Macoupin County is finalist in election excellence program

Macoupin County is a finalist in the nonpartisan U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence inaugural cohort of Centers for Election Excellence, a recognition that Macoupin County is committed to leadership in election administration and looking to develop more resilient, trustworthy, and voter-centric election administration practices.

“As County Clerk, I am excited that the election office has been chosen as one of the 10 initial finalists,” Pete Duncan, Macoupin County Clerk said. “We have always strived to provide each voter with the best possible voting experience and this opportunity will only enhance our ability to do that. While we may be one of the smaller finalists selected, I believe this shows that Macoupin elections can compete with anyone when it comes to providing a fair election process that every voter can trust.”

As a Center for Election Excellence, Macoupin County 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, Calif., Shasta County, Calif., Greenwich, Conn., Kane County, Ill., Macoupin County, Ill., Ottawa County, Mich., Clark County, Nev., Brunswick County, N.C., Forsyth County, N.C., and Madison, Wis.

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 Macoupin County staff opportunities to collaborate with and share best practices with their colleagues from around the country, creating a national community of learning and support.