RFQQ 25-05 – Amendment No. 3.pdf

STATE OF WASHINGTON

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE

ELECTIONS DIVISION

RFQQ 25-05

ELECTIONS RESULTS REPORTING

AMENDMENT NO. 3

(April 15, 2025)

SUMMARY

This Amendment No. 3 to RFQQ 25-05 compiles all the questions received from vendors during Question-and-Answer Period from March 3, 2025, to April 10, 2025, and provides the official responses from OSOS. These questions and answers are now incorporated into the solicitation as an official addendum.

COMPLETE LIST OF QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Q1: Can you tell me how many elections typically occur in a given year, and whether support is provided for all local elections or only state-level ones?

A1: Typically, four elections are held each year: Special Elections in February and April, a Primary in August, and a General Election in November. In Presidential Election years, a Presidential Primary is also held in March. Support will be required for both local and state elections.

Q2: Will you require the successful bidder to provide a results reporting tool that covers Washington State and local county election results, including all federal, state, and local races and issues? If so, will this require a unique page per county that shows all the county contests, including their federal, state, and local results?

A2: Yes, the successful bidder must provide a results reporting tool that covers Washington State and local county election results, including all federal, state, and local races and issues.

This will require a dedicated page for each county displaying all county-specific contests along with federal and state results.

Q3: Does this system need to support all elections that occur in Washington, including local county elections, occurring generally in February, April, August and November?

A3: Yes, the solution must support all elections, including county elections.

Q4: You require 24/7 support during 'key election periods'. Can you clarify what the key election period is. How many days prior to each election and how many days after each election?

A4: The Contractor must provide 24/7 support starting 90 days before election day and continuing until the final certification. Reported issues must be addressed within one hour via email or phone. After election certification and until 90 days before the next election, the Contractor must respond to issues within one hour during normal business hours. All reported issues will be routed through the company's Customer Support System, assigned to appropriate personnel, and managed until resolution.

Q5: After each election is certified, will you transfer the results to your new archiving system (the other active RFQQ) or will you keep them in the format that the successful bidder creates for you?

A5: Yes, we plan to transfer the results using the standard format from the Results Reporting solution to the Election Results Archive solution. The OSOS will collaborate with the successful bidder on any necessary modifications to the data standard. However, since this standard has been in use for nearly 20 years without issues, we remain confident in its reliability.

Q6: Do you have a target date in mind for the initial rollout of the new solution?

A6: The OSOS does not have an exact target date; however, we would prefer to implement the solution no later than the 2026 Primary. If the solution is ready earlier, this would allow for additional testing. The OSOS welcomes vendor recommendations on implementation timelines.

Q7: Aside from HB 1448, how many jurisdictions currently use Ranked Choice Voting?

A7: Currently, only the City of Seattle is actively implementing Ranked Choice Voting.

However, the OSOS is aware of multiple counties that are exploring this alternative voting method.

Q8: Do you anticipate jurisdictions implementing RCV with different rules?

A8: Yes, the OSOS expects implementations to vary until a defined standard is adopted. For example, the City of Seattle is implementing their RCV in a Primary whereas others are considering it for General Elections.

Q9: Are you able to provide a link to your current site, please?

A9: An example of the current results reporting solution from the 2024 General Election can be found on the SOS website: November 5, 2024 General Election Results.

Q10: I am writing to ask a question regarding contractor eligibility on this project. Is the experience requirement of 8 years of ballot/election experience flexible in this case? We have experience working with several political organizations but not necessarily on the elections themselves. Please let me know when you get a chance. Thank you for your consideration.

A10: The OSOS believes that experience and knowledge are crucial in understanding the business needs. The contractor must possess at least eight (8) years’ demonstrated experience as an election results solution provider. This ensures that the vendor has successfully implemented election results solutions over a measurable period of time.

Q11: I've been looking out for "RFQQ 25-05 Elections Results Reporting" since the ‘Outreach’ email, but still haven't seen it posted. Do you know what the status is?

A11: The RFQQ 25-05 - Election Results Reporting was posted on March 3, 2025, on WEBS under customer reference number 25-05, as well as on the Current Procurements | WA Secretary of State webpage.

Q12: Will you require the successful bidder to provide a results reporting tool that covers Washington State and local county election results, including all federal, state, and local races and issues? If so, will this require a unique page per county that shows all the county contests, including their federal, state, and local results?

https://results.vote.wa.gov/results/20241105/ https://www.sos.wa.gov/current-procurements https://www.sos.wa.gov/current-procurements

RFQQ No. 25-05

A12: Yes, the solution will require reporting of all election results, including all federal, state, and local races and issues. This will include the ability for the results to be shown at a county by county level.

Q13: Does this system need to support all elections that occur in Washington, including local county elections, occurring generally in February, April, August and November?

A13: Yes, the solution will need to support all elections that occur in Washington.

Q14: You require 24/7 support during 'key election periods'. Can you clarify what the key election period is? How many days prior to each election and how many days after each election?

A14: Key Election Periods begin 90 days prior to election day and through the final certification of the election.

Q15: What data format and schema does VoteWA use to export election results? Will documentation or access be provided during onboarding?

A15: The data format currently used to export from VoteWA is Text format. The Office of the Secretary of State can share additional details and specifications with the apparently successful bidder.

Q16: Is there an existing API or service layer we must integrate with, or is it expected to be custom-built?

A16: There is no existing API or service layer. The current solution retrieves data from a secure location, imports it, then the results generator updates the static results pages. Please include how your solution retrieves results data within your proposal.

Q17: Will OSOS provide test data for development and validation, especially for Ranked-Choice Voting scenarios?

A17: Yes, the Office of Secretary of State will provide realistic test data for development and validation.

Q18: What monitoring tool will OSOS provide for the solution, and will we get API-level access?

A18: The Office of the Secretary of State currently uses DataDog for application monitoring.

Please include your solution's access requirements in your proposal.

Q19: Can the current codebase or infrastructure of the legacy system be shared for reference?

A19: The Office of the Secretary of State can share additional details and specifications with the apparently successful bidder.

Q20: Are there specific performance expectations (e.g., max concurrent users, data refresh rates) during peak election times?

A20: Peak web traffic changes based on the type of election and what races appear on the ballot. The OSOS will collaborate with the contractor to provide website analytics for the OSOS website. However, we do see hundreds of thousands of visits to the Election Results site during Presidential election years. In 2020, we had a peak of approximately 72,000 concurrent users. We expect that this will continue to increase.

Q21: What constitutes a ‘minor customization’ as opposed to a full feature development in your view?

Minor customization is intended to be limited to styling changes to match the Office of the Secretary of State’s branding, including images, logos, and graphics. Additionally, minor customization may include text changes to reflect terminology commonly used in Washington State. Our intention is to allow for creativity and innovation in the proposals submitted. If your proposal includes additional features or ideas for future improvements, include those within your proposal. You can separate those improvements from the required Cost Proposal.

Q22: Are there designated physical locations or offices where in-person support might be needed?

A22: The Elections Division is located at 243 Israel Dr, Tumwater, WA. This is the only location that in-person support may be requested for Election Night. The Office of the Secretary of State can also facilitate remote support.

Q23: Can support and meetings be fulfilled entirely remotely, or will some personnel need to be Washington-based or travel on-site?

A23: The Office of the Secretary of State can facilitate remote support. We do have additional support for Election Night and can make the necessary arrangements for it to be on-site or remote.

Q24: Will OSOS allow subcontracted staff to provide Help Desk support under the prime contractor’s oversight?

A24: The RFQQ is silent on subcontractor support. We look forward to hearing the innovative and creative solutions that best serve the needs of the voter within the submitted proposals.

Q25: Will we be subject to any additional state-level security assessments or third-party audits during implementation?

A25: There are no additional OSOS-specific standards or best practices required. We look forward to hearing the innovative and creative solutions that best serve the needs of the voter within the submitted proposals. However, the system must be compliant with OCIO Security Requirements.

Q26: Will contractors be granted access to perform penetration testing or only code-level review?

The contractor shares responsibility for application security. The contractor will provide automated security code review before deployment. OSOS security personnel will have access for independent security reviews. Please include your access requirements for application security testing and/or code level review within your proposal.

Q27: Is there a preference or requirement for staff to be physically located in Washington?

A27: The RFQQ has no requirements or preferences on staff location.

Q28: How are scoring rubrics structured for experience, technical capability, and cost? Can you share a breakdown?

A28: Management Proposal – 35% – 70 points Technical Proposal – 35% – 70 points Cost Proposal – 25% – 50 points Executive Order 18-03 Evaluation Preference – 5% – 10 points.

Q29: Will past performance with other states or federal agencies be considered relevant if not in Washington?

A29: References will be reviewed for the top-scoring contractor(s) only. Those will be scored a maximum of 10 points.

Q30: Are there budgetary constraints or expectations that bidders should be aware of?

A30: The total cost cannot exceed One Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($150,000.00) per year, with a total maximum of Seven Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($750,000.00) for the five-year term.

Q31: Does this RFQQ fall under the state's Supplier Diversity procurement rules (i.e. Executive Order 22-01: Equity in Public Contracting, and DES policy DES-090-06)? If so, will additional evaluation points be awarded to qualified WA state small & veteran-owned businesses?

A31: The Office of the Secretary of State (OSOS) supports the principles of Executive Order 22-01 – Equity in Public Contracting 22-01 - Equity in Public Contracting.pdf, which encourages increasing access to public contracting for small, diverse, and veteran-owned businesses.

However, this procurement does not include evaluation preferences based on business status because the total contract value exceeds the $150,000 threshold referenced in DES Policy DES-090-06, Section C.4 POL-DES-090-06SupplierDiversity.pdf, and therefore does not meet the terms of that requirement.

As clarified in RFQQ 25-05 – Amendment No. 1:

“The correct total budgeted amount for the five-year contract is Seven Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($750,000.00), with a maximum budgeted amount of One Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($150,000.00) per year.”

Business ownership or certification status may be disclosed in Exhibits A-1 and A-2, but no additional evaluation points are awarded under this RFQQ 25-05 on that basis.

Q32: Additionally, since this award is valued at $150K annually, if a responsive and responsible bidder is a WA state small business or veteran-owned business, is the contract required to be awarded to that bidder before considering other bids per DES-090-06 Policy Section C.4?

A32: No. Although the estimated annual value of the contract is $150,000, the total contract value resulting from this RFQQ 25-05 will exceed the threshold defined in DES Policy DES-090- 06 Section C.4 Supplier Diversity - DES-090-06 | Department of Enterprise Services (DES) when measured by total contract value.

Per Section 1.4 of RFQQ 25-05, the period of performance is:

“...tentatively scheduled to begin on or about July 1, 2025, and to end on June 30, 2030.”

And RFQQ 25-05 – Amendment No. 1 confirms:

“The correct total budgeted amount for the five-year contract is Seven Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($750,000.00), with a maximum budgeted amount of One Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($150,000.00) per year.”

By policy, DES-090-06, Section C.4 POL-DES-090-06SupplierDiversity.pdf states:

“Award competitively procured contracts with an initial value less than $150,000 to the highest-ranked responsive and responsible small or veteran-owned business, unless there was no responsive and responsible bid from a small or veteran-owned business.”

Because the total value of the contract exceeds $150,000, this procurement does not meet the criteria outlined in Section C.4.

Q33: There does not seem to be anywhere in the proposal to include a Technical Approach or describe the bidder’s Proposed Solution and no award evaluation points allocated for this.

Should we include this content within the Management Proposal section somewhere or will OSOS consider adding a Technical Approach section & adding award points for this new section?

Typical content might include and provide equal award points weight as the Management Proposal section: a. Project Approach/Methodology; b. Work Plan & Schedule; c. Proposed Solution; d. Deliverables.

https://governor.wa.gov/sites/default/files/exe_order/22-01%20-%20Equity%20in%20Public%20Contracting.pdf https://des.wa.gov/sites/default/files/policy-documents/POL-DES-090-06SupplierDiversity.pdf https://des.wa.gov/policies-legal/policies-laws-rules-search/supplier-diversity-des-090-06#:%7E:text=The%20purpose%20of%20this%20policy,to%20the%20maximum%20extent%20possible.

https://des.wa.gov/sites/default/files/policy-documents/POL-DES-090-06SupplierDiversity.pdf

A33: While this content could be included in the Management Proposal, OSOS will add a “Technical Approach” section worth 70 points, and reduce “Management Proposal” to 70 points. This ensures more balanced evaluation.

Q34: What is the peak web traffic currently seen for the legacy Election Results site?

A34: Peak web traffic changes based on the type of election and what races appear on the ballot. The OSOS will collaborate with the contractor to provide website analytics for the OSOS website. However, we do see hundreds of thousands of visits to the Election Results site during Presidential election years. In 2020, we had a peak of approximately 72,000 concurrent users. We expect that this will continue to increase.

Q35: Will OSOS remain responsible for all hosting cost and Production environment infrastructure administration (web server, database admin, etc.) with the awarded vendor’s role limited to delivery of code releases, deployments, and software maintenance of the election results reporting solution to OSOS for deployment into Production? Will OSOS provide additional Test, Staging, or UAT environments for this project?

A35: The RFQQ is silent on hosting location and administration. Our intention is to allow for creativity and innovation in the proposals submitted. If your proposed solution requires OSOS to provide additional Test, Staging, or UAT environments, please include that in your proposal.

Q36: Section 1.2 - “Maintain adequate staffing to provide Help Desk Support for all products and services” Q36-1: Are we expected to provide Help Desk support for the application that is currently in Production or just the new application once it goes live?

A36-1: The contractor will only be required to provide Help Desk Support for the new solution.

Q36-2: Are the Help Desk services provided just for internal OSOS staff? In other words, do we also have to provide Help Desk support directly to end users of the Election reporting site?

A36-2: The Help Desk Support would be for supporting internal OSOS staff.

Q36-3: How many tickets per week does the internal Help Desk for OSOS currently see for the legacy Election Results site?

A36-3: There are between 5-10 support requests per election for the legacy Election Results site, sometimes more. These include initial setup for the current election, preparation for pre-election testing, troubleshooting issues, and enabling precinct-level results reporting.

Q37: With regards to the 24/7 support during “Key Election Periods" is the expectation for the contractor to be available within one hour during strictly business hours, or is the expectation for full 24 hour support providing notice within the hour?

A37: Starting 90 days prior to election day, and through the final certification of the election.

The contractor will respond to issues reported via email or phone within one hour, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Q38: If the need is to provide full 24/7 support in the 90s days before an election through certification and since there are 4 elections per year, is it realistic to assume that we would be “on call” for a majority of the year for 24 hours a day?

A38: Yes, the contractor will be expected to be on call for the majority of the year during key election periods.

Q39: Would OSOS consider amending the RFQQ with regards to minimum qualifications;

updating the required experience as an election results solution provider to preferred? This would allow for more competitive bidding from contractors with similar “open government” and “civic technology” experience outside of just election results reporting?

A39: No, the critical and highly visible nature of election results reporting requires a unique experience in supporting and providing a results reporting solution is important to the Office of the Secretary of State. The contractor must possess at least eight (8) years of demonstrated experience as a provider of election results reporting solutions.

Q40: Section 1.2 - Mentions that the solution must be an “off-the-shelf” solution with only minor customizations. If we propose a custom development solution using off-the-shelf data reporting components and widget libraries where appropriate, will our proposal be considered non-responsive or is that an acceptable proposed solution?

A40: As the level of customization increases, the likelihood of time-tested performance decreases. The requirement that the solution be an “off-the-shelf” solution is intended to ensure that the solution has been tested, updated as necessary, and has performed well in similar circumstances. We expect that the contractor proposing this solution has sufficient experience with and knowledge of the proposed solution to meet the limited customization needs of OSOS and provide seamless integration of the solution with existing elections infrastructure.

Q41: Has OSOS done a survey or feasibility study of available “off-the-shelf” solutions and can the results of that survey be shared with us?

A41: The Office of the Secretary of State has not conducted any surveys or feasibility studies of available “off-the-shelf” solutions.

Q42: How does the current Election Results Page interface today with VoteWA to fetch and display data? Does the Election Results Page use direct database calls to VoteWA or is there an existing API exposed by VoteWA that is being used? Is it possible to get a specification or details of the VoteWA interface being used today (description of tables & columns or API endpoint documentation)?

A42: The current Election Results Page consists of static HTML files that are updated at regular intervals. Data is retrieved from a secure location and imported into the results generator, which then updates the static HTML files. The Office of the Secretary of State can share additional details and specifications with the apparently successful bidder.