Greenwich Registrars Win CT's First National Election Administration Awards

GREENWICH, CT — The Greenwich Registrars of Voters announced they have received two national awards recognizing election administration practices from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.

The commission recognized Greenwich with National Clearinghouse Awards, known as the "Clearies," for Excellence in Election Administration during the most recent election cycle.

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According to the registrars, Greenwich is the first Connecticut municipality to receive a Clearie and the only municipality in New England to receive more than one award.

EAC Vice Chair Christy McCormick congratulated Registrar Fred DeCaro III by phone following the announcement.

"Christy told me she previously lived in CT, including a time in Greenwich, so she understands the unique challenges of administering elections on a town-by-town basis," DeCaro said in an announcement.

Greenwich received honors in the category of Best Practices in Recruiting, Retaining, and Training Poll Workers.

One of the recognized initiatives involved poll worker training cards. DeCaro said he used an artificial intelligence tool he created to generate questions and answers for a deck of 50 flashcards covering election laws and procedures. He said he and Registrar Mary Hegarty curated the final set of questions.

Hegarty said poll workers used the cards to quiz one another during downtime.

"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.

According to the registrars, other jurisdictions, including Harford County, Maryland, have since adopted the model.

Greenwich was also recognized for its Polling Place Sponsorship program, which paired local food-service businesses with poll workers during 2025 election events.

Businesses provided meals for poll workers in exchange for community recognition through signage and media partnerships.

Registrar DeCaro said the initiative was intended 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," EAC Chairman Thomas Hicks, Vice Chair Christy McCormick and Commissioner Ben Hovland said in a joint statement.

The registrars said a poll worker appreciation event for volunteers who worked election events in 2025 is planned for June. The appreciation gatherings have been held annually since 2016.

Residents interested in becoming poll workers can find more information on the Town of Greenwich website.