2024 NACo Achievement Awards

Ballot Curing

Voters who cast their ballots by mail have increased tremendously in recent years. They are required to provide their signature on the ballot envelopes to confirm their identity. These signatures are validated through an automated signature verification process. Sometimes mistakes happen as the voter might either forget to sign or sign with a different signature. Ballots with valid signatures are counted while those with missing signatures or discrepancies are rejected. In California, the rejected ballots are processed according to the Election Code Section 3019. This requires election officials to provide notices to the voters and give them the opportunity to submit their corrections by 5PM two days prior to the certification of the election. This important and essential process of notification and correction is referred to as ‘Ballot Curing’. Alameda County Registrar of Voters (ROV) partnered with Information Technology Department to develop a scalable, innovative, secure, and robust Ballot Curing system to improve their process. The new system was successfully implemented in two major elections in 2022. This provided a platform that is user-friendly, accurate, and efficient which reduced staff by 70 % and time spent by 50%. This provided timely and better management of notifications.

Call Logging – UOCAVA and RAVBM

“Effortless Elections: Streamlined Calls, Satisfied Voters” “Every Call Counts, Every Voter Valued” The groundbreaking Call Logging project for UOCAVA (Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act) and RAVBM (Remote Accessible Vote by Mail) stands as a remarkable achievement in revolutionizing voter communication and documentation systems. This pioneering endeavor replaces archaic manual operations with an advanced, automated solution that redefines efficiency and accuracy. By seamlessly integrating voter registration, inquiry management, and document transmission, the project empowers the Registrar of Voters (ROV) team to effortlessly handle diverse voter needs. System features include real-time voter validation, streamlined issue logging, and secure document exchange, all designed to enhance the voter experience. The project meticulously adheres to UOCAVA regulations and proactively manages UOCAVA Returns, particularly in retrieving missing signatures and oaths, demonstrating its commitment to excellence. The Call Logging project surpasses industry standards, protecting the integrity of Alameda County elections. Through “Call Logging for UOCAVA and RAVBM,” the ROV team significantly improved ROV operational efficiency, accuracy, and customer service. The system not only simplifies complex processes but also empowers the team to deliver prompt and accurate voter assistance, thereby enhancing overall productivity and customer satisfaction.

CLETS Switch Replacement

The Alameda County (County) California Law Enforcement Telecommunication System (AC CLETS) Switch is not really a “switch”, at least not in the traditional sense of networking hardware. AC CLETS acts as the central hub, routing information between local criminal justice agencies and the California Department of Justice (DOJ). All of the County’s 34 criminal justice and public safety agencies were involved, including the Sheriff’s office, Probation Department, District Attorney’s office, County Jail, and the 30+ police agencies in the county. For nearly 4 decades, Alameda County used an in-house developed version of CLETS built on mainframe and assembly language technology. This legacy application was almost unsupportable due to its age; however, it was an essential system for all Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) partners in the County. This project finally replaced the old system with a modern, vendor-based application.

Election Worker Online Training Modernization

County elections officials depend on reliable, dedicated teams of election workers to make every Election Day run smoothly. Every election, workers must attend – and pass – hands-on training sessions about Election Day rules and procedures so that they’re prepared to correctly perform their duties on Election Day. The quiz results also help the Registrar of Voters (ROV) identify the right workers to recruit. Training occurs as close as possible to Election Day to increase the election workers’ ability to retain the information. Training and reference materials are made available online to become a resource for the workers to refer to them during the election. ROV partnered with the Information Technology Department (ITD) to build an online training system to train election workers. The solution was modernized in early 2022 to make it secure and accessible anytime, from anywhere, on any device, using a new Learning Management System (LMS) Platform that was integrated with the County’s Election Worker System.

Health Care Services Agency Procurement System

Health Care Services Agency (HCSA) in partnership with Information Technology Department (ITD) developed a centralized Procurement System which is being utilized to track, approve, and procure hardware, software, licenses, etc. for the agency. This was a huge shift from fragmented systems and manual processes to a modern procurement process that upgraded and improved transparency and accountability to purchase goods and services. Some key strategies that were involved were the adoption of e-procurement tools which involved using digital technologies to streamline the procurement process, improve supplier relationships, improved data analytics, standardize processes and procedures, and prioritize ethical and sustainable sourcing practices. The system utilized a low code technology solution with a built-in approval workflow and integration with the ticketing system.

HCSA HR – Health Care Services Agency (HCSA) Human Resources (HR)

In collaboration with the Healthcare Services Agency (HCSA) Human Resources (HR) Department, the Information Technology Department (ITD) developed a HCSA HR App to modernize the hiring process. Key features include mobile readiness, cloud-based accessibility, and minimal maintenance requirements. This always-on, Salesforce-based solution centralizes operations, promoting collaboration, transparency, and efficiency while eliminating digital documents and modernizing legacy systems. The app streamlines the acquisition of healthcare talent by automating Personnel Requisition Logs (PReqs) processing, candidate management, and documentation. Launched in January 2024, it simplifies and accelerates hiring endeavors, ensuring completion. By replacing digital documents with a searchable, centralized system, the HCSA HR App enhances transparency and user-friendliness. It signifies a technological leap for the County, offering tangible benefits such as time savings, reduced errors, budget tracking, enhanced security, and analytics. Ultimately, this leads to streamlined operations and heightened user satisfaction.

Proposal and Board Letter Management System (ProSys)

The Information Technology Department (ITD) plays a crucial role in providing IT services for County agencies/departments (Departments). Upon receiving Department requests, ITD prepares proposals detailing requirements and costs, which then undergoes a custom approval process involving both ITD and Department approvers. In September 2023, ITD partnered with all County Departments to launch the Proposal and Board Letter Management System (ProSys). Built on the Salesforce platform and Microsoft .NET, ProSys overhauled proposal management by automating creation, tracking, and routing for approvals. Every two months, ProSys generates a comprehensive Board Letter containing 150+ approved proposals alongside required financial recommendations and budget tracking forms, submitted to the Board of Supervisors for spending approval. By centralizing documents and offering a searchable interface, ProSys has become the single source of truth for ITD proposals, generating over 850 annually. It enhances transparency for County Departments and significantly improves efficiency, leading to quantifiable benefits including cost savings, time efficiency, error reduction, budget tracking, security, and analytics. ProSys not only signifies a technological leap for the County but also translates into tangible outcomes, streamlining operations and enhancing user satisfaction.

Complete List of Winners