State Elections Commission Rejects Bids for New Electronic Vote‑Counting System

The Puerto Rico State Elections Commission (SEC) has restarted its procurement process to acquire a new electronic vote‑counting system, issuing a fresh request for proposals after rejecting all submissions received under an earlier solicitation.

SEC President Jorge R. Rivera Rueda said in a statement the Commission voted unanimously to issue a “Global Rejection Resolution” after determining that the three companies that submitted proposals—Election Systems & Software LLC (ES&S), Liberty Vote USA Inc. and Truenorth Corporation—failed to meet several mandatory requirements outlined in RFP CEE‑2026‑07.

The agency is seeking a modern ballot‑scanning and tabulation system as Puerto Rico prepares to upgrade or replace the technology used in recent election cycles. Rivera Rueda said the Commission’s objective is to strengthen public confidence by selecting a secure, reliable platform capable of producing rapid and accurate results while improving the voting experience and reducing machine‑voter interaction time.

In announcing the rejection, Rivera Rueda emphasized that the Commission remains committed to maintaining its project timeline ahead of the 2028 general elections. To avoid delays, the SEC unanimously approved a new RFP, scheduled for publication Tuesday.

“The protection of democracy and our genuine interest in strengthening voter confidence keeps us focused on presenting a modern, reliable, secure and efficient system,” Rivera Rueda said, noting that public statements on the procurement will be limited to safeguard the integrity of the competitive process.

The resolution formalizing the rejection of all proposals is available to the public at www.ceepur.org.

The procurement effort comes at a moment of heightened scrutiny over election technology and transparency. The CEE has said it aims to adopt a system that meets high standards for security and performance while supporting a smoother tabulation process during election events.