The quest to bolster the integrity and efficacy of North Carolina’s election management system is advancing with the search for a skilled vendor to helm the second phase of a sweeping modernization initiative. The North Carolina Office of the State Auditor (OSA), alongside the North Carolina State Board of Elections, laid out a Request for Proposal (RFP) aimed at securing this talent, details of which were made public recently.
With the groundwork set by a Request for Information (RFI) in October, which opened the floodgates for public opinions on revamping the election framework, the ensuing phase is poised to tackle the conversion of legacy applications. The OSA supervises all financial facets of the State Board's activities, and the collective insight, garnered from this process informed the just-released RFP, in a move that emphasizes the State’s commitment to a democratic system reflecting the will of the people, and secured against the vulnerabilities that haunt our modern technological age.
Bolstering public trust through these upgrades remains a cornerstone of the process. State Auditor Dave Boliek underscored this ethos in a statement procured by the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor's news release, declaring, “We are continuing our election modernization efforts, and working toward delivering secure, user-friendly tools to strengthen North Carolina’s elections. We received valuable feedback during the public comment period. Public input and transparency will remain key aspects of our election modernization efforts.”
Digging further into the resolve to refine these systems, State Board Executive Director Sam Hayes emphasized, the fruition of a core objective, stating, “I am excited to launch this RFP, for the modernization of our aging election management system. This represents the next step toward delivering a more resilient and user-friendly platform for North Carolina.” It speaks to an understanding of infrastructure as a living entity, demanding nurture and evolution, ensuring each citizen's most fundamental right, their vote, is accurately cast and counted, as per the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor.
The RFP contains specifics on system prerogatives, from evaluation to submission guidelines. Interested parties can dive into the details via the OSA’s news release or directly peruse the State Board's site. Following the proposal submission deadline, OSA, together with the State Board, will undertake a thorough proposal assessment and proceed with the procurement as per the state's regulatory requirements, in a stride toward a fortified democratic process.
