[Image via VSAP]

Los Angeles County, CA is signalling that it is beginning to take steps to move its new voting system from prototype to production with the issuance of a Request for Information for vendors to offer input on building one or more components of the system. The County’s press release has more:

Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk (RR/CC) Dean C. Logan released a Request for Information (RFI) for the Los Angeles County Voting Systems Assessment Project (VSAP). The RFI seeks input from vendors to help inform the County’s upcoming solicitation activity for manufacturing and certification of new voting equipment and services.

“As we begin the next phase of our project, we are excited and interested to hear from the marketplace on their ideas regarding manufacturing components of the new system and what partnership models may be utilized to complete this work,” said Logan. “The input we receive will inform how we will reshape how County voters experience elections in a manner consistent with the voter-focused design work we have already completed.”

Here’s a summary of the request from the RFI page:

The Los Angeles County RR/CC is issuing this Request for Information (RFI) #17-001 to hear directly from vendors about their interest in potentially partnering with the County to bring the VSAP vision to fruition. Additionally, this RFI seeks input from the vendors on partnership models that would enable successful development and implementation of VSAP.

RR/CC would like to receive responses from any vendor who is interested in providing one or more components of VSAP, and encourages vendor feedback on the VSAP project being undertaken by RR/CC.

The components of VSAP are:

  • Ballot Marking Device (BMD)
  • Interactive Sample Ballot (ISB)
  • New Tally System
  • Tally System Scanners
  • Special Thermal Printers for the BMD and ballot activation mechanism
  • Vote by Mail (VBM)
  • Systems Integrator Services
  • VSAP On-going Maintenance and Support

The full RFI document is available here. Responses are due May 26, 2017.

As one of many people in the elections field who has watched Los Angeles’ VSAP grow from concept to design to prototype, this is an exciting and encouraging step. The RFI responses will go a long way toward informing the County’s formal solicitation for manufacturers to build the new system – which means the County’s highly-anticipated design is getting closer and closer to becoming a reality.

Stay tuned …

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