The Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted has commended the boards of elections in both Franklin and Hamilton Counties on their awards in the Election Worker Best Practices Competition overseen by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC).

The Franklin and Hamilton County Boards of Elections were two of only five counties nationwide chosen for the prestigious award.

“The 2016 Presidential Election in Ohio was not only one of the most well-run systems in the nation, it was also one of the most efficient and strong performances our state has seen in many years and that is due to the innovative and diligent work of the people are our 88 county boards of elections,” Secretary Husted said.

The Franklin County Board of Elections was recognized for their program “Champions of Democracy,” a campaign that partners with local businesses in order to help recruit and train new poll workers to ensure voters have positive experiences while casting their ballots on Election Day.

The Hamilton County Board of Elections was honored for both their “Youth at the Booth” and “Partners in Democracy” initiatives. Youth at Booth is an innovative that pairs younger poll workers with their elders to recruit new generations of election officials while ensuring a group of people with diverse backgrounds and skills working the polls on Election Day. Partners in Democracy encourages business and agencies to give their employees a “day off for democracy” so they can serve as poll workers.

Winners of the Election Worker Best Practices Award were judged by the EAC based on their innovativeness, effectiveness, sustainability, cost effectiveness and potential for replication.