California Secretary of State - Elections & Voter Information

The federal Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) requires all states to implement a wide range of election process reforms, including the creation of a single statewide list of all registered voters in California. The Secretary of State established the VoteCal Registration Database Project to develop and implement this federally mandated statewide voter registration list. The next major step in this project is the procurement of a vendor to develop this system.

Please check this web page regularly for project developments and to obtain the most current information on this project.

For general information regarding California's implementation of the federal Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA), please click here.

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NEWS

SOS Submittal of Project Approval Request - Special Project Report (SPR)
The Selection of Catalyst Consulting Group, Inc. and its business solution has further clarified the project's costs and schedule. The VoteCal Project Team has spent the past month compiling data and writing the SPR. The SPR is the project approval request document that is sent to the Executive Branch control agencies and the Legislature. The SPR describes the business need, proposed solution, a high-level approach, and includes a refined schedule and budget.

On June 23, 2009 the SOS submitted the SPR to the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO). The OCIO will share review responsibility with the Department of Finance (DOF). The OCIO and DOF have 30 days to review the SPR. These control agencies (OCIO and DOF) can approve the project, approve the project with conditions, or deny approval of the project. If they approve the project (with or without conditions), they forward the SOS' SPR to the Legislature. The Legislature then has 30 days to review the SPR. The Legislature can approve or deny the request or hold a hearing on the request. Since there are triggers for both the control agencies and the Legislature to effectively "stop the clock," we anticipate the review process taking at least 60 days.

For more information about the proposed VoteCal Project, please view the June 23, 2009, VoteCal Special Project Report (SPR).
(Please note that this report is subject to change during the process of review and approval by the control agencies and the Legislature.)

End of Protest Period
Following the posting of the Letter of Intent to Award to Catalyst Consulting Group, Inc., the intended award was not protested. The VoteCal Project team is preparing a Special Project Report (SPR) and Section 11 Notification to the Legislature for approval. Contract award to Catalyst is scheduled for July 8th, 2009, but is contingent upon approval of the SPR and Section 11.

Notification of Intent to Award
The Department of General Services on behalf of the Secretary of State has issued a Notification of Intent to Award to Catalyst Consulting Group, Inc. for RFP SOS 0890-46 VoteCal on April 24, 2009. The last day to protest this award is May 1, 2009 by 5:00 p.m. Please view the Notification of Intent to Award.

Results of Public Cost Opening
The public cost opening for RFP SOS 0890-46 VoteCal occurred at Department of General Services on March 26, 2009 at 1:00 p.m.
Catalyst Consulting Group, Inc. (Catalyst), received a non-cost score of 8,073.8.
Catalyst costs were read as follows:

Cost Table VII.8:
         Total Cost for VoteCal System Project (Cost Table VII.7)(D): $24,948,000;
         Total Cost for Optional VoteCal EMS Project (Optional Cost Table VII.17): $16,985,100;
         Total Vendor VoteCal Project Cost: $41,933,100.

The following additional information from the Catalyst cost proposal is being provided:
Cost Table VII.1, Line (A): $18,177,000
Cost Table VII.10, Line (A): $5,334,000

Public Cost Opening - March 26, 2009
The public cost opening for RFP SOS 0890-46 VoteCal will be held on Thursday, March 26th at the Department of General Services. For more information, please contact Rhonda Smith at (916) 375-4502.

VoteCal System development & implementation Request for Proposal (RFP) released on December 13, 2007.

This procurement is being managed by the California Department of General Services. All questions concerning this procurement should be addressed directly to:

Rhonda Smith Department of General Services - Procurement 707 3rd Street, Second Floor West Sacramento, CA 95605 Rhonda.Smith@dgs.ca.gov Phone: (916) 375-4502 Fax: (916) 375-4505

For questions regarding voter registration please visit www.sos.ca.gov/elections_vr.htm.
For voter status please contact your local county elections office.

Historic Documents and Information

Responses to County Questions about VoteCal

These questions and answers are being presented here to help guide counties in reviewing and understanding the VoteCal RFP. These answers are informational only and not meant to be a legal interpretation of the RFP or its requirements. In the event one or more of the questions below conflict with the actual RFP, the language of the RFP will prevail.

Questions from Regional Meetings with California Counties

Questions Submitted by Sacramento County

VoteCal Feasibility Study Report (FSR) - March 20, 2006

VoteCal Special Project Report (SPR) - August 15, 2007

Economic Analysis Worksheets (EAWs)

Memorandum of Agreement with U.S. Department of Justice - November 2, 2005.

Other VoteCal Project Procurements

Last Updated on June 30, 2009

VoteCal Project Statewide Voter Registration System