2 weeks Ago By Piper Shaw
The Salt Lake County Clerk's Office has garnered national attention, nabbing a 2024 Clearinghouse Award, affectionately dubbed a "Clearie," for its outstanding work in making voting more accessible to disabled voters. Officially announced by Lannie Chapman, the County Clerk, Salt Lake County's Election Division shone through for their initiative 'Try Before You Vote: Accessible Voter Outreach' and was hailed in the category dedicated to Accessibility: Best Practices for Improving Accessibility for Voters with Disabilities.According to Salt Lake County, the award recognized the Election Division’s efforts to not only expand access but also to empower voters who live with disabilities.
These voters were given the chance to try before they vote, testing out voting equipment, getting their queries addressed, and even registering to vote on the spot at events specifically tailored for individuals with disabilities. The whole outreach campaign was born from the understanding that confidence and familiarity are essential to encourage participation in the democratic process."This outreach was all about meeting voters where they are," were the words of Clerk Chapman, highlighting the core principle behind the initiative.
The approach wasn’t just about introducing disabled voters to the nuts and bolts of the electoral process, but to ensure they felt included, knowledgeable, and comfortable when casting their ballots. The focus was clear, it is not enough just to make voting possible for everyone, it has to be made approachable, and comprehensible too.As proudly pointed out by the County Clerk's Office, the goal was nothing short of ensuring that each voter could make an informed decision on how they wanted to vote long before Election Day arrived.
It seems that transformative work is rarely done solely behind desks or in the halls of the administration buildings. Sometimes, it needs to be taken to the streets, to community centers, directly to the people whose lives are most impacted. And it’s that work that has won Salt Lake County the recognition it deserves among 32 jurisdictions nationwide that were honored.
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