Funding Paper Ballots - page 3

Purchasing Precinct-Based Optical Scanners:

Achieving Cost Reductions

1. In April 2004, the State of Michigan purchased Diebold AccuVote Precinct Based Optical Scanner (PBOS) units. The total cost, $4,755 per unit,⁶ included hardware, software, warranty, documentation, training, implementation costs, election specialists, election day rovers, server installation and a performance guarantee. The Michigan figure, adjusted for inflation, corresponds to an August 2007 price quote to Pennsylvania, producing a unit cost of $5,040.⁷

2. If the State of Maryland secured this price package for the approximately 2,000 optical scanners the state requires, the total cost would be $10.08 million for scanners. This is before any trade-in adjustment is provided by DESI for Maryland’s current inventory of voting units

3. In 2006, DESI offered Alameda County, California, a $6.1 million trade-in for its 2001 purchase of 4,000 AccuVote TS units ($1,525 per unit) against it’s proposed purchase of 2,000 new Diebold voting machines.^8,9 Moreover, DESI offered to buy back its old machines outright for $3 million ($750 per unit) should the county select a different vendor. This offer has been confirmed by the Registrar of Voters for Alameda County and was completed in September, 2006.

4. The State of Maryland should receive similar trade-in and repurchase terms. It would offset nearly all of the estimated $20.6 million in new election system equipment mandated under SB392/HB18. The first $10.08 million would be sufficient to acquire roughly 2,000 PBOS units. The balance could be applied to accessible units called for under the legislation (see following page).

5. Based on studies and available figures from states that have transitioned from DRE to PBOS, election administration costs under SB392 would decrease by an estimated 50% over the first five years, for state savings of approximately $20 million.¹⁰ In Maryland’s case, ballot printing costs due to absentee and provisional voting requirements are already approaching levels required under an optical scan system.

6. Positive economic impact: Under a PBOS system, Maryland businesses could bid on contracts for over 3 million paper ballots and 20,000 privacy booths on a recurring basis as opposed to direct purchases from voting system vendors.

6 “Notice of Contract No. 071B4200233 between the State of Michigan and Diebold Election Systems, Inc.” Contract period April 26, 2004-April 26, 2007. p. 161. [LINK]

7 PA Dept. of General Services, Bureau of Procurement, COSTARS program; COSTARS-10 Voting System Suppliers, pg. 45 [LINK]

8 “Election Voting Systems: Analysis of Options.” op. cit.

“Election 2006 June Primary - Diebold machines pressed into service.” Contra Costa

Times: May 6, 2006. [LINK]

9 Maryland’s AccuVote TS inventory is 2-4 years newer than the Alameda County machines.

10 See for example “Desirability and feasibility of converting to an optical scan voting system.” Memorandum to Miami Dade County Supervisors. May 27, 2005, pg. 6 [LINK]

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