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JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT FOR <br />NEW VOTING SYSTEM ACQUISITION AND OPERATION <br />This Agreement is made by and between Ramsey County, through the Ramsey County Elections <br />Office (hereinafter"County"), and the cities of Arden Hills, Falcon Heights, Gem Lake, <br />Lauderdale, Little Canada, Maplewood, Mounds View,New Brighton,North Oaks,North St. <br />Paul, Roseville, St Anthony, St. Paul, Shoreview, Vadnais Heights, and White Bear Lake and <br />White Bear Township (collectively referred to as the "Municipalities"). <br />WHEREAS, the County and the Municipalities ("Parties") are "governmental units" as defined <br />in Minn. Stat. §471.59; and <br />WHEREAS, pursuant to Minn. Stat. §471.59, the Parties, through actions of their governing <br />bodies, are authorized to enter into a joint powers agreement for the exercise of commonly held <br />or similar powers; and <br />WHEREAS, the Parties entered into a Joint Powers Agreement in 2001 for the purchase and <br />operation of a new voting system, with a ten year term and automatic two year extensions; and <br />WHEREAS, pursuant to the provisions of the 2001 Joint Powers Agreement, the County <br />prepares ballots and compiles election results for all state, federal, county, municipal and school <br />district elections for the Municipalities; and <br />WHEREAS, efficient ballot preparation and the timely compilation of election results depend <br />upon the use of a uniform voting system throughout the County, and the use of a uniform voting <br />system for all elections enhances election judge and voter understanding of the voting process <br />and helps to provide equitable treatment for all voters, regardless of the type of election; and <br />WHEREAS, Congress mandated the use of an assistive ballot marking device in all polling <br />places and in-person absentee voting locations for use by voters with disabilities,through <br />enactment of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 ("HAVA"); and <br />WHEREAS, the Minnesota Legislature mandated the central counting of all absentee ballots <br />under uniform state laws and procedures in Laws of Minnesota 2010, Chapter 194, effective in <br />2010; and <br />WHEREAS, the Parties have reached agreement on the need to replace the existing voting <br />system and the funding formula for the new voting system; and <br />WHEREAS, the County Board has approved a contract with Hart Intercivic of Austin, TX for <br />the purchase and use of a new voting system for deployment in 2016; <br />1