TITLE
Recommendation to authorize: [1] the City Manager to execute an agreement with Hart InterCivic, Inc. for new voting system hardware, software, and support services and for an election management system in an amount not to exceed $900,000; [2] the City Treasurer to seek system financing for purpose of system procurement; and [3] an increase in Fiscal Year 2007 (FY 07) City Clerk Department budget appropriations by $142,920 for the procurement of vote-by-mail tracking software, ADA accessible voting booths, and rental of modular office trailers for establishment, if City-owned open space is available, of an elections distribution center. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
With completion of the 2006 election cycle, the archaic condition of the City's voting system became apparent in several areas: the lack of precinct level over/under-vote protection, the lack of a modern tally system, problematic sample ballot printing, and problematic vendor support of absentee mailings in April 2006. For the City to maintain and improve the integrity of the voting process, these shortcomings must be mitigated.
After extensive market research performed by the City Clerk Department, on December 7, 2006, the City Council authorized the City Clerk to take necessary actions to procure Hart InterCivic’s (Hart) central count voting system.
The City Clerk Department first met with the Financial Management Department to: [1] confirm that fund balance is available from 2006 election reimbursements to offset the cost of requested election enhancements; [2] confirm that partial reimbursement (estimated at 50 percent) of the requested voting system costs could be recovered from the Long Beach Unified School and Long Beach Community College Districts; [3] agree that system costs could be recovered over four election cycles occurring over the next seven years; and [4] identify potential cost saving benefits or cost baselines that could be used as Focus On Results--Long Beach performance measur...
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