MOBILE VOTING AND VOTING VERIFICATION SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20190114861A1
• Filed: 12/10/2018
• Published: 04/18/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Runbeck Election Services LLC
• Original Assignee: Global Mobile, LLC
• Inventors: Durham, III, Lee Ballinger, Hughes, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 10,848,476 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2230/00 Voting or election arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 13/00 Voting apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/10 Integrity

Abstract

A mobile voting system and method are provided. The mobile voting system may include a mobile messaging aggregator configured to receive voter verification requests from one or more mobile carriers, and a mobile voter verification server configured to verify a voter'"'"'s identity in response to a voter verification request and generate a link to a mobile ballot once the voter'"'"'s identity has been verified. The mobile messaging aggregator may cause the link to the mobile ballot to be transmitted to a mobile device of the voter, which when selected by the voter, allows the voter to cast a vote.

Claims

1. A mobile voting system comprising:

one or more processors configured to execute instructions stored in a memory, which when executed by said one or more processors perform steps comprising;

receiving a voter verification request, said voter verification request including a first mobile telephone number from which the voter verification request was received;

transmitting a first request containing said first mobile telephone number to a first server containing voter registration information, and, if the first mobile telephone number matches a phone number associated with a voter record stored in the first server, receiving a first response containing information stored in the first server that corresponds to the first mobile telephone number;

transmitting a second request containing said first mobile telephone number to a second server containing mobile carrier information, and receiving a second response containing information stored in the second server, which information corresponds to the first mobile telephone number;

verifying an identity of the voter if information received in the first response corresponds to information received in the second response; and

in response to verifying the voter'"'"'s identity, transmitting, directly or indirectly, a link to a mobile device of the voter;

wherein the link is configured to provide a mobile ballot corresponding to the voter'"'"'s identity.

2. The mobile voting system of claim 1, wherein the information contained in the first request includes at least one of a password and a personal identification number (PIN);

and

wherein the first response indicates whether one or more of the password or PIN contained in the first request corresponds to a password or PIN stored with the first server.

3. The mobile voting system of claim 1, wherein the first response further comprises bibliographic information of the voter, including one or more of the voter'"'"'s name, address, and birthdate.

4. The mobile voting system of claim 1, wherein the verifying the identity of the voter comprises:

receiving a first personal identification number (PIN);

comparing the first PIN to a second PIN that was previously provided by the voter; and

verifying the identity of the voter if the first PIN corresponds to the second PIN.

5. The mobile voting system of claim 4, wherein verifying the identity of the voter further comprises:

receiving a first voter signature;

comparing the first voter signature to a second voter signature that was previously provided by the voter; and

verifying the identity of the voter if the first voter signature corresponds to the second voter signature.

6. The mobile voting system of claim 4, wherein verifying the identity of the voter further comprises:

receiving an image of an identification card of the voter;

capturing voter bibliographic information from the image of the identification card; and

verifying the identity of the voter if the bibliographic information captured from the image of the identification card corresponds to the information received in at least one of the first response and second response.

7. The mobile voting system of claim 4, wherein verifying the identity of the voter further comprises:

receiving an image of an identification card of the voter;

capturing encoded information from the image of the identification card; and

verifying the identity of the voter if the encoded information captured from the image of the identification card corresponds to the information received in at least one of the first response and second response.

8. The mobile voting system of claim 4, wherein verifying the identity of the voter further comprises:

receiving at least one image of an identification card of the voter;

capturing encoded information and voter bibliographic information from the at least one image of the identification card; and

verifying the identity of the voter if the encoded information captured from the image of the identification card corresponds to the bibliographic information captured from the image of the identification card.

9. The mobile voting system of claim 1, wherein the information contained in the second request includes at least one of a type of the voter'"'"'s mobile device from which the voter verification request was received and bibliographic information associated with the voter;

and

wherein the second response indicates whether one or more of the type of the voter'"'"'s mobile device and the voter bibliographic information contained in the second request corresponds to one or more of a mobile device type and voter bibliographic information associated with the first mobile telephone number that is stored in the second server.

10. The mobile voting system of claim 1, wherein the second response includes a name that is stored in the second server and is associated with the first mobile telephone number;

wherein the first response includes a name stored with the first server that is associated with the first mobile telephone number; and

wherein the link is transmitted to the mobile device of the voter based on whether the name in the first response matches the name in the second response.

11. The mobile voting system of claim 1, wherein the voter verification request includes a photograph of the voter and a photograph of an identification card of the voter;

and

wherein verifying the identity of the voter comprises determining whether the photograph of the voter corresponds to the photograph of the identification card of the voter.

12. A mobile voting method, the method comprising:

receiving a voter verification request, said voter verification request including a first mobile telephone number from which the voter verification request was received;

transmitting a first request containing said first mobile telephone number to a first server containing voter registration information;

if the first mobile telephone number matches a phone number associated with a voter record stored in the first server, receiving a first response containing information stored in the first server that corresponds to the first mobile telephone number;

transmitting a second request containing said first mobile telephone number to a second server containing mobile carrier information;

receiving a second response containing information stored in the second server, which information corresponds to the first mobile telephone number;

wherein an identity of the voter is verified if information received in the first response corresponds to information received in the second response; and

in response to verifying the voter'"'"'s identity, transmitting, directly or indirectly, a link to a mobile device of the voter, wherein the link is configured to provide a mobile ballot corresponding to the voter'"'"'s identity.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the information contained in the first request includes at least one of a password and a personal identification number (PIN);

and

wherein the first response indicates whether one or more of the password or PIN contained in the first request corresponds to a password or PIN stored with the first server.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the first response further comprises bibliographic information of the voter, including one or more of the voter'"'"'s name, address, and birthdate.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a first personal identification number (PIN); and

comparing the first PIN to a second PIN that was previously provided by the voter;

wherein the identity of the voter is verified if the first PIN corresponds to the second PIN.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving a first voter signature; and

comparing the first voter signature to a second voter signature that was previously provided by the voter; and

wherein the identity of the voter is verified if the first voter signature corresponds to the second voter signature.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving an image of an identification card of the voter; and

capturing voter bibliographic information from the image of the identification card; and

wherein the identity of the voter is verified if the bibliographic information captured from the image of the identification card corresponds to the information received in at least one of the first response and second response.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving an image of an identification card of the voter; and

capturing encoded information from the image of the identification card;

wherein the identity of the voter is verified if the encoded information captured from the image of the identification card corresponds to the information received in at least one of the first response and second response.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving at least one image of an identification card of the voter; and

capturing encoded information and voter bibliographic information from the at least one image of the identification card;

wherein the identity of the voter is verified if the encoded information captured from the image of the identification card corresponds to the bibliographic information captured from the image of the identification card.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the information contained in the second request includes at least one of a type of the voter'"'"'s mobile device from which the voter verification request was received and bibliographic information associated with the voter;

and

wherein the second response indicates whether one or more of the type of the voter'"'"'s mobile device and the voter bibliographic information contained in the second request corresponds to one or more of a mobile device type and voter bibliographic information associated with the first mobile telephone number that is stored in the second server.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein the second response includes a name that is stored in the second server and is associated with the first mobile telephone number;

wherein the first response includes a name stored with the first server that is associated with the first mobile telephone number; and

wherein the link is transmitted to the mobile device of the voter based on whether the name in the first response matches the name in the second response.

22. The method of claim 12, wherein the voter verification request includes a photograph of the voter and a photograph of an identification card of the voter;

and

wherein verifying the identity of the voter comprises determining whether the photograph of the voter corresponds to the photograph of the identification card of the voter.