To better meet the needs of their nearly 250,000 combined registered voters, ten counties in Tennessee conducted detailed and comprehensive, competitive request for proposals (RFP) with the goal of replacing their still functioning but older direct record electronic (DRE) voting systems. No surprise all ten decided to move forward with confidence and upgrade to the EAC and Tennessee certified ES&S ExpressVote® Universal Voting System and DS200® precinct-based scanner and tabulator.
While their existing voting systems were withstanding the test of time, like many counties across the U.S., election officials in Chester, Decatur, Hardin, Lincoln, McNairy, Moore, Pickett, Sevier, Weakley and Wilson County were ready to put away the challenges associated with their older technology and find a solution that simplified election management while improving voter confidence and experience at the polls.
“Security, confidence and a paper record … that’s what many election officials and voters across the country are telling us they want. The ExpressVote and DS200 bring value to everyone involved in the election process from the voters to the election officials to the poll workers. This proven configuration puts our customers in a position to effectively manage their elections,” Cam Wilson, ES&S Regional Sales Manager said.
Each of these ten counties’ RFP processes was designed to make purchasing election equipment more transparent, orderly, comparable and fair, and included careful analysis of the RFP responses and on-site demonstrations from multiple vendors. The counties fully evaluated each bidder’s adherence to the terms of the RFP, the quality of the technology and services, and the cost to the county.
All ten RFP evaluations confirmed that ES&S would deliver the best equipment, service and value for the county and their voters.
“The team at ES&S has been great to work with through our transition of voting systems. We are confident that this system will create an easier and more positive voting experience for the citizens of Chester County,” Kathy Vest, Chester County Administrator of Elections said.
The ExpressVote and DS200 Power Couple has proven to be:
- An easy configuration for every age of voter to understand and use
- Fast for both voters and election officials
- The most economical system on the market
… and most important, the Power Couple gives people a sense of confidence that their votes will be secure!
The ADA-compliant ExpressVote provides the best of both worlds with touch-screen technology and a voter-verifiable paper record.
The DS200, like all ES&S tabulation equipment, includes physical security features to secure sensitive components and election files. The DS200 operating system controls, limits and detects unauthorized access to all critical data. The system also includes safeguards that help protect sensitive data and verify authenticity.
“Sevier County is looking forward to continuing our partnership with ES&S and very excited to be using a new voting system that provides the best of electronic and paper-based voting! It was important for us to work with a reliable company, which builds systems that have a positive impact on parts of the election process. We are confident that our staff, the voters, and the poll workers will love the new system,” Ed Kuncitis, Sevier County Administrator of Elections said.”
These ten counties obviously appreciate the fact that we are the most experienced provider of total integrated election management solutions in the world, providing election equipment, software, and services for nearly 40 years. And that no other voting system vendor can compare to our financial stability and customer base. Our business has grown to serve 41 states and nearly 100 million registered voters tabulate on an ES&S system.