IFB #25-019 - 2026 Elections Temporary Staffing

The California Secretary of State's Elections Division is seeking temporary staffing services through Invitation for Bid (IFB) #25-019 for the 2026 primary and general elections. The procurement covers temporary staffing for critical election support functions, specifically a Voter Hotline requiring 15-25 workers and Candidate Filing and Election Night Reporting teams requiring 3 workers. Staffing must cover ten languages including English, Spanish, Chinese Mandarin, Hindi, Khmer, Korean, Japanese, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese, with hourly rates required for regular, overtime, and double-time categories. Bidders must demonstrate a minimum of three years' experience in temporary staffing services and provide two customer references from the past five years. The bid submission deadline is November 14, 2025 at 4:00 p.m., with a bid opening scheduled for November 19, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. The anticipated contract period runs from December 8, 2025 through April 9, 2027, with the notice of intent to award expected on November 26, 2025, and the notice of award anticipated for December 3, 2025.

The procurement includes a Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) participation goal of 3%, which creates a set-aside or preference for qualifying businesses. Contractors must maintain specific insurance coverages, including commercial general liability insurance ($1,000,000 per occurrence/$2,000,000 aggregate), professional liability insurance ($1,000,000 per occurrence/$2,000,000 aggregate), and workers' compensation coverage as mandated by California law. The contract will be awarded to the lowest-cost responsive and responsible bidder, with the Secretary of State reserving the right to modify the scope of work by up to 30%, increase costs proportionally, and extend the contract term by up to one year based on operational needs. While no specific budget range is explicitly stated, the comprehensive staffing requirements for multiple election support functions suggest a substantial contract value. All bidders must submit required attachments, including cost sheets, DVBE declarations, civil rights certifications, and references to be considered for the contract.