An extension of the Maintenance and Support Services and Hardware Warranty is needed to maintain the operational efficiency of the voting system and to provide support for the efficient, accurate and effective conduct of elections in San Mateo County.
Since the acquisition of the voting system in 2006, voting by mail has become the method of choice for voters in California. In the June 2010 Gubernatorial Primary, 62 percent of the votes in the County were cast by mail. Today, nearly half of the voters in the County are permanent Vote by Mail voters. In response to this trend, the Elections Division has consolidated a number of precincts to maximize efficiency and reduce cost. The reduction in the number of precincts and correlated reduction in the amount of voting equipment needed to conduct an election has created an opportunity to return some overage of voting equipment to the vendor in exchange for discounts in maintenance, support and an extended warranty on the hardware.
This Amendment includes Maintenance and Support Services on the voting system ($226,615.00 per year equaling $679,845.00 over 3 years), an Extended Hardware Warranty covering 425 Judge’s Booth Controllers, 1,656 eSlate voting machines and 1,654 Verifiable Ballot Options ($39,550.00 per year equaling $118,650.00 over 3 years) and a one-time Preventive Maintenance on 525 Judge’s Booth Controllers ($24,690.00).
A pre-payment credit of 2.5% ($2,966.25) has also been offered the County to be used against a full advance payment of the $118,650.00 Extended Hardware Warranty.
The Amendment sets a price of $250.00 per eSlate voting booth should Hart acquire additional voting system inventory from the County. As Hart acquires used equipment from the County, there will be a correlated reduction in the annual Maintenance and Support fee. The ‘per unit’ price will be: $65.00 for a Judge’s Booth Controller; $65.00 for an eSlate/DAU voting machine; and $25.00 for a Verifiable Ballot Option.
The Amendment also changes the definition of “election cycle” from 90 days preceding any election and continuing through 28 days after the election to “60 days preceding any election and continuing through 28 days after the election.”
County Counsel has reviewed and approved the Resolution and Amendment as to form.
Approval of this Resolution contributes to the Shared Vision 2025 Outcome of a Collaborative Community by providing for the responsible management and upkeep of the County’s voting equipment assets and utilizes a collaborative approach to the recycling of excess inventory that will conserve financial resources, benefit other jurisdictions and maintain the County’s voting equipment.
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