Electronic voting apparatus, system and method
First Claim
1. Voting apparatus comprising:
- a processor for processing voting information and providing a voting session identifier;
a display coupled for receiving voting information from said processor;
a voter interface for receiving voting selections made by a voter and coupling same to said processor, said processor providing a voting record including the voting selections;
a memory coupled to said processor for storing the voting record and the voting session identifier; and
means coupled to said processor for storing the voting record and the voting session identifier in a tangible medium separate from said memory.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The voting apparatus, system and method of the invention provides at least two independently means for recording and counting votes, i.e. one associated with the voting apparatus and one separate therefrom. A preferred voting apparatus, system and method provides triple data redundancy in that each vote is recorded by three independent and verifiable means: i.e. by recording in an electronic memory included in each voting machine or system, by recording in the memory of a smart card separate from the voting machine or system, and by a confirmatory printed record for each voter. The invention utilizes a voting session identifier to provide transparency of each and every vote and to maintain the anonymity of each and every vote and voter.
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Citations
78 Claims
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1. Voting apparatus comprising:
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a processor for processing voting information and providing a voting session identifier;
a display coupled for receiving voting information from said processor;
a voter interface for receiving voting selections made by a voter and coupling same to said processor, said processor providing a voting record including the voting selections;
a memory coupled to said processor for storing the voting record and the voting session identifier; and
means coupled to said processor for storing the voting record and the voting session identifier in a tangible medium separate from said memory. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. In combination with an electronic voting machine comprising a processor, a display, a voter interface and at least one memory for storing a voting record of each one of a number of voting sessions,
a generator of a voting session identifier for each voting session, which voting session identifier is unrelated to the personal identity of a particular voter conducting that voting session, and a printer providing a tangible receipt containing at least the voting record and the voting session identifier for each voting session.
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24. A voting system comprising:
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a computer for tabulating voting records;
at least one voting machine;
said voting machine comprising;
a processor for processing voting information and providing a voting session identifier, a display coupled for receiving voting information from said processor, a voter interface for receiving voting selections made by a voter and coupling same to said processor, said processor providing the voting selections in a voting record, a memory coupled to said processor for storing the voting record and the voting session identifier; and
means coupled to said processor for storing the voting record and the voting session identifier in a tangible medium separate from said memory; and
means for communicating the voting record from said at least one voting machine to said computer for tabulating the voting record.
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44. A method for voting comprising:
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initiating a voting session;
providing an identifier for the voting session;
creating a voting record including the voting session identifier and voting selections made by the voter during the voting session;
storing the voting record including the voting session identifier and the voting selections in a memory; and
storing the voting record including the voting session identifier and the voting selections in a tangible medium separate from the memory. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59)
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60. In an electronic voting system comprising a voting machine for providing a number of voting sessions for a number of voters:
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for each of the number of voters, a chip card providing a registration record and a storage medium for recording the voter'"'"'s voting selections, wherein said chip card has substantial memory for recording all of the voting selections of one voter;
a chip-card reader/writer for coupling the registration information to the voting machine and for recording each voter'"'"'s voting selections in the storage medium of that voter'"'"'s chip card after that voter'"'"'s voting session is completed. - View Dependent Claims (61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73)
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74. A storage medium encoded with machine-readable computer instructions for conducting a voting session comprising:
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means for causing a computer to initiate the voting session;
means for causing the computer to provide an identifier for the voting session;
means for causing the computer to create a voting record including the voting session identifier and voting selections made by the voter during the voting session;
means for causing the computer to store the voting record including the voting session identifier and the voting selections in a memory; and
means for causing the computer to store the voting record including the voting session identifier and the voting selections in a tangible medium separate from the memory. - View Dependent Claims (75, 76, 77, 78)
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Specification