04SOS-S3364 Scope of Work~1.docx

Nevada State Purchasing Division Department of Administration 515 E Musser St Ste 300 Carson City, NV 89701 purchasing.nv.gov nevadaepro.com

04 SOS-S3364 Scope of Work Mail in Ballot

SCOPE OF WORK

The selected vendor(s) will need to provide ballot printing, packaging, addressing, and mailing services, including the printing of all related materials such as outgoing envelopes, return envelopes, secrecy sleeves, voter instructions, "I Voted" stickers, and any other materials that may need to be printed and inserted into the completed ballot package to be mailed. The vendor(s) must also be able to provide return envelopes in unique colors for each of the 17 counties or be able to provide a side bar or top corner bar, or other detail on the return envelope as needed, in a color that is unique to each of the 17 counties.

The selected vendor(s) must be able to print ballots for each individual active registered voter in the State of Nevada by party (Presidential Preference Primary and Primary elections only), and by ballot style or by precinct/split precincts, depending on each county's specifications and voter's language preference. The vendor(s) must also be able to provide and ship to each county in-house (counter) ballots, pre-marked test decks, and blank ballot stock for in-house ballot-on demand printers as requested by each county by the dates established between the vendor(s) and each county.

The vendor(s) must also be able to support USPS Intelligent Mail Barcodes (IMB) for all ballots mailed, end-to-end mail ballot tracking, piece level auditing capabilities, and real-time mail ballot mail piece status tracking. USPS mail coordination for mailing ballots including mail piece consulting and design, postage metering/payment for outgoing ballots, USPS mailing statements, and coordination or shipping ballots to a USPS facility for mailing.

The selected vendor(s) will also need the capacity to provide ballot on demand printing services to the 2.1 million registered voters in Nevada's 17 counties. This includes the ability to work with each of the 17 counties to print ballots by ballot style or by precinct/split precincts, depending on the county's requirements, work with each of the counties to receive and process all mail ballot export files (in multiple formats such as TXT, CSV or XLSX, etc.), and return ballot processed information back to each county immediately after each batch is processed and mailed.

The vendor(s) will also provide proofs of the official ballot art for each ballot style or precinct/precinct spilt, outgoing and return envelope stock art, secrecy sleeve art, and instruction inserts and receive confirmation from the county of acceptance of each piece prior to proceeding with printing of all such materials.

Vendors to include all necessary charges and cost of services in their submitted proposal.

PRINTING ELECTION MATERIALS:

The vendor shall to provide the following election materials to each registered voter

Outgoing envelope (size and specifications to be agreed upon by each county prior to production) Return envelopes (size/color/specifications to be agreed upon by each county prior to production) Secrecy Sleeves (art and requirements provided by each county) Instructions (requirements provided by each county including multiple versions of instructions for UOCAVA voters and in multiple languages) "I Voted" Stickers (requirements and art provided by each county)

Stickers can be affixed to additional inserts Printer needs to provide stickers that are anywhere from 1"x1" - 3"x3"

Dimensions for postcards and other mailers to be 4”x 5.5” with some variance in special circumstances.

Standard secrecy sleeves have been 8.5" x 14" but may be adjusted if needed, black and white, and one or two sided is fine. As long as all required elements are included in ballot package there is no required number of sheets (envelope, return envelope, instructions, secrecy sleeve, sticker, ballot)

PRINTING BALLOTS:

Tabulation Certified, or other county approved ballot stock Perforated stub with the election name and date (size and specifications to be provided by each county) 11" through 22" ballot size (excluding stub) Art setup and production (proofs to be provided to counties and signed off on prior to production of official election ballots)

INSERTION AND PACKAGING:

Outbounds should be 6 1/8" x 9 3/4".

Return envelopes should be 5 7/8" x 9 1/8". Outbound and return envelopes will need to be printed in color with each county having its own unique return envelope color or color bar to separate each of the 17 counties.

Print and insert return envelopes that contain the voter ID number, ballot ID number, party affiliation (presidential preference primary and primary election only), ballot identification number, precinct/split precinct, or ballot style number (per county requirements), county return address and all necessary barcodes.

Insertion of a secrecy in each ballot package.

Insertion of 1-3 page instruction sheets in accordance with UOCAVA or language preference as indicated in the voter's file export.

Instruction Sheet to be on 8.5”x 14” paper, black and white.

Insertion of an "I Voted" sticker as provided by each county.

Secrecy may be used as an instruction sheet.

“I Voted” stickers may be applied to the instruction or secrecy sheet.

ADDRESSING AND MAILING:

Printed and assembled ballot packages must be mailed to the voter's residence or mailing address as provided by the county.

Ballots must be mailed as first-class mail and returnable to the county if the ballot cannot be delivered as addressed (ballots are non-forwardable), Vendor(s) must provide proof of delivery of all ballots delivered to the post office including the name of the voter and the date the ballot was packaged and mailed.

The vendor(s) will evaluate address standardization and conformity per USPS - Coding Accuracy Support System (CASS) requirements in order to achieve the lowest no-profit bulk rate available for each county.

In addition to all other requirements, the selected vendor(s) will need to ship all mail ballots produced for the State of Nevada, and all its counties, for drop at a USPS facility within the State of Nevada for mailing.

The initial mail drop must be in the state of Nevada. Any additional mail drops of less then 10% can be outside of the state.

POSTCARD NOTIFICATION AND UPDATE CARDS:

The vendor(s) would also need to assist in the creation, addressing, and shipping of various postcard or letters sent to registered voters in Nevada.

These notifications are centered around various list maintenance and voter registration requirements and will vary in format and frequency based on federal and state law.

PROJECT SPECIFIC TERMS AND CONDITIONS

The Project Specific Terms and Conditions Section should include:

Any project specific terms and conditions that need to be included in the RFP.

Ballot ID number - a unique identification number assigned to a specific ballot issued to each individual voter.

Ballot Style - a distinct combination of races, candidates, and questions appearing on a ballot associated with a given precinct.

Out-Of-State - Voter's whose mailing address is for out of state delivery of their mail in ballot.

Party Affiliation - Democratic (DEM), Republican (REP), Nonpartisan (NP - all minor, independent or other party designations in the VR system).

Precinct/split precinct - a number associated with a distinct combination of races, candidates, and questions that appear on a ballot based on the residential address associated with each voter.

UOCAVA- Military and Overseas Voters Voter ID number - a unique identification number assigned to each individual voter in the county's voter registration database.

PRODUCTION CONDITIONS AND QUALITY CONTROL:

Paper stock and production costs and conditions must be based on the specifications or functional equivalent regarding quality, recycled content, and performance and must be approved by the State prior to use for the production of all election materials, including envelopes and ballots.

All work shall be performed by the vendor(s), unless expressly agreed upon by the State prior to the production of any materials or the addressing and mailing of any ballots.

The selected vendor(s) will provide quality assurance procedures and validation for every stage in the printing, addressing, inserting and mailing process to ensure the integrity of materials and the accuracy of the inserted materials and correct addressing for each voter.

If any job is rejected because of an error or lack of quality attributable to the vendor(s), the vendor(s) shall promptly reprint the materials at the vendor(s)’s cost.

The vendor(s) shall have a humidity and temperature-controlled environment and is responsible for the safekeeping and security of ail materials that are produced and stored at their facility for use by the counties for each election.

This includes the envelopes, secrecy sleeves, vote instructions, "I Voted” stickers, ballot and ballot stock.

If any materials are damaged, misused or stolen while in the custody of the vendor(s), those materials will be replaced by the vendor(s) at no cost to the State or county.

The vendor(s) shall keep an accurate inventory of all supplies on hand in and provide inventory reports to all 17 Nevada counties and establish a low inventory notice for each item and notify the appropriate county when their inventory drops below an agreed upon threshold

The vendor(s) will supply the Nevada Secretary of State an inventory report prior to and after each scheduled election for each of the 17 counties.

The vendor(s) must notify the State before destroying any materials

The number of sheets per ballot is based on the number of candidates and races on ballot. There is no maximum it is dependent on items listed above.

All ballots must have a perforated stub

There is no maximum amount of ballots needed to be inserted as long as all necessary items are included (envelope, return envelope, instructions, secrecy sleeve, sticker, ballot) in no particular order, and it should not change per County unless a County has specific requests.

Each county needs to have a different color or color bar for the envelopes, design specifications like windowed evelope will be based on county needs. Counties would use our state BRM permit.

DELIVERY:

All completed work must be delivered promptly and in good order to either the USPS facility in the State of Nevada for the mailing of ballots or materials shipped to the counties for their in-house use.

All ballots, test decks, blank ballot stock or other election materials that are prepared for shipping to the county clerk or to a USPS facility in the State of Nevada for mailing must be securely wrapped and packaged as to protect the contents from damage and keep out dust or other foreign materials.

The selected vendor(s) must be a qualified printer of Dominion ImageCast and ES&S Electionware ballots at the time of award and must remain qualified throughout the contract and be able to print ballots in accordance with the specifications and certification of Dominion Voting System and Election Systems and Software (ES&S).

Specifically, the vendor(s) must be an approved Dominion ImageCast Qualified Printer and comply with the Printing Guidelines for ES&S Electionware Ballots.

Written confirmation that the vendor(s) is a qualified printer as stated above must be provided with the submission of the bid and the vendor(s) assumes all responsibility and cost to become and remain a qualified ballot printer for the above-mentioned systems.

The quantity estimates provided in the scope of work and deliverables are based on the best information available to the Nevada Secretary of State of the various goods and services.

These quantity estimates in no way represent a commitment by the Nevada Secretary of State as to the amount of printing, packaging, and mailing to be done during the upcoming contract period but are provided solely for the bidder's information.

Customer service and support is a critical component of the contract, and the awarded vendor(s) must be able to work with all 17 Nevada counties closely and in a timely manner to ensure the successful production, printing and delivery of Nevada voter's ballot.

There are currently 7 counties that can opt-in or out and 3 more looking to join the upcoming election cycle. If there is price variation per counties please include that in your cost.

The awarded bidder must have sufficient plant and personnel resources to ensure that each of the 17 counties receive the appropriate level of support from the vendor(s) to ensure a successful election.

The vendor(s) must have adequate resources to fulfill all of the requirements as outlined in this RFP.

The vendor(s) must be able to adhere to the strict deadlines for the production and delivery of ballots and to adjust staffing to meet those deadlines.

Vendor(s) must provide a written backup plan for the printing, addressing, and mailing of ballots in the even that an interruption, breakdown, or other causes of delay occurs.

The Nevada Secretary of State has the right to approve or reject any proposed backup plan prior to the award of the contract.

Counties to use the State of Nevada postal permits.

AGENCY SPECIFIC TERMS AND CONDITIONS

In addition to all other requirements, the selected vendor(s) will need to ship all mail ballots produced for the State of Nevada, and all its counties, for drop at a USPS facility within the State of Nevada for mailing.

Delivery terms shall be negotiated and agreed upon between the State and the vendor(s) prior to delivery of ballots and materials to a USPS facility in the State of Nevada or the county elections office.

Delivery is a critical factor in this solicitation; therefore, the vendor(s) must maintain an adequate supply of all paper, envelope, and other supplies in order to meet the specified delivery dates outlined in this bid.

Failure to complete deliveries in a satisfactory manner or meet the specification in this bid may be the basis for declaring default.

The quantities listed in this bid are estimates to the amount needed.

In the event that a greater or lesser quantity is needed, the right is reserved by the Nevada Secretary of State to increase or decrease the amount at the unit price and terms stated in the bid.

Representatives of the Nevada Secretary of State shall have access to the vendor(s)s plant at any time during normal business hours to inspect work process.

Such inspection shall not relieve the vendor(s) from any responsibility under the contract for material or quality of workmanship found defective after delivery.

All articles furnished and work done must be of first-class quality and workmanship.

Any use of poor quality workmanship or inferior quality of products, the use of a different color or ink than ordered, inferior quality of paper stock, or lesser grade than ordered, or any other deficiencies will be considered sufficient cause for the rejection of the product or services and refusal of payment.

All reprint or assembly of product due to the use of inferior products by the vendor(s) will be completed at the vendor(s)s costs.

Item substitution must be approved by the Nevada Secretary of State prior to use and must be of equal or better quality to the product ordered and shall not exceed the prices listed in the bid specifications.

Substitutions made without the prior approval of the Nevada Secretary of State will be grounds for non-payment for that particular job.

Proofs for all envelopes, secrecy sleeves, voter instructions, “I Voted” stickers, artwork for ballots, test decks and any other printed materials shall be submitted to each county for review and approval.

No modifications to any artwork, ballot setup, test decks or other images or proofs are allowed by the vendor(s) once those items have been approved by the county.

If any test deck or ballot fails to scan due to any modifications or printing error, the vendor(s) will be responsible for reprinting all jobs effected at no cost to the Nevada Secretary of State.

The Nevada Secretary of State is the primary contract holder and will be invoiced for all jobs submitted by the counties for all orders submitted.

Vendor(s) will be expected to work with each of the 17 counties on all aspects of the orders including the submission of orders for ballots and ballot stock, envelopes, secrecy sleeves, voter instructions or other inserts, and "I Voted” stickers and also will work directly with each county for ballot and artwork setup, data setup, proofing of ballots and other printed materials, and all other functions to produce, address and mail ballots to the voters in Nevada.

The vendor(s) will submit invoices of completed work and supporting documentation to the Nevada Secretary of State within two (2) weeks after an election.

The supporting documentation must include itemized invoices for each individual county.

The vendor(s) must provide each county a copy of the itemized billing upon completion of each job so that the county can review for accuracy.

Delivery shall be made in accordance with the provision for packaging and mailing as outlined in the scope of work and deliverables and in the project specific terms and conditions.

The vendor(s) is solely responsible for the final product and for meeting all scheduled dates outlined in the scope of work and deliverables and in the project specific terms and conditions.

If the specified delivery dates are not met because of any fact or circumstances that is or was within the control for the vendor(s) (including delays in shipment), a late penalty may be imposed at the discretion for the Nevada Secretary of State for each day that the items remain undelivered.

Non-exclusivity clause:

This agreement is non-exclusive and shall not in any way preclude the State, or any county therewithin, from entering into similar agreements and/or arrangements with other vendor(s)s or from acquiring similar, equal, or like goods and/or services from other entities or sources.

No pricing adjustments may be made during the contract period, and all orders should be invoiced at the contract price in effect on the date of the order of all products and services.

All bid submissions must include five (5) physical samples of work similar to this type of job to demonstrate their ability to perform the contract specifications and quality of product as outlined in this bid.

Electronically submitted samples will not be accepted for evaluation and failure to submit the physical samples may be cause to disqualify the bidder from award.

Samples are to be furnished at the bidder's expense.

Physical samples of work to be mailed to the State of Nevada Purchasing Division at 515 E. Musser Street Suite 300 Carson City, NV. 89701.

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