The City of Madison Clerk’s Office is a finalist in the nonpartisan U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence inaugural cohort of Centers for Election Excellence, a recognition that the City of Madison is committed to leadership in election administration and looking to develop even more resilient, trustworthy, and voter-centric election administration practices.

As a Center for Election Excellence, the City of Madison Clerk’s Office will have an opportunity to join together with a bipartisan group of election officials to support each other, and keep their skills fresh. The diverse inaugural 2023 cohort of Centers for Election Excellence include:

• Contra Costa County, CA
• Shasta County, CA
• Greenwich, CT
• Kane County, IL
• Macoupin County, IL
• Ottawa County, MI
• Clark County, NV
• Brunswick County, NC
• Forsyth County, NC
• Madison, WI

According to a recent study from MIT, public spending on election services ranks near the bottom, about the same as what local governments spend on parking facilities. This means professional development opportunities for election department staff can be extremely limited. The Alliance will provide the City of Madison Clerk’s Office staff opportunities to collaborate with and share best practices with their colleagues from around the country, creating a national community of learning and support.

“I am thrilled that after a nationwide call for applications from jurisdictions across the country, we have chosen the City of Madison Clerk’s Office as a Center for Election Excellence,” said Tiana Epps-Johnson, executive director of the Center for Tech and Civic Life. “The City of Madison Clerk’s Office is a leader in safe, secure and inclusive elections that put voters first. I’m thrilled to work with Maribeth and her team to take their election administration work to the next level.”

The U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence launched in 2022 and is a five-year, $80 million nonpartisan program that brings together election officials, designers, technologists, and other experts to envision, support, and celebrate excellence in U.S. election administration. Launch partners include:

• Center for Tech and Civic Life: The Center for Tech and Civic Life connects Americans with the information they need to become and remain civically engaged, and ensure that elections are more inclusive and secure.
• Center for Civic Design: The Center for Civic Design works with elections offices and advocates across the country, using research, design, accessibility, and plain language to remove barriers in the voter journey and invite participation in democracy.
• The Elections Group: The Elections Group partners with state and local election officials looking to implement new programs or improve processes for voters and stakeholders. Their team of election experts works quickly to provide guidance, resources, and direct management support for jurisdictions.
• U.S. Digital Response: U.S. Digital Response is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that helps governments and organizations respond quickly and efficiently to support the critical needs of the public. Through USDR’s Elections Program, election officials receive simple, effective digital tools and rapid response assistance to meet voters at the speed of need.
• Institute for Responsive Government & Center for Secure and Modern Elections: The Center for Secure and Modern Elections aligns bipartisan, pro-voter campaigns in states across the country that modernizes the voting system, making elections more efficient and secure.
• Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (the d.school) at Stanford University: The Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford was founded in 2005 to prepare a generation of innovators to tackle complex challenges. Referred to as the d.school, the institute brings students and faculty from radically different backgrounds together to develop innovative, human-centered solutions to real world challenges.
• Prototyping Systems Lab: The Prototyping Systems Lab utilizes elements of design thinking, participatory design, and critical making to create change within complex systems.