Hauling of voting machines for St. Landry Parish

The Louisiana Secretary of State's office is seeking sealed bids for a voting machine drayage contract covering St. Landry Parish, with proposals due on January 6, 2025 at 10:00 am CST. The procurement involves comprehensive transportation services for approximately 208 voting machines across 91 precincts, requiring contractors to handle delivery and retrieval of machines to and from warehouses, polling places, and demonstration sites. Contractors must obtain and deliver precinct registers from the Parish Registrar of Voters, manage "Vote Here" signs, and ensure proper machine covering and loading. Each voting machine weighs approximately 265 pounds and is valued at $6,000, with contractors required to submit a bid guaranty of 5% of the total bid amount. Key qualifications include providing election day emergency services and demonstrating capabilities to handle machine transportation with extreme care. The contract term runs from the award date through December 31, 2025, with an option to renew for two additional 12-month periods. Evaluation will likely focus on bidders' logistical capabilities, insurance coverage, and ability to meet strict transportation and handling requirements.

The procurement does not specify explicit set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises, but requires comprehensive insurance coverage including workers' compensation ($100,000 per person), 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). Contractors are restricted to handling no more than 1,000 voting machines or four parishes total. Payment terms include compensation within 30 days of submitting proper documentation, with double rates applied for private elections and demonstrations, and a minimum guarantee of 3 machines. If awarded the contract, vendors must provide a performance bond of 1.5 times the contract price. While specific budget ranges are not explicitly stated, the comprehensive insurance and bonding requirements suggest a significant operational investment will be necessary. The contract appears designed to ensure secure, reliable transportation of election equipment with minimal risk to the parish's voting infrastructure.