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ITEM 2
City Council Memorandum City Clerk's Office Memo No.
21-017
Date:
August 26, 2021
To:
Mayor and Council
From:
Dana DeLong, City Clerk
Subject:
Agreement with Voatz, Inc., for Mobile Voting Pilot Program
Proposed Motion:
Move City Council approve the professional services agreement with Voatz, Inc., to conduct a mobile voting pilot program, in an amount not to exceed $50,000.
Background/Discussion
The City of Chandler is a community of innovation that pilots innovative ideas to promote efficiency, productivity and connectivity.
In 2019, the City began exploring methods to utilize blockchain technology to offer a secure method of voting that would enable citizens to vote on a mobile device. The Council approved a budget amendment in its FY2019-20 budget to research mobile voting using blockchain technology. City staff had conversations with election officials in other states who had experience using mobile voting in elections to learn about their experiences. Staff also discussed mobile voting with the Maricopa County Recorder's Office and learned that the County was not interested in considering a mobile voting option at that time. To offer a mobile voting option in any future election the idea to utilize mobile voting would need to be considered in partnership with the County.
Pilot Program Proposal
To further the idea of testing mobile voting technology the City is proposing a Mobile Voting Pilot Program that would allow the City and Chandler residents an opportunity to experience a mobile voting platform outside of an election environment. The pilot would not affect the results of the upcoming bond election or any future City elections.
The program would provide an opportunity for residents to experience voting via a mobile device, an opportunity to gauge community preference for a mobile voting option in future elections, provide current and future voters the opportunity to experience an innovative way to vote, and enable the City of Chandler to obtain experience using mobile voting platform functions such as voter verification and audit reporting, prior to it being conducted in a real election. One of the key goals of the pilot program is to evaluate the effectiveness of the auditing capability by encouraging citizens to participate in the process directly using the convenience and security of their smart devices.
Pilot Program Timeline
With Council approval the timeline fo the pilot program would be as follows.
September 1 - November 1, Administration preparation for pilot program.
November 8, Community outreach and engagement begins.
November 9 - 30, Allow citizens to sign up and cast a vote in the pilot environment.
November 30, Last day to vote in the pilot program.
December 1 - 3, Tabulation and audit period.
December 9, Present the findings of the pilot program to the Council.
Funding
To conduct the Mobile Voting Pilot Program staff is requesting Council approval to enter into a contract with Voatz, Inc., who will provide the platform to conduct the pilot. The cost is $30,000 to set up the mobile voting pilot plus $2 per participating voter, with the total amount of the contract not to exceed $50,000. Funding for the pilot program is available in the City Clerk's election budget.
Attachments
Voatz Agreement
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