The Cook County Clerk’s Office has been recognized for excellence in election administration with a national Clearinghouse Award for its new high school early voting program created in partnership with the Chicago Bears, Clerk Monica Gordon announced Tuesday, May 12.
Now in its 10th year, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) presents awards annually to recognize best practices in election administration. This year’s winning programs took place during the 2025 election cycle.
The clerk’s Defenders of DA’mocracy High School Early Voting Program was one of 46 programs that were recognized with a Clearinghouse Award.
Student election judges at H-F High School wait to check in voters as part of the Cook County Clerk’s Office Defenders of DA’mocracy project. (Eric Crump/H-F Chronicle)
The program was planned in 2025 and launched by the Clerk’s Office during the 2026 Gubernatorial Election. It places students at the center of real election operations as both Election Judges and voters.
The first-of-its-kind initiative trained students from 24 suburban high schools to run on-campus Early Voting sites for the March 17 Primary, managing check-in, ballot processing, and equipment under strict security protocols. Homewood-Flossmoor High School was one of the participating schools.
Clerk Monica Gordon, center, with student election judges at their polling place in Hillcrest High School, one of the 24 participating schools. (Provided photo)
“This national recognition is an honor, but more importantly, it validates what we’ve built here in Cook County. Our ‘Defenders of DA’mocracy’ program shows that when you trust young people with real responsibility, they rise to meet it,” said Clerk Gordon. “We’re not just expanding access – we’re building a pipeline of engaged voters and future Election Judges, and proving that innovative, community-driven partnerships can strengthen democracy for the long term.”
Also known as the “Clearies,” the 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.
County Clerk Monica Gordon, right, talks with a student poll worker at Hillcrest High School on Feb. 26 during the Defenders of DA’mocracy project. (Eric Crump/H-F Chronicle)
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.”
The Cook County Clerk’s Office was recognized in the Communications Category for Distinguished Voter Education and Communications Initiatives.