County seeks poll-book upgrade; elections staff recommend vendor with election experience over lowest bidder

Montgomery County elections staff asked commissioners to approve renewal of electronic poll books and associated maintenance with the county's incumbent vendor, No Ink, citing continuity for poll workers and vendor experience with elections.

"This is a request to renew our electronic code books that were purchased in 2018," an elections staff member told the commission, noting the systems' 6-to-7-year expected lifespan and an annual maintenance increase of about $17,000. The staff member said No Ink is the current vendor and that transitioning to it would be "a smooth transition into the upgrades, not only for us, but for the poll workers as well."

Commissioners asked why the low bid, from a company identified as FSH Technology, was not selected. Elections staff said the low bidder submitted a substantially lower proposal but that staff could not find evidence the firm had experience working specifically with elections. "I could not find any information where they have any experience with elections," the elections staff member said, calling the low price a potential "red flag."

Commissioners thanked elections staff for their review. The commission did not record a formal vote during the information discussion; staff said the item will be placed on a future agenda for formal consideration and contract award.

No statutory citations or procurement protests were raised during the discussion. Staff emphasized election-specific experience and continuity for poll workers as primary reasons for recommending the incumbent vendor despite a higher cost than the low bidder.