Santa Fe County Clerk Katharine Clark Receives 2025 Clearie Award for Best Practices in Improving Access to Voters

The Santa Fe County Clerk’s Office received a 2025 Clearie Award for its work in improving voter access, according to the Election Assistance Commission (EAC). The award recognizes the office’s implementation of best practices designed to increase accessibility for voters in New Mexico.

The EAC interviewed Santa Fe County Clerk Katharine Clark as part of a winners’ spotlight to mark the 10th anniversary of the Clearinghouse Awards. The Clearie Awards are issued by the EAC’s Election Clearinghouse to highlight innovative and effective election administration practices used by local jurisdictions.

What are the Clearie Awards?

The Clearie Awards are a recurring recognition program managed by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. The awards identify specific election offices that have developed scalable solutions for common administrative challenges, according to the EAC.

The 2025 awards cycle coincides with the 10th anniversary of the program. The EAC uses these awards to document and share successful strategies across different states to help other jurisdictions improve their own voting processes.

How did the Santa Fe County Clerk’s Office win?

The Santa Fe County Clerk’s Office was recognized specifically in the category of “Best Practices for Improving Access to Voters,” according to the EAC. The award focuses on the office’s efforts to remove barriers to voting and ensure that all eligible citizens can participate in the electoral process.

Katharine Clark, the Santa Fe County Clerk, provided details on the office’s approach during an interview with the EAC. The recognition highlights the office’s commitment to accessibility standards and the deployment of resources that facilitate easier voter registration and ballot casting.

Why does this recognition matter for New Mexico voters?

The designation as a Clearie Award winner serves as a verification by a federal agency that the Santa Fe County Clerk’s Office is utilizing nationally recognized best practices. This means the methods used in Santa Fe County are viewed by the EAC as models that other counties can replicate to increase voter turnout and accessibility.

By focusing on voter access, the office aims to streamline the process for marginalized populations or those with physical and logistical barriers to polling locations. The EAC’s spotlight on Clark’s office provides a public record of these administrative improvements.