Department of State today will take the next step toward modernizing Pennsylvania`s elections by issuing an Invitation for Bid (IFB) to voting system firms. This IFB marks the beginning of the commonwealth`s transition to state-of-the-art voting equipment," Acting Secretary Robert Torres said. The new requirements will ensure that our voting systems will provide enhanced standards of resiliency, auditability, and security for Pennsylvania citizens.

The IFB includes requirements for increased documentation, security and reporting capabilities. It follows a February directive the department sent to counties that all voting systems purchased from Feb. 9 forward must employ a voter-verifiable paper ballot or voter-verifiable paper record of votes cast by the voter. It also reinforces enhanced standards for security, including physical security, confidentiality, data encryption, audit logging, and reporting.

The IFB updates an existing state-negotiated agreement with vendors and can be used by counties to purchase voter-verifiable voting systems that meet the department`s requirements for certification