47.5 Purchasing by competitive bidding.

1. Except for legal services and printing of ballots, the commissioner shall take bids for goods and services which are needed in connection with registration of voters or preparation for or administration of elections and which will be performed or provided by persons who are not employees of the commissioner under the following circumstances:

a. In any case where it is proposed to purchase data processing services. The commissioner shall give the registrar written notice in advance on each occasion when it is proposed to have data processing services, necessary in connection with the administration of elections, performed by any person other than the registrar or an employee of the county. Such notice shall be made at least thirty days prior to publication of the specifications.

b. In all other cases, where the cost of the goods or services to be purchased will exceed one thousand dollars.

2. When it is proposed to purchase any goods or services, other than data processing services, in connection with administration of elections, the commissioner shall publish notice to bidders, including specifications regarding the goods or services to be purchased or a description of the nature and object of the services to be retained, in a newspaper of general circulation in the county not less than fifteen days before the final date for submission of bids. When competitive bidding procedures are used, the purchase of goods or services shall be made from the lowest responsible bidder which meets the specifications or description of the services needed or the commissioner may reject all bids and readvertise. In determining the lowest responsible bidder, various factors may be considered, including but not limited to the past performance of the bidder relative to quality of product or service, the past experience of the purchaser in relation to the product or service, the relative quality of products or services, the proposed terms of delivery and the best interest of the county.

3. The procedure for purchasing data processing services in connection with administration of elections is the same as prescribed in subsection 2, except that the required copy of the bid specifications shall be filed with the registrar rather than the state commissioner. The specifications for data processing contracts relative to voter registration records shall be specified by the registration commission. The registrar shall, not later than the final date for submission of bids, inform the commissioner in writing whether the department of administrative services data processing facilities are currently capable of furnishing the services the county proposes to purchase, and if so the cost to the county of so obtaining the services as determined in accordance with the standard charges adopted by the registration commission. The commissioner, with approval of the board of supervisors, may reject all bids and enter into an arrangement with the registrar for the services to be furnished by the state. The commissioner may recommend and the board of supervisors may approve purchasing the needed services from the lowest responsible bidder; however, if the needed services could be obtained through the registrar at a lower cost, the board shall publish notice twice in a newspaper of general circulation in the county of its intent to accept such bid and of the difference in the amount of the bid and the cost of purchasing the needed services from the department of administrative services data processing facilities through the registrar. Each contract for the furnishing of data processing services necessary in connection with the administration of elections, by any person other than the registrar or an employee of the county, shall be executed with the contractor by the board of supervisors of the county purchasing the services, but only after the contract has been reviewed and approved by the registration commission. The contract shall be of not more than one year’s duration. Each county exercising the option to purchase such data processing services from a provider other than the registrar shall provide the registrar, at the county’s expense, original and updated voter registration lists in a form and at times prescribed by rules adopted by the registration commission.

4. Any election or registration data or records which may be in the possession of a contractor shall remain the property of the commissioner. Contracts with a private person relating to the maintenance and use of voter registration data, which were properly entered into in compliance with this section and with all other laws relating to bidding on such contracts, shall remain in force only until the most recently negotiated termination date of that contract. A new contract with the same provider may be entered into in accordance with subsection 3.

[C75, 77, 79, 81, §47.5]

86 Acts, ch 1245, §312; 95 Acts, ch 103, §1, 2; 97 Acts, ch 170, §11, 12; 2003 Acts, ch 145, §286