Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Elections topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Auditor: one bid returned for new election machines; county plans formal approval next week
Summary
Pottawattamie County received a single responsive bid for new election machines from the long-time vendor; the bid came in near $600,000 and county auditors plan a formal purchase approval on next week's agenda with ARPA interest and budgeted funds covering most of the cost.
Maryanne Hanusa, the county auditor, told the Board of Supervisors on March 3 that the county issued an RFP for new election machines and received one responsive bid from the vendor the county has used for 15 years (based in Omaha). The bid total is near $600,000, below a prior planning estimate of about $700,000. The vendor offered trade-in credit for the county’s older machines and local on-site support during elections, which Hanusa said is a notable operational benefit.
Hanusa said the purchase has been budgeted; approximately $375,000 is expected to come from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) interest funds, with the remainder covered from the auditor’s budget. The auditor said the new machines may not be ready for use by the primary election but can be deployed for the November general election after staff and poll workers are trained.
The board discussed timing, grants from the Secretary of State that were available during COVID-era procurements, and the vendor’s ongoing support. Hanusa said she will place the specific approval for the expenditure on next week’s agenda for formal action; board members voiced support for continuing the relationship with the vendor and appreciated the lower-than-expected bid.
Next steps: the auditor will bring a purchase authorization to the board next week; staff will confirm exact delivery and training timing before committing to use in any particular election.
