Bexar County approves $2.06 million elections software contract after debate over sole-source procurement

Bexar County Commissioners on Feb. 17 approved a contract with VR Systems Inc. to implement a voter registration and elections-management system, with year‑one costs estimated at about $1.5 million and an overall not-to-exceed price of $2,057,996.26.

Thomas Guevara of the county manager’s office told the court the software will include mail‑ballot processing, voter-management tools, GIS interfaces and an election poll book interface; Year 2 maintenance is estimated at roughly $251,000 with an annual increase cap. Elections administrator Michelle said the agreement requires a project plan within 30 days and estimated a four‑to‑five‑month implementation window, meaning the system would not be used for the county’s then‑upcoming primary elections. “Thirty days is still a good number even though we are in the middle of the primary,” Michelle said, noting her office believes it can meet that planning timeline.

Commissioner Moody objected to approving the sole‑source purchase without a side‑by‑side comparison to TEAM, the statewide voter registration system, and said he lacked sufficient detail to support a $2 million purchase. “When we write checks for $2,000,000 like, we should have the level of detail … to ensure that we know exactly what we're getting,” Moody said. County staff said the vendor contract was available through a state cooperative purchasing (BuyBoard) contract and argued the system provides operational features their office cannot access through TEAM, including real‑time local reports, mail‑ballot image handling and more robust support during elections.

Judge Sakai and other commissioners said negotiations with the vendor secured needed protections for taxpayers and voters. The court voted to approve the agreement; the motion carried by voice vote after the discussion.