2-DF26-29 Ballot Printing and Mailing RFP.pdf

Ballot Printing and Mailing Services

Requesting Department: Clerk

Request for Proposals (RFP)

ID: DF26-29

Issued: 7/6/2026

Due: 7/20/2026 at 4:00 PM MST Submit via: utah.bonfirehub.com

1. Purpose

Tooele County is soliciting proposals from qualified firms to provide comprehensive election ballot printing, ballot packet assembly, envelope printing, mailing, and related election material services for vote-by-mail elections. The County intends to award a contract to a single vendor capable of consistently producing accurate, secure, high-quality election materials while meeting all statutory deadlines.

The selected contractor shall demonstrate the ability to provide:

• High-quality ballot printing;

• Secure handling of election materials;

• Accurate ballot packet assembly;

• Timely mailing and election material distribution;

• Exceptional customer service and project support;

• Reliable supplemental mailing capabilities;

• Competitive pricing; and

• Strong quality assurance and quality control procedures.

2. Background

Tooele County currently administers elections primarily through vote-by-mail in accordance with Utah law.

There are approximately 42,000 active registered voters in Tooele County. Election volumes generally range from 25,000-43,000 ballot packets, and services may include Primary, General, Municipal, Special, and Presidential Elections. With projected growth, future elections are estimated to reach a higher range of approximately 50,000 ballot packets. The first election anticipated under this contract is the November 3, 2026, General Election.

3. RFP Timeline

The RFP will be conducted according to the below timeline. Timeline may be amended by addendum posted to the corresponding U3P opportunity.

Event / Action Date

Advertise RFP

07.06.2026

Questions Due

07.13.2026 @ 4PM MST

County’s Response to Questions

07.14.2026 (estimated)

Deadline for Submission of

Proposals

07.20.2026 @ 4PM MST

4. Contract Term

Initial term: Estimated July 22, 2026, through July 21, 2027, with four one-year renewal options at the County's discretion and subject to County Council approval where required.

Due to County approval requirements, and an absence of Council meetings in July, County intends to award the initial term upon proposal evaluation, and issue a modification subject to Council approval at the next Council meeting to incorporate the proposed option years into the contract.

5. Definitions

Ballot Packet

A complete mailing package consisting of the official ballot, voting instructions, outgoing envelope, return envelope, required inserts, and an optional 'I Voted' sticker

(sticker only anticipated during Presidential General Elections).

Initial Mailing

The election mailing sent to all eligible voters. Shall follow legally mandated and

County-approved shipping windows and deadlines.

Supplemental Mailing

Additional ballot mailings generated after the initial mailing due to voter registration changes, replacements, corrections, or other legally required issuances. Supplemental mailings generally occur from approximately 21 days through 7 days before Election

Day.

Automated Supplemental Mailing

Supplemental ballot packets assembled using automated inserting equipment. The County strongly prefers automated processing over manual assembly.

6. Scope of Services

The successful proposer shall furnish all labor, supervision, equipment, software, transportation, quality assurance measures, and other resources necessary to provide complete election printing and mailing services.

A. Ballot Printing

• Official ballot printing

• Ballot proofing

• Variable ballot styles

• ES&S compatibility

• Secure handling of ballot files

B. Envelope Printing

• Outgoing envelopes

• Return envelopes

• Replacement envelopes

• Supplemental mailing envelopes

• Office stock envelopes

C. Instruction Inserts

Current instruction inserts are 8.5 x 11 inches, folded in half, and typically printed in full color.

D. Ballot Packet Assembly

Vendor shall assemble complete ballot packets using automated inserting equipment whenever practical.

E. Mailing Services

Vendor shall prepare mail in accordance with USPS requirements. Initial election mailings shall originate from within the State of Utah.

F. Supplemental Mailings

Proposals shall identify minimum automated batch size, pricing, turnaround times, mailing schedule, USPS induction location, and whether batches below the threshold are manually assembled. Lower automated minimums will be evaluated more favorably.

G. Office Stock

Vendor shall provide annual office stock of printed envelopes and identify included quantities, reorder minimums, and pricing for additional quantities.

7. Technical Specifications

Ballot Specifications

7.1 Ballots shall be fully compatible with ES&S Model DS450 central count scanners.

7.2 Vendor shall comply with all applicable Utah election laws and Utah

Administrative Code R623-9.

7.3 Vendor shall support ballot lengths of 11, 14, 17 and up to 21 inches. Typical ballot length is 11 inches.

7.4 Multiple ballot styles shall be supported within a single election.

7.5 Ballots shall not contain detachable perforated voter receipt stubs unless specifically approved by the County.

7.6 Vendor shall notify the County of any design limitations affecting ballot layout.

Envelope Specifications

7.7 Outgoing envelope size: approximately 9.5 x 6 inches.

7.8 Return envelope size: approximately 9 x 5 7/8 inches.

7.9 Outgoing envelopes typically printed in blue and black.

7.10 Return envelopes typically printed in red and black.

7.11 Vendor shall print all voter-specific variable information provided by the County.

7.12 Envelope proofs shall be approved before production.

Instructions Specifications

7.13 Instruction inserts shall be approximately 8.5 x 11 inches folded in half.

7.14 Full-color printing is preferred.

7.15 Vendor shall insert all required election notices provided by the County.

7.16 Vendor shall provide 'I Voted' stickers during Presidential General Elections only.

Sticker size may vary provided it integrates with the instruction insert.

Proofing & Quality Control

7.17 Vendor shall provide electronic proofs for County approval.

7.18 Production shall not begin until written approval is received.

7.19 Vendor shall maintain documented quality assurance procedures.

7.20 Vendor shall verify ballot styles, variable data, barcode placement, and envelope personalization prior to production.

7.21 Vendor shall immediately notify the County of any discovered production errors.

Security & Chain of Custody

7.22 Vendor shall maintain documented physical and electronic security controls.

7.23 Access to election files shall be restricted to authorized personnel.

7.24 Vendor shall maintain chain-of-custody documentation for election materials.

7.25 Unused ballots and sensitive materials shall be securely stored or destroyed in accordance with County direction.

Packaging & Shipping

7.26 Completed ballot trays and cartons shall be clearly labeled.

7.27 Vendor shall protect election materials from moisture and physical damage.

7.28 Initial election mailings shall originate from within the State of Utah.

7.29 Vendor shall provide shipment tracking information upon request.

Supplemental Mailings

7.30 Supplemental mailings shall be supported throughout the election period.

7.31 Proposal shall identify minimum automated insertion quantity.

7.32 Proposal shall identify turnaround times for supplemental requests.

7.33 Proposal shall identify pricing for supplemental mailings.

7.34 Proposal shall disclose whether batches below the automation threshold are manually assembled.

7.35 Lower automated minimum quantities will receive more favorable consideration during evaluation.

Office Stock

7.36 Vendor shall provide annual office stock of printed outgoing and return envelopes.

7.37 Proposal shall identify included quantities, reorder minimums, and pricing for additional quantities.

Vendor Service Levels

7.38 Acknowledge County communications within one business day.

7.39 Within three business days after receipt of final ballot files, Contractor shall provide a production schedule identifying proofing, printing, assembly, mailing, and estimated USPS mailing dates.

7.40 Alert County of deadlines in advance of each election with sufficient time for County to provide necessary information.

7.41 Notify the County immediately of risks affecting election deadlines.

7.42 Immediately alert County and correct vendor-caused errors at no additional cost to the County.

7.43 Provide status updates upon request during active election production.

8. Proposal Submission Requirements

Proposals shall include:

8.1 Cover Letter signed by an authorized representative.

8.2 Company profile, company point of contact, and election printing experience.

8.3 Experience of project manager and key personnel.

8.4 Three references for comparable election projects.

8.5 Description of production facilities and redundancy plans.

8.6 Quality assurance and error prevention procedures.

8.7 Security program and chain-of-custody controls.

8.8 Supplemental mailing capabilities and automation thresholds.

8.9 Separately submitted cost proposal.

8.10 Claim of Business Confidentiality form, only if proposal contains information protected under applicable sections of Utah Code.

9. Cost Proposal Requirements

9.1 Provide pricing by ballot quantity tier (10,000/25,000/45,000 expected).

9.2 Separate pricing for 11-, 14-, 17- and 21-inch ballots if applicable.

9.3 Envelope printing costs.

9.4 Ballot packet assembly costs.

9.5 Supplemental mailing pricing and minimum quantities.

9.6 Pricing for office stock envelopes.

9.7 Pricing for vendor-provided Presidential Election 'I Voted' stickers.

9.8 Pass-through postage costs identified separately.

9.9 Identify any setup fees, order minimums, or additional charges.

10. Evaluation Criteria

A panel of three evaluators will score each proposal a 1-5 for each criterion below. The

County will then establish a competitive range of the highest scoring proposals before evaluating cost. Number of proposals in the competitive range is subject to the sole discretion of the County and may range from one to all proposals received. Of the competitive range, the lowest-cost responsive and responsible proposal may be selected for award. Cost will be evaluated based on the expected per-election cost using anticipated ordering quantities.

Technical Evaluation Factors

Election Printing Experience

Quality Assurance

Production Capacity & Redundancy

Supplemental Mailing Capability

Customer Service

Project Management

Technical Approach

If only one submission is received, the County will evaluate proposal response to make sure the offer meets the minimum mandatory requirements and the technical RFP requirements stated in the RFP and will determine if the cost proposal is fair and reasonable to award. Or, if time permits, resolicit submissions for the purpose of obtaining additional submissions.

Tooele County shall not be obligated to respond to any proposal submitted, nor shall it be legally bound in any manner whatsoever by the receipt of a proposal.

Tooele County reserves the right to extend or cancel all scheduled proposal due dates.

Notice of such extensions or cancellations shall be sent via addendum to this RFP.

10. Contract Award

The resulting contract will use Tooele County's standard service contract and the terms and conditions included in Attachment A. Any requested exceptions, modifications, or additional terms must be submitted with the proposal. Changes submitted after the proposal deadline may not be considered.

The resulting contract will be a Firm-Fixed-Price, unit-priced contract. Compensation shall be based on the actual quantities ordered and accepted using the unit prices in the

Contractor's Price Schedule. The total compensation under this contract shall not exceed the amount authorized by the County unless increased by written amendment. Not to exceed (NTE) amount will be based on the maximum anticipated volume during the initial contract term.

Issued By:

Daniel Folks daniel.folks@tooeleco.gov Tooele County Procurement Manager