Systems and methods for voting

• US 9,536,366 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2010
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Princeton Scitech, LLC
• Original Assignee: Democracyontheweb LLC
• Inventors: Garfinkle, Norton, Garfinkle, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Huang, Tsan-Yu J
• Application Number:
  US12/872,523
• Publication Number:
  US 20120053997A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,317 Days
• Field of Search: 705/12, 713/168
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

Abstract

Various embodiments are directed to systems and methods for facilitating voting. A first computer system may select a voter data pack for a first voter. The first computer system may also store an indication of the voter data pack and encrypt the voter data pack. A second computer system may receive the encrypted voter data pack and consolidate the encrypted voter data pack with checkable data. The second computer system may also store an association between the encrypted voter data pack and the checkable data, and encrypt the consolidated encrypted voter data pack and checkable data to generate a consolidated voter authorization for the first voter.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating voting, the method comprising:

for a first voter, selecting a voter data pack by a first computer system;

storing, by the first computer system, an indication of the voter data pack;

encrypting, by the first computer system, the voter data pack to generate an encrypted voter data pack;

receiving, by a second computer system, the encrypted voter data pack;

consolidating, by the second computer system, the encrypted voter data pack with checkable data to generate a consolidated encrypted voter data pack;

storing, by the second computer system, an association between the encrypted voter data pack and the checkable data;

encrypting, by the second computer system, the consolidated encrypted voter data pack to generate a consolidated voter authorization for the first voter;

communicating the consolidated voter authorization to the first voter;

receiving, by at least one of the first computer system and the second computer system, the consolidated voter authorization from the first voter; and

decrypting, by the second computer system, the consolidated voter authorization to produce the consolidated encrypted voter data pack;

separating the consolidated encrypted voter data pack into the encrypted voter data pack and the checkable data;

verifying, by the second computer system, the association between the encrypted voter data pack and the checkable data;

receiving, by the first computer system, the encrypted voter data pack;

decrypting, by the first computer system, the encrypted voter data pack to generate the voter data pack;

determining, by the first computer system, that the voter data pack has been previously assigned;

determining, by the first computer system, that the voter data pack is not marked inactive; and

conditioned upon the voter data pack being previously assigned, the voter data pack not being marked inactive, and the association between the encrypted voter data pack and the checkable data being verified, send voter authorization data indicating that the first voter is authorized to cast a ballot.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating the consolidated voter authorization to the first voter comprises generating a card comprising a computer-readable code indicating the consolidated voter authorization.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the computer-readable code is stored utilizing at least one of:

a printed bar code, a magnetic strip, and a memory chip.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first computer system and the second computer systems are at different physical locations.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first computer system and the second computer system are behind different firewalls.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the indication of the voter data pack comprises storing an indication of the voter data pack in conjunction with an indication of the first voter.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the indication of the voter data pack comprises storing an indication that the voter data pack has been assigned without an indication of the first voter.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein encrypting the voter data pack comprises utilizing an encryption method selected from the group consisting of a symmetric encryption method and an asymmetric encryption method.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the checkable data comprises an indication of the first voter.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the checkable data comprises an indication of a timestamp.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the first computer system, an indication that the first voter has cast a ballot; and

marking, by the first computer system, the voter data pack inactive.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the second computer system, an indication that the first voter has cast a ballot; and

marking, by the second computer system, the association between the encrypted voter data pack and the checkable data inactive.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein verifying the association between the encrypted voter data pack and the checkable data comprises determining whether a record of the association is stored at a data store in communication with the second computer system.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a ballot that was cast by the first voter; and

generating an image of the ballot in association with the consolidated voter authorization.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the ballot is selected from the group consisting of an optical scan ballot and an electronic ballot.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the image is a digital image.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising storing the image of the ballot and images of additional ballots cast by additional voters at a non-volatile data storage.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein receiving the consolidated voter authorization from a first voter comprises receiving the consolidated voter authorization via a proxy server and wherein receiving the consolidated voter authorization does not include receiving information indicating its source.

19. A system for facilitating voting, comprising:

a first computer system, wherein the first computer system is programmed to;

for a first voter, select a voter data pack;

store an indication of the voter data pack;

encrypt the voter data pack to generate an encrypted voter pack; and

after verifying the association between the encrypted voter data pack and checkable data by a second computer system;

receive the encrypted voter data pack;

decrypt the encrypted voter data pack to generate the voter data pack; and

determine that the voter data pack has been previously assigned and is not marked inactive;

a second computer system, wherein the second computer system is programmed to;

receive the encrypted voter data pack;

consolidate the encrypted voter data pack with the checkable data to generate a consolidated encrypted voter pack;

store an association between the encrypted voter data pack and the checkable data; and

encrypt the consolidated encrypted voter data pack to generate a consolidated voter authorization for the first voter, wherein the consolidated voter authorization is to be communicated to the first voter; and

after receiving the consolidated voter authorization from the first voter;

decrypt the consolidated voter authorization to produce the consolidated encrypted voter data pack;

separate the consolidated encrypted voter data pack into the encrypted voter data pack and the checkable data;

verify the association between the encrypted voter data pack and the checkable data; and

conditioned upon the voter data pack being previously assigned, the voter data pack not being marked inactive, and the association between the encrypted voter data pack and the checkable data being verified, transmit voter authorization data indicating that the first voter is authorized to cast a ballot.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the first computer system and the second computer system are at different physical locations.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions thereon that when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

for a first voter, select a voter data pack by a first computer system;

store, by the first computer system, an indication of the voter data pack;

encrypt, by the first computer system, the voter data pack to generate an encrypted voter data pack;

receive, by a second computer system, the encrypted voter data pack;

consolidate, by the second computer system, the encrypted voter data pack with checkable data to generate a consolidated encrypted voter data pack;

store, by the second computer system, an association between the encrypted voter data pack and the checkable data;

encrypt, by the second computer system, the consolidated encrypted voter data pack to generate a consolidated voter authorization for the first voter, wherein the consolidated voter authorization is to be communicated to the first voter; and

receive, by at least one of the first computer system and the second computer system, the consolidated voter authorization from the first voter;

decrypt, by the second computer system, the consolidated voter authorization to produce the consolidated encrypted voter data pack;

separate the consolidated encrypted voter pack into the encrypted voter data pack and the checkable data;

verify, by the second computer system, the association between the encrypted voter data pack and the checkable data;

receive, by the first computer system, the encrypted voter data pack;

decrypt, by the first computer system, the encrypted voter data pack to generate the voter data pack;

determine, by the first computer system, that the voter data pack has been previously assigned;

determine, by the first computer system, that the voter data pack is not marked inactive; and

conditioned upon the voter data pack being previously assigned, the voter data pack not being marked inactive, and the association between the encrypted voter data pack and the checkable data being verified, transmit the voter authorization indicating that the first voter is authorized to cast a ballot.