Method and apparatus for ink-based electronic voting
US7007842B2 · kind B2 · utility
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 8, 2004 |
| Grant date | Mar 7, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 8, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG07C13/00
- WIPO fieldControl
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The present invention is an ink-based electronic voting apparatus that generates a paper ballot for every voter. The voter marks a ballot with a probe as he/she would with a conventional ink-based system. In one embodiment, the paper ballot is situated underneath the surface of an input board electrically connected to a computer. A vote is cast when the probe is depressed onto the ballot at a designated input point. The electrical interaction between the probe and the input board generates a vote signal for recording and causes ink to be released from the probe to mark a corresponding spot on the paper ballot. As such, votes are electronically recorded for fast tabulation while paper ballots are generated for manual and/or optical scanner recounts to safeguard against computer errors and tampering. Furthermore the voting apparatus has a build-in mechanism to prevent undervoting and overvoting and thus increases valid votes.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.