The office that runs elections for Palo Alto voters swept more national awards this year than any other jurisdiction in the country.
Santa Clara County's Registrar of Voters received three awards from the Election Center on Thursday, Aug. 27, bringing its 2026 total to six competitive national recognitions. The office was the only jurisdiction to win more than one of the Election Center's 10 awards this year, according to a county announcement. No other jurisdiction won more than one.
The three new honors: a Beacon Award for a comic book-style voting guide aimed at college students and first-time voters, a Freedom Award for the office's Election Connection podcast, and a Stewardship Award for Go Green, a program that lets voters receive their County Voter Information Guide electronically instead of by mail.
Those follow three Clearinghouse Awards from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) announced May 12, which recognized Go Green, a Media Day program and the Elmwood Voting Initiative.
The Election Center, which describes itself as the largest national professional association for election officials, is a nonprofit of voter registrars and election administrators across the United States. Executive Director Kathleen Hale said the awards recognize "commitment to serving their respective voters and to free and fair elections."
Go Green saves an estimated $500,000 per countywide election
The Go Green initiative, honored by both organizations, tackles a specific California mandate: counties must mail a printed voter information guide to every registered voter before major elections unless that voter opts for electronic delivery. Santa Clara County has more than one million registered voters.
More than 62,000 voters have chosen the electronic option so far. Each printed guide costs roughly $7 to $8 when factoring in printing, addressing, mailing and staff labor, according to the county's EAC award submission. The result: an estimated $500,000 in savings per countywide election.
Registrar of Voters Matt Moreles said in a statement that the awards reflect his team's focus on innovation, accessibility and election integrity, adding that the office aims to strengthen public confidence in elections and improve the voter experience across the county's diverse communities.
What Palo Alto voters see next
The registrar's office administers the Nov. 3 General Election for all Palo Alto precincts. Voters who want to switch to electronic delivery of their voter information guide can do so through the county's Go Green program before ballots go out.
