Hauling of voting machines for Claiborne Parish

The Louisiana Secretary of State's office is seeking a contractor to provide drayage services for voting machine transportation in Claiborne Parish. This Invitation to Bid (ITB) covers the hauling of approximately 45 voting machines and related election materials between warehouses and 25 precincts. The primary contract term runs from the date of award through December 31, 2025, with options to renew for two additional 12-month periods, not exceeding 36 months total. Bidders must provide a 5% bid guaranty and be prepared to secure a performance bond 1.5 times the contract price if awarded. Specific service requirements include delivering and retrieving voting machines, precinct registers, "Vote Here" signs, and other election materials within prescribed timeframes before and after elections. Contractors must use only enclosed trucks or trailers for transport and are restricted to servicing no more than 1,000 voting machines or four parishes simultaneously. The sealed bid submission deadline is January 6, 2025, at 10:00 am CST, with bid packages available from December 6, 2024.

Contractors must meet comprehensive insurance requirements, 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). Each voting machine weighs approximately 265 pounds and is valued at $6,000, with payment terms set at net 30 days after service completion and subject to inspection and acceptance. While no specific set-aside designations are mentioned, the detailed technical and insurance requirements may limit participation to established transportation and logistics providers with experience in sensitive government equipment handling. The procurement covers Claiborne Parish specifically, though the contractor is limited to four parishes maximum. The potential contract value is not explicitly stated, but can be estimated based on the number of machines, transportation requirements, and expected election cycles. Interested bidders should carefully review the full ITB document to ensure complete compliance with all technical specifications and administrative requirements.