NYC Purchase Costs, PBOS versus DREs*
(last update 11/30/05)

To create the reports below, Teresa Hommel obtained data from the Board of Elections in the City of New York on October 4, 2005 and October 20, 2005: the list of poll sites per boro, election districts (EDs) per poll site, and number of registered voters per ED.

To determine the number of lever machines provided for each ED, the yardstick of the Board of Elections was used: EDs with 800 or fewer registered voters get one lever machine, and EDs with 801 or more voters get two lever machines.

To date, five different reports have been created per boro. These reports differ in what replacement ratio or prices were used.

To summarize the purchase costs: DREs cost two to three times more than PBOS.

The fourth and fifth reports per boro also calculate how many new units of equipment that need ballot-programming would be required for the PBOS or DRE solution:

Citywide, using a replacement ratio of one Optical Scanner and one Ballot Marker per each 5 levers in the same poll site, for each 100 DREs required, only 56 PBOS units are required (28 optical scanners and 28 ballot markers):
. . . Optical Scanners 2087
. . . Ballot Markers 2087
Using a replacement ratio of one DRE per lever:
. . . DREs 7477

Citywide, using a replacement ratio of one Optical Scanner and one Ballot Marker per each 4 levers in the same poll site, for each 100 DREs required, approximately 65 PBOS units are required :
. . . Optical Scanners 2426
. . . Ballot Markers 2426
Using a replacement ratio of one DRE per lever:
. . . DREs 7477

Several transitional and continuing costs will be proportional to the number of new units purchased, which is fewer if PBOS is selected.

One-time costs that would be proportionally lower for PBOS (because fewer workers would be required because fewer PBOS units would need to be handled) include:
1. Training workers to take the new systems out of their shipping cartons and perform acceptance tests on each unit.
2. Receipt of new systems and acceptance tests on each unit.
3. Training workers to program the units and to perform Logic and Accuracy tests

Continuing costs that would be proportionally lower for PBOS because there would be fewer units:
1. Programming each unit for each election.
2. Logic and Accuracy tests on each unit prior to each election.
3. Storage of units.
4. Transportation to and from poll sites for each election.
5. Collection and processing of end-of-election-day tally printouts (because one Optical Scanner can handle up to 5 EDs)

----------

*DREs All discussion of DREs on this page and in these reports is for full-face DREs. Full-face DREs cost more per unit than small "paging DREs" that show only one contest per screen. HOWEVER, many more paging DREs are needed to serve the same number of voters, due to the longer time needed for one voter to enter their ballot choices (as much as 10-25 minutes in other jurisdictions). Thus the purchase cost of paging DREs may be similar to that of full-face DREs. The proportional transition and continuing cost of using paging DREs will be higher: if two paging DREs would be needed instead of one full-face DRE, proportional costs would be twice as much.

REPORTS (Most reports are Word documents.)

Bronx

Bronx Report Xapr
Poll sites listed, replacement factor 5
Prices used had been published in various newspapers in New York State as of April 2005:
Optical Scanner $5500, Ballot Marker (Automark) $5000, Privacy Booth $160, DRE $8000, Accessible DRE $11,500.

Bronx Report Xseq
Poll sites NOT listed, replacement factor 5
Prices used were quoted by Sequoia on Oct. 20, 2005 (note that Automark is not sold by Sequoia, but they claimed to know its price):
Optical Scanner $5000, Ballot Marker (Automark) $7500, Privacy Booth $200, Accessible DRE $8000.

Bronx Report Xseq4
Poll sites NOT listed, replacement factor 4
Prices used were quoted by Sequoia on Oct. 20, 2005 (note that Automark is not sold by Sequoia, but they claimed to know its price):
Optical Scanner $5000, Ballot Marker (Automark) $7500, Privacy Booth $200, Accessible DRE $8000.

Bronx Report Xess
Poll sites NOT listed, replacement factor 5, includes total units needed
Prices used were quoted by ES&S at the New York City Council hearing by the Governmental Operations Committee, Nov. 21, 2005:
Optical Scanner $5500, Ballot Marker (Automark) $5500, DRE lowest projected cost $9000, DRE highest projected cost $10,000.
Cost of the Privacy Booth was not discussed at the hearing; $160 was used.

Bronx Report Xess4
Poll sites NOT listed, replacement factor 4, includes total units needed
Prices used were quoted by ES&S at the New York City Council hearing by the Governmental Operations Committee, Nov. 21, 2005:
Optical Scanner $5500, Ballot Marker (Automark) $5500, DRE lowest projected cost $9000, DRE highest projected cost $10,000.
Cost of the Privacy Booth was not discussed at the hearing; $160 was used.

Brooklyn

Brooklyn Report Bapr
Poll sites listed, replacement factor 5
Prices used had been published in various newspapers in New York State as of April 2005:
Optical Scanner $5500, Ballot Marker (Automark) $5000, Privacy Booth $160, DRE $8000, Accessible DRE $11,500.

Brooklyn Report Bseq
Poll sites NOT listed, replacement factor 5
Prices used were quoted by Sequoia on Oct. 20, 2005 (note that Automark is not sold by Sequoia, but they claimed to know its price):
Optical Scanner $5000, Ballot Marker (Automark) $7500, Privacy Booth $200, Accessible DRE $8000.

Brooklyn Report Bseq4
Poll sites NOT listed, replacement factor 4
Prices used were quoted by Sequoia on Oct. 20, 2005 (note that Automark is not sold by Sequoia, but they claimed to know its price):
Optical Scanner $5000, Ballot Marker (Automark) $7500, Privacy Booth $200, Accessible DRE $8000.

Brooklyn Report Bess
Poll sites NOT listed, replacement factor 5, includes total units needed
Prices used were quoted by ES&S at the New York City Council hearing by the Governmental Operations Committee, Nov. 21, 2005:
Optical Scanner $5500, Ballot Marker (Automark) $5500, DRE lowest projected cost $9000, DRE highest projected cost $10,000.
Cost of the Privacy Booth was not discussed at the hearing; $160 was used.

Brooklyn Report Bess4
Poll sites NOT listed, replacement factor 4, includes total units needed
Prices used were quoted by ES&S at the New York City Council hearing by the Governmental Operations Committee, Nov. 21, 2005:
Optical Scanner $5500, Ballot Marker (Automark) $5500, DRE lowest projected cost $9000, DRE highest projected cost $10,000.
Cost of the Privacy Booth was not discussed at the hearing; $160 was used.

Manhattan

Manhattan Report Mapr
Poll sites listed, replacement factor 5
Prices used had been published in various newspapers in New York State as of April 2005:
Optical Scanner $5500, Ballot Marker (Automark) $5000, Privacy Booth $160, DRE $8000, Accessible DRE $11,500.

Manhattan Report Mseq
Poll sites NOT listed, replacement factor 5
Prices used were quoted by Sequoia on Oct. 20, 2005 (note that Automark is not sold by Sequoia, but they claimed to know its price):
Optical Scanner $5000, Ballot Marker (Automark) $7500, Privacy Booth $200, Accessible DRE $8000.

Manhattan Report Mseq4
Poll sites NOT listed, replacement factor 4
Prices used were quoted by Sequoia on Oct. 20, 2005 (note that Automark is not sold by Sequoia, but they claimed to know its price):
Optical Scanner $5000, Ballot Marker (Automark) $7500, Privacy Booth $200, Accessible DRE $8000.

Manhattan Report Mess
Poll sites NOT listed, replacement factor 5, includes total units needed
Prices used were quoted by ES&S at the New York City Council hearing by the Governmental Operations Committee, Nov. 21, 2005:
Optical Scanner $5500, Ballot Marker (Automark) $5500, DRE lowest projected cost $9000, DRE highest projected cost $10,000.
Cost of the Privacy Booth was not discussed at the hearing; $160 was used.

Manhattan Report Mess4
Poll sites NOT listed, replacement factor 4, includes total units needed
Prices used were quoted by ES&S at the New York City Council hearing by the Governmental Operations Committee, Nov. 21, 2005:
Optical Scanner $5500, Ballot Marker (Automark) $5500, DRE lowest projected cost $9000, DRE highest projected cost $10,000.
Cost of the Privacy Booth was not discussed at the hearing; $160 was used.

Queens

Queens Report Qapr
Poll sites listed, replacement factor 5
Prices used had been published in various newspapers in New York State as of April 2005:
Optical Scanner $5500, Ballot Marker (Automark) $5000, Privacy Booth $160, DRE $8000, Accessible DRE $11,500.

Queens Report Qseq
Poll sites NOT listed, replacement factor 5
Prices used were quoted by Sequoia on Oct. 20, 2005 (note that Automark is not sold by Sequoia, but they claimed to know its price):
Optical Scanner $5000, Ballot Marker (Automark) $7500, Privacy Booth $200, Accessible DRE $8000.

Queens Report Qseq4
Poll sites NOT listed, replacement factor 4
Prices used were quoted by Sequoia on Oct. 20, 2005 (note that Automark is not sold by Sequoia, but they claimed to know its price):
Optical Scanner $5000, Ballot Marker (Automark) $7500, Privacy Booth $200, Accessible DRE $8000.

Queens Report Qess
Poll sites NOT listed, replacement factor 5, includes total units needed
Prices used were quoted by ES&S at the New York City Council hearing by the Governmental Operations Committee, Nov. 21, 2005:
Optical Scanner $5500, Ballot Marker (Automark) $5500, DRE lowest projected cost $9000, DRE highest projected cost $10,000.
Cost of the Privacy Booth was not discussed at the hearing; $160 was used.

Queens Report Qess4
Poll sites NOT listed, replacement factor 4, includes total units needed
Prices used were quoted by ES&S at the New York City Council hearing by the Governmental Operations Committee, Nov. 21, 2005:
Optical Scanner $5500, Ballot Marker (Automark) $5500, DRE lowest projected cost $9000, DRE highest projected cost $10,000.
Cost of the Privacy Booth was not discussed at the hearing; $160 was used.

Staten Island

Staten Island Report Sapr
Poll sites listed, replacement factor 5
Prices used had been published in various newspapers in New York State as of April 2005:
Optical Scanner $5500, Ballot Marker (Automark) $5000, Privacy Booth $160, DRE $8000, Accessible DRE $11,500.

Staten Island Report Sseq
Poll sites NOT listed, replacement factor 5
Prices used were quoted by Sequoia on Oct. 20, 2005 (note that Automark is not sold by Sequoia, but they claimed to know its price):
Optical Scanner $5000, Ballot Marker (Automark) $7500, Privacy Booth $200, Accessible DRE $8000.

Staten Island Report Sseq4
Poll sites NOT listed, replacement factor 4
Prices used were quoted by Sequoia on Oct. 20, 2005 (note that Automark is not sold by Sequoia, but they claimed to know its price):
Optical Scanner $5000, Ballot Marker (Automark) $7500, Privacy Booth $200, Accessible DRE $8000.

Staten Island Report Sess
Poll sites NOT listed, replacement factor 5, includes total units needed
Prices used were quoted by ES&S at the New York City Council hearing by the Governmental Operations Committee, Nov. 21, 2005:
Optical Scanner $5500, Ballot Marker (Automark) $5500, DRE lowest projected cost $9000, DRE highest projected cost $10,000.
Cost of the Privacy Booth was not discussed at the hearing; $160 was used.

Staten Island Report Sess4
Poll sites NOT listed, replacement factor 4, includes total units needed
Prices used were quoted by ES&S at the New York City Council hearing by the Governmental Operations Committee, Nov. 21, 2005:
Optical Scanner $5500, Ballot Marker (Automark) $5500, DRE lowest projected cost $9000, DRE highest projected cost $10,000.
Cost of the Privacy Booth was not discussed at the hearing; $160 was used.