$10.6 million deal awarded to revolutionize Pennsylvania's aged elections system
After 22 years and one false start, Pennsylvania is taking the next step in modernizing the computer systems that officials across the commonwealth use to keep track of voters, their ballots and other election-related services.
When it's in place sometime before the 2028 presidential election, the average voter may not notice much difference. But the county workers who administer elections should have a modern, user-friendly and more secure system, election watchdogs say.
More: When are Pa. elections happening in 2025? What's the voter registration deadline?
Gov. Josh Shapiro's administration announced a $10.6 million contract with government technology provider Civix to replace the state's aging Statewide Uniform Registry of Electors system, which the Department of State has maintained since 2003.
Civix, which has provided election systems to more than 20 states with leaders from both parties, will also modernize Pennsylvania's election night results reporting, campaign finance reporting and lobbyist registration systems.
Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt said it was clear when the Shapiro administration came into office the voter registration system needed to be replaced.
But a replacement contract awarded under the Wolf administration was faltering. With the next presidential election less than two years away, the Department of State took steps to ensure the existing system would remain reliable for the 2024 election and beyond.
'We made the decision to replace all of the hardware and upgrade the connectivity at the county level,' Schmidt told the Capital-Star, noting the upgrades ensured counties would be able to process an avalanche of voter registration and mail-in ballot applications.
More: Pennsylvania lawmakers resume push to allow 1.3 million independents to vote in primaries
Jeff Greenburg, senior election administration advisor for the nonprofit good government group Committee of Seventy, said he's encouraged the replacement project is moving forward again after a 'hiccup' that set the process back by five years.
'I have the utmost confidence that officials at the Department of State did their due diligence in selecting a company that can do the work that needs to be done,' said Greenburg, who was director of elections in Mercer County from 2007 until 2020. 'My hope is that where we end up is with a system that is going to be light years beyond a system that was created two decades ago.'
More: Erie County Elections Board switches ballot printers after 2024 election issues
In December 2023, the Department of State canceled its contract with KNOWiNK after it became clear the election technology company could not deliver.
The department awarded the $10.7 million contract in 2020 to a company that was later acquired by KNOWiNK. It agreed to return about $720,000 the state had paid since the start of Shapiro's term, but not $1.5 million paid under the previous administration.
To ensure the procurement is successful this time, the department hired a chief modernization officer to ensure the new systems meet the requirements of state and county election officials.
'It's important for me as a former county elections director that the new system provides what our counties ask for,' Schmidt said. 'They're the ones who interact with the system every day.'
In May, the department issued its specifications and received seven bids. Four were considered by a team of Department of State elections staff, county elections officials, and information technology experts who spent months reviewing and testing the proposed systems.
Former Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar said Civix has a strong reputation in the election technology industry.
'They're very committed to the strongest technology, while having the strongest security in every system they have,' Boockvar said.
And, Boockvar said, the department's timing in launching the new effort just after the 2024 presidential election is wise.
'Anything to do with elections, you don't make any major changes … right before an election where you expect very high turnout,' Boockvar said. 'It's really important to get it done in a year that's not right before a general or presidential election.'
Peter Hall has been a journalist in Pennsylvania and New Jersey for more than 20 years. Pennsylvania Capital-Star is part of States Newsroom, the nation's largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: PA election system will get long-awaited $10 million upgrade
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