Hauling of voting machines for St. Helena Parish

The Louisiana Department of State is seeking bids for drayage services to transport voting machines, election supplies, and precinct registers for St. Helena Parish. The procurement involves hauling approximately 34 voting machines across 11 precincts, requiring enclosed trucks or trailers for transportation. The contract will run from the date of award through December 31, 2025, with options for two additional 12-month renewals. Service requirements include delivering and picking up voting machines, precinct registers, and "Vote Here" signs between warehouses and polling locations, with specific timing constraints: delivery must occur between 7:00 am and 8:00 pm the day before elections, and return must be completed within 48 hours after polls close. Bidders must submit a bid bond or guaranty of 5% of their total bid amount, and the winning contractor will need to provide a performance bond of 1.5 times the contract price. Sealed bids are due by January 6, 2025, at 10:00 am CST, with bid packages available beginning December 6, 2024.

The solicitation does not explicitly outline set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises. Each voting machine weighs approximately 265 pounds and is valued at $6,000, with contractors required to carry specific insurance coverages including Workers' Compensation ($100,000 per person), Public Liability ($100,000 per person), Bodily Injury ($300,000 per occurrence), Property Damage ($50,000 per occurrence), and Auto Liability ($500,000 combined single limit). Bidders are limited to contracting for parishes with an aggregate total of not more than 1,000 voting machines or four parishes, whichever limit is met first. The contractor will be paid within 30 days of service completion, contingent upon no damage to the voting machines. While no specific budget range is provided, the contract's scope suggests a moderate-value procurement focusing on precise logistical services for election infrastructure management.