Election Management Systems RFPs, Pre-RFP Signals and Bid Opportunities
See emerging pre-RFP opportunities from public-sector buyers this week based on contract renewal timing, meetings and job changes, and paired with verified contact info.
- Elections staff told the budget committee the city's election management system is at end of life, trending toward unsupported, after the current vendor's upgrade failed.
- Staff requested $1 million in one-time funding for new election management software, but the mayor's proposed 2027 budget did not include it.
- The budget committee acknowledged the investment need but deferred a decision, with the chair saying the city cannot build a budget on what-if scenarios.
- Staff warned they will return next year for contingency funds because without the investment the city will not be prepared for the 2028 presidential election.
- Georgia's Joint Election Equipment Specifications and Standards Committee is actively gathering vendor presentations and demonstrations to define standards for the next statewide election system.
- Committee members are pressing vendors on VVSG 2.0 certification, voting at any polling location, and deployment support across all 159 counties.
- The committee's report is due January 31st, with a timeline encompassing federal and state certification, procurement, and rollout before the 2028 presidential primary.
- Hart InterCivic presented its Vanguard voting system, and Election Systems & Software presented with its partner PrintElect,…
- Clerk Beutel and Deputy Clerk Somers are asking the Texas Township Board to authorize applying for a U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence grant to fund poll worker management software.
- The software, estimated at roughly $9,000 including a $4,500 setup fee and $4,200 annual subscription, would improve inspector communications, training, time tracking, and asset management.
- Grant awards range from $5,000 to $50,000 based on population, with extra funds earmarked for election emergency planning, and applications close December 1.
- The board is scheduled to vote on the grant application at its September 28, 2026 meeting, and no…
- Greenbelt's Board of Elections presented draft charter and code amendments to implement ranked-choice voting for the November 2027 election, with the Council engaged in active deliberation.
- The Board recommended allowing voters to rank up to seven candidates and proposed a tabulation software for round-by-round calculations, which would be new for the city.
- The Mayor stated that an RFP will be issued to select a vendor specializing in ranked-choice voting for a small city, with negotiations to follow.
- The Council heard support for mailing ballots to all registered voters as a way to boost turnout, though the Board cited a 2.5-fold…
- Town Clerk Jean Young asked the Select Board to approve over $16,000 in the 2027 budget to purchase six electronic poll books with printers for the 2028 election cycle.
- Young recommended the same manufacturer as Alton's tabulator, noting the poll books are offline, use open-source software, and have been approved by the Secretary of State.
- The Select Board requested at least one competing quote before approval, citing town purchasing procedure; Young said one other company could provide a quote.
- A board member noted neighboring Bstead uses six of the same poll books, praising the time savings and calling the purchase a no-brainer.
- The Joint Election Equipment Requirements and Specifications Committee is gathering testimony to define requirements for replacing Georgia's voting system, still at the input stage with no vendor chosen.
- County election officials, in a 101-response survey, told the committee they want a reliable, secure, practical system and favor ballot-on-demand or full-faced ballot marking devices over preprinted ballots.
- Georgia has run the same voting system purchased in 2019 with no upgrades, only minor patches, and replacement parts increasingly come from aftermarket suppliers because original parts are no longer made.
- Georgia's Joint Election Equipment Specifications and Standards Committee is actively gathering vendor presentations and demonstrations to define standards for the next statewide election system.
- Committee members are pressing vendors on VVSG 2.0 certification, voting at any polling location, and deployment support across all 159 counties.
- The committee's report is due January 31st, with a timeline encompassing federal and state certification, procurement, and rollout before the 2028 presidential primary.
- Hart InterCivic presented its Vanguard voting system, and Election Systems & Software presented with its partner PrintElect, signaling early-stage vendor engagement.
- Committee members are still developing standards and specifications for the RFP, leaving room for vendors to shape the eventual requirements.
How to use pre-RFP signals
1. Shape the requirement
When you see a budget allocation or strategic plan mention, the agency is just beginning to define their need. Engage now to help write the specs before the RFP goes public.
2. Time your outreach
Don't cold call into the void. Use contract expiration signals to reach out to buyers exactly when they are unhappy with their incumbent or preparing to renew.
3. Arm your SDRs
Replace generic "checking in" emails with hyper-specific context. Reach out referencing their exact meeting minutes, named decision-makers, and approved budget line items.
FAQs
What is a pre-RFP signal for election management systems?
A pre-RFP signal is a public-record indicator that a buyer is moving toward a election management systems purchase before they've issued an RFP. Starbridge tracks six categories: meeting mentions, budget allocations, contract expirations, grant awards, leadership changes, and strategic plans.
How early does Starbridge detect election management systems demand?
Six to eighteen months before a formal RFP, on average. The earliest signals are usually board meeting mentions or budget line items.
What sources does Starbridge monitor?
Get your 10 highest-intent accounts
Share your ICP and we will surface 10 ready-to-buy accounts using buying signals, competitor contracts, and procurement activity for free.
- The Joint Election Equipment Requirements and Specifications Committee is gathering testimony to define requirements for replacing Georgia's voting system, still at the input stage with no vendor chosen.
- County election officials, in a 101-response survey, told the committee they want a reliable, secure, practical system and favor ballot-on-demand or full-faced ballot marking devices over preprinted ballots.
- Georgia has run the same voting system purchased in 2019 with no upgrades, only minor patches, and replacement parts increasingly come from aftermarket suppliers because original parts are no longer made.
- Officials urged long-term commitment to maintenance, security updates, and support, and recommended evaluating whether existing hardware can be upgraded and retained instead of fully replaced.
- Smaller counties, such as Irwin County with under 6,700 voters, raised cost concerns and noted alternative vendors could replace software on existing equipment to reduce transition costs, a point the committee must weigh.
- The city approved a $4 million down payment for election equipment upgrades, with the current equipment at the end of its useful life.
- The total cost for the new election equipment is $14.5 million, with $10.5 million remaining after the initial appropriation.
- The election board is still negotiating contract terms, including the payment structure for the remaining $10.5 million.
- The electronic poll books are out of their life cycle and can no longer receive updates, confirming a concrete operational gap.
- The county plans to have state-of-the-art voting equipment in 2027, pending final funding arrangements.
- Staff report ongoing mechanical and software issues with the vote-by-mail system, requiring labor-intensive manual workarounds to process mail. (Chunk 1)
- The vote-by-mail vendor relationship is strained by contract management issues and a long negotiation that delayed testing and budget planning. (Chunk 1)
- The board accepted 49 absentee affidavits that had a software default in the state-managed online portal, after the state fixed the issue. (Chunk 1)
- The board approved an amended 2026 general election vote center plan removing the closed Global Village Marketplace as a voting site. (Chunk 1)
- Public testing of about 2,300 ballot marking and tabulation devices showed zero issues in the election reporting software. (Chunk 1)
- Elections staff told the budget committee the city's election management system is at end of life, trending toward unsupported, after the current vendor's upgrade failed.
- Staff requested $1 million in one-time funding for new election management software, but the mayor's proposed 2027 budget did not include it.
- The budget committee acknowledged the investment need but deferred a decision, with the chair saying the city cannot build a budget on what-if scenarios.
- Staff warned they will return next year for contingency funds because without the investment the city will not be prepared for the 2028 presidential election.
- Staff identified the EMS as the city's biggest software need, used for election judges, payroll, materials, and chain of custody, with no manual fallback.
- Clerk Beutel and Deputy Clerk Somers are asking the Texas Township Board to authorize applying for a U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence grant to fund poll worker management software.
- The software, estimated at roughly $9,000 including a $4,500 setup fee and $4,200 annual subscription, would improve inspector communications, training, time tracking, and asset management.
- Grant awards range from $5,000 to $50,000 based on population, with extra funds earmarked for election emergency planning, and applications close December 1.
- The board is scheduled to vote on the grant application at its September 28, 2026 meeting, and no software vendor has been chosen yet.
- The Clerk's FY26 elections budget of $117,895 covers per diem and early voting but includes no dedicated software line, leaving the purchase dependent on grant approval.
Public meeting minutes, board agendas, budget documents, contract expiration data, grant awards, public job postings, and leadership announcements across all 50 states.
Do I have to talk to sales to get the election management systems report?
No. Enter your work email and the report is sent within minutes. A demo is optional.
What's in the free election management systems report?
Ranked buyers with active election management systems demand in your scope, open RFPs closing soon, expiring contracts with incumbent names, and verified buyer contacts.
How accurate are Starbridge's buyer contacts?
Validated against a 14,000-email test, Starbridge runs a 2% bounce rate. Comparable tools self-report 15 to 25%.
