Kern County extends Dominion voting-system contract to 2027, approves $583,812 upgrade

The Kern County Board of Supervisors on a 4-0 vote with one member absent approved Amendment No. 5 to its agreement with Dominion Voting Systems, extending the contract through Dec. 31, 2027, and authorizing up to $583,812 for license and maintenance renewals plus a one‑time software and minimal hardware upgrade.

The move delays a full replacement of the county’s voting system so a future, board‑appointed registrar of voters can lead any request‑for‑proposal (RFP) and system selection. Auditor‑Controller and Registrar of Voters Amy Espinosa told the board the extension covers $468,812 in licensing and maintenance for two years and $115,000 for the one‑time upgrade to the currently certified software and minimal server/hardware updates.

Why it matters: replacing a certified county voting system could require replacing many components — ballot‑marking devices, tabulators, servers and adjudication stations — and Espinosa estimated a full replacement could cost an estimated $2 million to $4 million depending on the vendor and scope. State law requires counties to use a system certified by the California Secretary of State, a point Espinosa cited in explaining the county cannot buy uncertified systems or terminate the existing contract until a new contract is executed.

Espinosa presented two options to the board: start an RFP now that could force a near‑term, costly replacement, or extend the Dominion contract to 2027 and allow a newly appointed registrar of voters to run an RFP after taking office. "State law mandates that the county cannot purchase or contract for a voting system unless it has been certified by the Secretary of State of California," Espinosa said. "The cost of extending maintenance and licenses is required whether we stay with our current system or choose a new one; the one‑time upgrade is the lean approach to get us through 2027."

Several board members and members of a public committee that has followed county elections matters for more than a year supported the extension as a pragmatic, lower‑cost interim step that preserves options for a future registrar. Chair Leticia Perez thanked community members who pushed the issue, and Supervisor David Couch, who co‑chaired a committee reviewing county elections practices, said the extension gives a future elections chief a clearer opportunity to "dig into this and make their own recommendation to the board."

Public comment at the meeting ranged from technical questions about which Dominion suite the county uses to broader concerns about voter‑roll maintenance. Multiple speakers referenced the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) and ongoing litigation and urged more transparency on voter‑list removals; county staff noted enforcement of voter‑list maintenance is governed by federal and state law and that changes to county election administration are pending in Sacramento that could separate the registrar function from the Auditor‑Controller's office.

Supervisor Peters and others asked whether the county could begin an information‑gathering process (an RFI or RFQ) now so a future registrar would have materials ready; Espinosa said county staff have started outreach to other counties and that much of any RFP work would need to be updated in 2027 to reflect law or technology changes. "We only have three vendors," Espinosa said, "and they pretty much are all selling the same thing, but there may be nuances in the way they do things that would better serve us."

The board approved the amendment on a motion by Supervisor Couch, seconded by Supervisor Parlier. The motion passed with four ayes and one absence (Supervisor Flores).

What happens next: The extension keeps Kern County on a Secretary‑of‑State‑certified system while preserving the option for a full RFP and potential replacement after a board‑appointed registrar takes office in January 2027, when staff expect a newly appointed official could begin and conclude an RFP process.

Action recorded: The board authorized the Chair to sign Amendment No. 5 to Agreement 1012016 with Dominion Voting Systems not to exceed $583,812, extending the contract through Dec. 31, 2027.