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Supervisor of Elections seeks sole‑source purchase for in‑person voting machines, citing certification and compatibility
Summary
Miami‑Dade County's Supervisor of Elections requested the board certify a sole‑source purchase from ES&S for in‑person voting machines, saying the county's existing equipment and state certification make alternate systems infeasible; the Appropriations Committee approved the item.
Orrin Rosenthal, general counsel for the Miami‑Dade County Supervisor of Elections, told the Appropriations Committee that state law requires the board to certify when there is only one vendor capable of providing specified election equipment.
Rosenthal said Miami‑Dade has used ES&S systems since 2007 for in‑person day‑of voting equipment, high‑speed mail ballot scanners, and accessible voting machines. He said the county is replacing only the in‑person day‑of voting units and not the rest of the ecosystem, and that operating two different systems simultaneously would be impossible. "We could not go to the new system, and as a result, this is the only system that Miami Dade County can use at this time," Rosenthal said.
Rosenthal and committee members discussed security and modernization. Rosenthal said the new machines (designated DS‑300 series in the discussion) are an upgrade from the older DS‑200 units and include vendor‑provided security enhancements. When asked how the upgrades help election integrity, Rosenthal said new electronics and updated security features reduce risk compared with using 20‑year‑old hardware.
Commissioners asked questions about sole‑source justification and cost savings from reusing certain hardware and modems; Rosenthal said the county realizes savings by retaining compatible components and avoiding wholesale system replacement. The sponsor moved the item and the committee carried it; committee minutes record the item "3E carries." The transcript does not include a detailed roll‑call tally.
The committee did not take additional votes on election policy; it approved the sole‑source procurement certification necessary for the Supervisor of Elections to proceed with the purchase from ES&S.
