Hauling of voting machines for Bienville Parish

The Louisiana Secretary of State's office is seeking a contractor to provide drayage services for voting machines in Bienville Parish, with an Invitation to Bid (ITB) released on February 7, 2025, and sealed bids due by March 7, 2025, at 10:00 am CST. The procurement involves transportation of approximately 53 voting machines and related election materials between warehouses, polling places, and demonstration sites across the parish's 35 precincts. The contractor must provide enclosed trucks or trailers and demonstrate capability to handle sensitive voting equipment, with each machine weighing approximately 265 pounds and valued at $6,000. Required qualifications include maintaining comprehensive insurance coverage, including workers' compensation, public liability ($100,000 per person), bodily injury liability ($300,000 per occurrence), property damage liability ($50,000 per occurrence), and auto liability ($500,000 combined single limit). The initial contract term runs from the award date through December 31, 2025, with potential renewals for two additional 12-month periods, not exceeding a total of 36 months.

The solicitation requires a bid guaranty of 5% of the total bid amount and a performance bond of 1.5 times the contract price. While the document does not explicitly mention set-aside designations or restrictions for disadvantaged enterprises, potential bidders must demonstrate financial stability and technical competence in handling sensitive election equipment. Payment will be processed within 30 days of completed service, contingent on no damage to voting machines. The bid package became available on February 6, 2025, and interested contractors should carefully review all specifications and insurance requirements. Although the exact contract value is not specified, bidders should prepare comprehensive proposals that account for the transportation and careful handling of high-value voting machines across Bienville Parish's election infrastructure.