Voter Information Guide Inkjetting and Mailing Services

The County of Orange, Registrar of Voters, is conducting a competitive invitation for bid (IFB #031-3039603-CM) for Voter Information Guide Inkjetting and Mailing Services. This fully electronic procurement solicitation, posted March 24, 2026, with a closing deadline of April 7, 2026, at 2:00 p.m., seeks qualified vendors to provide comprehensive mailing services for voter information guides distributed to approximately 1.9 million registered voters across Orange County, the fifth-largest voting jurisdiction in the United States. Required services include data processing, address inkjetting, sorting, postal verification, freight delivery to postal facilities, quality control, and supplemental mailings. The County distributes voter information guides in thirteen languages across two primary sizes (8.5" x 11" and 5.375" x 8.375") with page counts ranging from 16 to 150+ pages depending on election type, requiring the contractor to manage up to 600 different ballot types for county-wide elections. All voter information guides must be delivered to postal facilities no later than 40 days before each election, with supplemental mailings completed within five days of receiving voter lists. Minimum bidder qualifications include five years of relevant business experience, valid federal and state permits and licenses, and existing equipment and personnel capable of handling large-volume mailings. Bidders must submit extensive documentation including SAM.gov confirmation, UEI and DUNS numbers, California Secretary of State registration, references for similar services within the past five years, conflict of interest disclosures, litigation history, and compliance certifications, with insurance certificates and signed W-9 forms required upon award within seven days of County notification. The County prefers contractors located within one hour of its Santa Ana headquarters, and award will be made to the lowest responsive, responsible bidder with bids valid for 365 days post-closing.

The solicitation includes preference policies providing a five percent deduction for evaluation purposes to Orange County Local Small Businesses (OCLSB) and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprises (DVBE), or eight percent if certified in both categories. The five-year contract term commences July 1, 2026, with no automatic renewal unless approved by the County Board of Supervisors, and compensation is structured as a usage-based contract with tiered per-thousand (Per M) rates for various services including data processing, addressing, sorting, and freight delivery, along with setup fees for each ballot type. All pricing must be firm for the entire contract term with no profit increases permitted; price decreases automatically extend to the County, and the contractor must guarantee pricing equal to or lower than rates offered to other local, state, or federal government entities. The contractor must maintain comprehensive insurance coverage including Commercial General Liability ($1,000,000 per occurrence/$2,000,000 aggregate), Automobile Liability ($1,000,000 combined single limit), Workers' Compensation (statutory), and Employers Liability ($1,000,000 per accident), as well as secure both a Performance Bond and a Labor and Material Payment Bond. While no specific award value is disclosed in the solicitation, the contract total is subject to Board of Supervisors approval if annual value exceeds $200,000 or total contract value exceeds $1,000,000, and the contract is structured as a cooperative contract available to other county departments and eligible governmental entities with a two percent administrative rebate required on total sales from subordinate contracts. Payment terms are net 30 days following invoice submission in arrears, and the contractor bears all transportation, insurance, handling, and associated delivery costs.