Ballot_Duplication_RFI_BPM-050741.docx

Request for Information - Ballot Duplication eMMA: BPM050741 Date: April 16, 2025

Background:

The Maryland State Board of Elections (SBE) requests information about Ballot Duplication solutions to use in statewide elections. SBE currently provides web delivery ballots upon request, utilizing an online ballot delivery system developed in-house. This system provides all documents required for mail-in voting in an 8 ½” x 11” format. The voter has the ability to mark the ballot electronically, which, upon printing, fills in the selections for the voter. There is no QR code generated. During canvass, the ballot is duplicated on certified 17” ballot paper at each of the LBEs. A group of individuals then verify the ballot printed on certified paper matches the entries on the 8 ½” x 11” paper. The 17” ballots are scannable on ES&S DS200 and ES&S DS850 scanners. This process is currently a manual process performed by a bipartisan team. SBE is seeking information about solutions to automate this process. Maryland law allows for ballot duplication using either a unique barcode or through scanning and duplicating choices. While the preference is for scanning and duplicating method, barcode duplication methods will also be considered.

As part of the planning phase, we would like to learn about available or planned solutions that provide the following elements critical to a successful Ballot Duplication operation:

· Efficiently and accurately replicate the voter’s selection from an 8 ½ x 11inch piece of paper onto a 17 inch ballot.

· Produce a ballot that is scannable by ES&S DS200 and DS850 scanners.

Information Requested in your Submission: SBE requests that responses to this RFI include the following information:

A. Your company’s full name and headquarters location (Country, County, City, and State) and the country and location(s) where the Ballot Duplication solution is designed, developed, and manufactured.

B. The solution’s full name, version number, whether it is currently in production or under development, and the latest or planned production release date.

C. The location(s) where the solution is or has been used. It is important to include the jurisdiction name, the type of jurisdiction (state, county, municipality), the number of registered voters per election that used the solution there, when and for how long it has been used there, and for how many elections. Also, please include a description of the scope of its use, i.e. whether it was used throughout the entire jurisdiction (statewide, countywide), across multiple sites, or if its use was more limited.

D. A description of how the solution duplicates ballots, including but not limited to:

(1) Whether a QR or other barcode is necessary for duplication.

(2) A description of how a duplicated ballot and the scannable ballot are identified as a pair or duplication, including whether a duplicate ID number, distinct marking or barcode is physically printed on the duplicated ballot by the scanner.

(3) A description of how the ballot style returned by the voter is identified and the same ballot style used for duplication on ballot stock.

(4) Any intervention needed by election officials to perform the duplication process, aside for assuring an accurate duplication.

E. A description of the ballot duplication hardware.

F. A description of the solution’s security features and controls, including whether and how voted ballot images and data are transferred and stored, who has access and how access is securely granted and monitored.

G. A description of any auditing available to ensure the duplication process correctly represents the voter intent.

H. If applicable, a description of the solution’s platform, whether it is a stand alone application, cloud based or uses other third party services to access it, including if any additional software or hardware installation would be necessary for it to run.

I. A description of the solution’s flexibility in accommodating technology advancements, security updates, and new regulations.

J. If there are any bar-code, QR code, or similar technologies that confidentially encode voter intent onto a ballot or other ballot packet materials, how this could be integrated with SBE’s online ballot marking tool.

K. A description of the types of training and documentation available with your system.

L. An estimate of how long the solution takes to implement.

M. A non-binding cost estimate for your solution for a yearly term. This is for our procurement timeline planning due to different processes required for various cost thresholds.

SBE may invite vendors to make presentations and/or demonstrate their systems to advance Maryland’s understanding of available solutions and increase its knowledge about currently deployed and future solutions that may be considered for the State of Maryland’s ballot duplication solution. If so, all respondees to this RFI will be invited to present/demonstrate their solutions, and the invitations will be issued in writing. If presentations or demonstrations are given, SBE requests the presentations include any hardware, software, and/or services required for the solution or solutions.

All responses must be emailed to whitney.leroux@maryland.gov and received by May 7, 2025 at 2:00 pm. Questions may be emailed to the same address.

Jared DeMarinis State Administrator

Katherine Berry Deputy Administrator Michael Summers, Chairman Jim Shalleck, Vice Chairman Yaakov “Jake” Weissmann Diane Butler Victoria Jackson-Stanley

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