Election systems commission urges lawmakers to fund SEIMS replacement
RALEIGH, N.C. — A state elections modernization commission is urging North Carolina lawmakers to provide sustained funding to replace the Statewide Elections Information Management System, the central system used by the State Board of Elections.
The Modernization of Election Data Systems Advisory Commission approved a resolution May 20 calling on the General Assembly and state leaders to fund the full replacement of SEIMS.
The commission was created and is chaired by State Auditor Dave Boliek. Its work includes planning for the replacement of SEIMS and modernization of North Carolina’s campaign finance reporting system.
SEIMS was initially developed in 1998 and remains the central elections management system operated by the State Board of Elections, according to the Office of the State Auditor.
The State Board has requested as much as $60 million for the replacement project. The auditor’s office said the project would take several years to implement and test.
Supporters of the replacement effort say a new system would strengthen security, improve voter list maintenance accuracy, speed responses to county change requests and law changes, improve the user experience and support custom reporting for internal audits.
“This Commission has moved North Carolina from concept to execution by creating a disciplined, transparent modernization process grounded in public input and operational expertise,” Boliek said in the announcement. “The Office of the State Auditor is prepared to help manage procurement and implementation in close partnership with the State Board of Elections as we move from planning to implementation.”
State Board of Elections Executive Director Sam Hayes said the commission’s action helps support the next phase of the project.
“We appreciate the Commission’s engagement and the confidence reflected in its work,” Hayes said. “This support helps position the State Board and our partners to move from planning to implementation in a way that improves election administration and service to voters statewide.”
The funding request follows other election technology modernization efforts.
In February, Hayes announced that the State Board had selected ReFrame Solutions to modernize SEIMS as a bridge until a full system replacement can begin. The State Board said that modernization project is expected to enhance functionality and security while the larger replacement effort moves through a separate bidding and proposal process.
ReFrame Solutions’ bid totaled $4.66 million, according to the State Board.
The State Board and the Office of the State Auditor are also seeking vendor proposals for a new campaign finance reporting system. That system is intended to be secure, cloud-based and easier to use for committee treasurers, election administrators and members of the public seeking campaign finance data.
The current campaign finance system was built for Microsoft Windows, is not compatible with Mac or Apple systems and lacks modern features, according to the State Board. Proposals for the campaign finance system are due June 24, with a contract award expected in August.
The SEIMS request puts election technology back before lawmakers as a budget question. The system affects state and county election administration, voter list maintenance, public reporting and the infrastructure used to manage elections statewide.
Editor’s note: This article was drafted with the assistance of artificial intelligence and was reviewed and fact-checked by a member of the NC Political News editorial team before publication.
