Voter information system

• US 7,562,819 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2004
• Issued: 07/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2002
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Vincent M. Keenan
• Original Assignee: Vincent M. Keenan
• Inventors: Keenan, Vincent M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Michael G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Haupt; Kristy A
• Application Number:
  US10/869,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20040243573A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,861 Days
• Field of Search: 705/12, 235/386, 709/203
• US Class Current: 235/386
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/903 Querying for retrieval from the web G06F16/953
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 13/00 Voting apparatus

Abstract

A method for providing voters with election information specific to voter polling location. A voter registration file is queried for a name of a registered voter in response to an input from a user. The user is queried for additional narrowing information through a series of single criterion iterations each time the query renders more than one result. The user is notified of multiple results after each single criterion iteration is processed to show the progress of the initial query. The user is granted access to a information page if the user is found in the voter registration file. The information page presents the user with relevant information based on the user polling location.

Claims

1. A method for providing voter information on line from at least one publicly accessible database comprising:

querying a user of a remote terminal that is remote from and is connected to the at least one database as to an identification data item, the at least one database including a registered voter registration file;

checking the identification data item against the database that has a field corresponding to a set of polling locations to select one polling location to which the identification data item is assigned;

identifying a particular voter from the registered voter registration file if the identification data item is found in the at least one database, wherein the voter is identified without revealing selected information contained in the registered voter registration file about the voter; and

displaying at the remote terminal an information page relating to the one polling location, the information page presenting the user with information relating specifically to the one polling location of the identified voter.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

retrieving a voter polling location in a polling location database; and

presenting the user with an option from the information page to view a sample ballot that the voter will encounter when voting on election day.

3. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

presenting the user with an option from the information page to view voter information, candidate information, party information, campaign information, candidate web sites, and candidate submissions including biographical information provided by the individual candidates.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein the candidate information is directly updated by administration personnel in each municipality via a secure connection to a database, the update further comprising validating the authenticity of the candidate information.

5. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

presenting the user with an option to view at least one of a regional election overview, voting machine instructions, and a drill-down mapping system.

6. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

presenting the user with an option to retrieve at least one map from a map database directing the user to a polling place.

7. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

presenting the user with an option to view a listing of events retrieved from an election events database.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein the election events database comprises information on at least one of elections, town hall meetings, debates, and appearances of candidates.

9. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

presenting the user with an option to view information from a ballot database, the information comprising at least one of links to candidate submissions, links to candidate web sites, and links to candidate campaign finance information.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein the information from the ballot database may include messages in streaming video format.

11. The method according to claim 1 wherein the displaying step further comprises:

presenting the user with an option on the information page to display a sample ballot that the voter will encounter when voting on election day;

presenting the user with an option on the information page to display campaign websites, candidate submissions including biographical information provided by individual candidates; and

presenting the user with an option on the information page to display at least one of a regional election overview, a set of voting machine instructions, and a drill-down mapping system.

12. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

assembling a polling place based database for a region having multiple jurisdictions that are divided into different subdivisions, wherein the subdivisions may be in one or more jurisdictions.

13. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

presenting the user with contact information for a person with whom the voter should register to vote if the voter is not identified in the registered voter registration file.

14. The method according to claim 1 wherein a secure system is implemented for data exchange and information is updated in the voter registration file.

15. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

offering access to the blind by allowing the user to convert text-to-voice and voice-to-text.

16. The method according to claim 1 wherein the information page is dynamically generated based on the jurisdiction of the voter recorded in the registered voter registration file and a system presenting the information page need not store a unique ballot for every user in the registered voter registration file.

17. The method according to claim 1 wherein the information page is pre-calculated for statistical correlations and assembled according to the fastest possible construction.

18. The method according to claim 1 wherein the registered voter registration file is used for a constituent lookup to allow legislators to perform a voter query to know the precinct in which registered voters are assigned.

19. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

presenting the user with an option to view educational information designed to teach about a political system and a voting process.

20. The method according to claim 19 further comprising:

allowing the user to participate in an online mock election.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the information page comprises a list of current officials.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of displaying an information page further comprises presenting the user with selected public information about the voter polling location based on a jurisdiction associated with the voter.

23. A method for providing voter information on line from at least one publicly accessible database comprising:

querying a user of a remote terminal that is remote from and is connected to the at least one database as to an identification data item;

checking the identification data item against the database that has a field corresponding to a set of polling locations to select one polling location to which the identification data item is assigned;

identifying the user if the identification data item is found in the at least one database; and

displaying at the remote terminal an information page relating to the one polling location, the information page presenting the user with information relating specifically to the one polling location and further presenting the user with an option to retrieve operational instructions on a voting machine that the user will encounter on election day, the polling location and voting machine being specific to the identified user.