NIGP 98587: Voting Machine Rental or Lease

NIGP 98587 Voting Machine Rental or Lease, an Item code, covers the short-term acquisition of voting equipment and related hardware by state and local election authorities. Jurisdictions use this code to lease or rent voting machines for specific election cycles rather than purchase them outright, allowing flexibility in scaling equipment availability across precincts and managing capital expenses through operational budgets. The code encompasses mechanical, electronic, and optical-scan voting systems along with associated peripherals such as ballot-marking devices, tabulation units, and accessibility equipment. Election offices, county clerks, boards of elections, and city election commissions are the primary issuing bodies; state election authorities may also coordinate statewide rental arrangements with subordinate jurisdictions. The rental or lease vehicle is particularly common in jurisdictions with variable voter turnout or those piloting new voting technology before committing to purchase.

No recent state or local contract opportunities under this code appear in the current procurement record. The absence of recent solicitations may reflect a combination of factors: many jurisdictions operate on multi-year equipment replacement or upgrade cycles with years between major acquisitions, contract renewals often occur outside the current window, and smaller election offices may handle rentals through direct negotiation rather than formal RFP or IFB processes. Monitoring this code remains useful for vendors serving election administration, as the next wave of activity will likely correspond to election cycles requiring equipment augmentation or pilot programs testing emerging voting platforms.