Kane County Clerk’s Office Receives National Recognition as a “Center for Election Excellence”

The Kane County Clerk’s Office has been named as a Center for Election Excellence by the nonpartisan U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence, a recognition that the Clerk’s Office is committed to leadership in election administration and looking to develop even more resilient, trustworthy, and voter-centric election administration practices.

Kane County Clerk John A. Cunningham said, “I am honored that our office was selected as a Center for Election Excellence. We are one of only 10 election authorities in the country to receive this honor. Our office has been a model for other election authorities in Illinois and across the country, and our recognition as a Center for Election Excellence reiterates that."

As a Center for Election Excellence, the Clerk’s Office will have an opportunity to work together with a bipartisan group of election officials to support each other, and keep their skills fresh.

In addition to Kane County, the diverse inaugural 2023 cohort of Centers for Election Excellence includes: Contra Costa County, CA; Shasta County, CA; Greenwich, CT; Macoupin County, IL; Ottawa County, MI; Clark County, NV; Brunswick County, NC; Forsyth County, NC, and Madison, WI.

Cunningham said, “During the Nov. 8 election, we experienced an unprecedented amount of pollwatchers during Early Voting, Vote by Mail processing, and on Election Day. Before the next election cycle, we will take steps to improve training for our election judges about pollwatchers. We will also work with the political parties and organizations to educate their pollwatchers about their rights and their role in the election process. As part of the program with the U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence, we will work with other election authorities to discuss ways to accommodate pollwatchers while making sure that election judges are able to maintain the orderly conduct of the election process.”

As a Center for Election Excellence, the Clerk’s Office will have opportunities to collaborate with and share best practices with their colleagues from around the country, creating a national community of learning and support. The U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence is a nonpartisan program that brings together election officials, designers, technologists, and other experts to envision, support, and celebrate excellence in U.S. election administration.

Cunningham added, “As a former president of the National Association of County Recorders and Clerks, I built a network of hundreds of election authorities across the country. I understand the value of collaboration, sharing best practices, and discussing innovation and automation. Kane County was the first election authority in Illinois to have a Votemobile and more recently automated Vote by Mail processing equipment. We are proud to be trendsetters in Illinois and across the nation. We look forward to working with the other Centers of Election Excellence to develop new and innovative ways to improve elections for the voters and to help other jurisdictions across the country raise the bar of election administration.”

The Clerk’s Office continues to strive to be the most transparent election authority in Illinois. Clerk Cunningham has developed innovative ways to serve the public, including expanding early voting, establishing a call center to resolve Election Day issues, developing a Voter Outreach Program to increase voter registration and early voting, and improving technology.