The Greenwich Registrars are honored to announce they have
received two national awards recognizing best practices in election administration. The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) recognized Greenwich for Excellence in Election Administration with the National Clearinghouse Awards, also known as the “Clearies.”
The Clearies celebrate innovative programs from the most recent election cycle.
Notably, Greenwich is the first town in Connecticut history to win a Clearie and is the only municipality in all of New England to hold more than one.
EAC Vice-Chair Christy McCormick made a call of congratulations to Registrar Fred DeCaro III, noting her delight at seeing a Connecticut town represented for the first time.
DeCaro said, “Christy told me she previously lived in Connecticut, including a time in Greenwich, so she understands the unique challenges of administering elections on a town-by-town basis.”
Greenwich’s honors came in the category of Best Practices in Recruiting, Retaining, and Training Poll Workers. The first winning program featured Poll Worker Training Cards.
DeCaro said he used an AI tool he created to generate a set of questions and answers, and then he and Registrar Mary Hegarty curated the questions until they had 50 of them, approximating a regular deck of cards.
The flashcards provided election workers with essential reminders on laws and processes.
Registrar Mary Hegarty noted the success of the initiative, observing poll workers quizzing each other during free moments.
“I think poll workers appreciated the cards as a refresher for basic facts, and also as a fun keepsake to remember their valued participation” Hegarty said.
The program has already seen regional success, with jurisdictions like Harford County, MD, producing 1,200 decks based on the Greenwich model.
The town was also honored for its Polling Place Sponsorship program. In 2025, local food-service businesses provided meals to poll workers in exchange for community recognition through signage and media partnerships. Registrar DeCaro stated the program was designed to “remind people that voters, poll workers, and all local eateries are part of the fabric of our community.”
“We congratulate this year’s Clearinghouse Award winners for their exceptional programs… The winning programs stood out because they can be replicated and scaled to meet the needs of other election offices, regardless of size or resources,” stated EAC Chairman Thomas Hicks, Vice Chair Christy McCormick, and Commissioner Ben Hovland in a joint statement.
Recruiting and celebrating volunteers remains a top priority for Greenwich’s Registrars of Voters. A poll worker appreciation celebration will be held in June for all volunteers that worked any election event in 2025. These celebrations, a tradition since 2016, serve to bring the poll worker community together during the off-season.
Individuals interested in becoming a poll worker are encouraged to click Work at the Polls.