Method, arrangement and device for voting

• US 20020152379A1
• Filed: 04/10/2002
• Published: 10/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Suomen Posti Oyj
• Original Assignee: Suomen Posti Oyj
• Inventors: Nummi, Toni, Gefwert, Boris
• Application Number:
  US10/119,020
• Publication Number:
  US 20020152379A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 13/00 Voting apparatus

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and arrangement for voting. In particular the invention relates to voting by means of a terminal. In a voting method according to the invention, the eligibility of the voter is verified in the register of eligible voters, and an encrypted polling code is generated from the candidate information of the candidate selected, based on the public key method. The resulting encrypted polling code is sent to the election data system where the polling code is decrypted and the vote contained in the polling result is recorded to the respective candidate.

Claims

1. A voting method in which the voter selects a candidate using candidate information associated with the candidate, characterized in that the method comprises steps in which

an encrypted polling code is generated from the candidate information of the candidate selected by the voter,

the voter'"'"'s encrypted polling code is transmitted to the election data system,

the encrypted polling code is decrypted in the election data system, and

the vote contained in the polling code is recorded to the respective candidate.

2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that prior to encryption, a random character sequence is added to the candidate information, and said random character sequence is removed from the candidate information after decryption.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a check symbol is added to the candidate information.

4. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the candidate information is encrypted using a public key method (PKI).

5. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the encrypted polling code comprises numbers, letters and/or special characters.

6. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the encrypted polling code is a bar code.

7. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the data are transferred in SMS messages.

8. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the eligibility of the voter is verified by sending the voter'"'"'s ID code to the register of eligible voters, and an entry is made in the register indicating that the voter in question has used his vote.

9. A method according to any one of claims 1, 7 or 8, characterized in that an election official logs in to the election data system by entering a code at his terminal in order to obtain the right to send in information regarding a voting instance.

10. A voting arrangement, characterized in that the arrangement comprises a register of eligible voters and an election data system as well as

a means for generating an encrypted polling code from the candidate information of the candidate selected by the voter,

a means for transmitting the voter'"'"'s encrypted polling code to the election data system,

a means for decrypting the encrypted polling code in the election data system, and

a means for recording the vote contained in the polling code to the respective candidate.

11. An arrangement according to claim 10, characterized in that the arrangement comprises a means for presenting the polling code as a bar code.

12. An arrangement according to claim 10, characterized in that the terminal is a mobile communication device.

13. An arrangement according to claim 10, characterized in that the arrangement comprises a means for verifying the eligibility of the voter from the register of eligible voters by sending the voter'"'"'s ID code to the register of eligible voters, and a means for marking the voter'"'"'s voting right used.

15. A device according to claim 14, characterized in that the device comprises a means for presenting an encrypted polling code as bar code.

16. A device according to claim 14, characterized in that the device comprises a means for presenting an encrypted polling code as numbers, letters and/or special characters.

18. A device according to claim 14, characterized in that the device is a computer.

14. A polling device, characterized in that the device comprises

a means for inputting candidate information of a candidate selected by a voter,

a means for adding a random character sequence to the candidate information of a candidate selected by a voter, and

a means for decrypting an encrypted polling code.

17. A device according to any one of claims 14 to 17, characterized in that the device comprises a means for printing out a polling code on the voter'"'"'s ballot paper.