Marion County authorizes negotiation of up to $17M ES&S voting-system contract

The Marion County Election Board on Aug. 26 authorized the director to negotiate a five-year contract with Election Systems & Software LLC (ES&S) for a new voting system, licensing, maintenance and election support.

Director Patrick Becker told the board the total cost of the upgrade is "around $14,500,000" and asked for authority to negotiate a contract not to exceed $17,000,000 covering procurement and ongoing support through Dec. 31, 2031. Becker said the administration and finance committee granted an initial $4,000,000 approval on Aug. 18, and the county’s City-County Council still must consider the remainder of the funding. "That amount still needs to be approved by our City-County Council, and that would serve as a down payment towards securing this equipment," Becker said.

Board members approved Memorandum No. 18, which authorizes the director and staff to continue contract negotiations with ES&S for a five-year term beginning Jan. 1, 2027. Members asked staff about the timing of implementation and whether the existing ES&S contract would cover through the general election; Becker said the current contract covers licensing, maintenance and election support "through the remainder of this year" and the new contract would introduce new system terms beginning in 2027.