Agenda

Return

C. 59

To:	Board of Supervisors
From:	Joseph E. Canciamilla, Clerk-Recorder
Date:	October 22, 2019

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

Purchase of Relia-Vote Mail Ballot Envelope Sorter

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 10/22/2019

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Candace Andersen, District II Supervisor
Diane Burgis, District III Supervisor
Karen Mitchoff, District IV Supervisor

ABSENT:

Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor

Contact:

Scott O. Konopasek, 925-335-7808

I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: October 22, 2019
David Twa,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the County Clerk-Recorder, or designee, to execute a contract with DMT Solutions Global Corporation (dba Bluecrest) in an amount not to exceed $461,300 for the purchase, licensing, and maintenance of the Relia-Vote Vantage System mail election ballot sorter, to capture the signatures on the return identification envelopes and then sort the ballots in preparation for tabulation, effective October 3, 2019.

FISCAL IMPACT:

This purchase is fully funded by Elections Capital Replacement funds, which are collected for the specific purpose of purchasing and/or replacing voting and election equipment. Annual licensing and maintenance is $46,788 and is included in General Fund current and future budgets. The division conducted a cost comparison of other machines performing the same functions and the Relia-Vote system was the most cost effective product.

BACKGROUND:

The Relia-Vote Vantage System is necessary to provide for accurate and timely processing of vote-by-mail ballots, as required by law and Uniform Vote Counting Procedures. This system captures the signatures on the return identification envelopes and then sorts the ballots in preparation for tabulation.

The current volume of mail ballots has more than quadrupled since 2006 and now exceeds the current sorter's capability of 20,000 envelopes per hour. The new sorter is rated at 45,000 envelopes per hour and is expected to meet the department's needs for the next five years, by which time we anticipate converting to an all-mail ballot voting model.

During each major election, the division will receive, capture the signature and sort more than 400,000 ballot envelopes. The department does not have the staff or time resources to complete these processes manually.

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

Failure to increase mail ballot envelope scanning and sorting capability will delay the processing of mail ballots and delay election results as the number of mail ballots continues to rise. Continuing to use the existing obsolete piece of equipment could leave the election process open to system failure.