Compact electronic voting

Abstract

A portable electronic voting machine suitable for use in simple elections includes a number of spring-loaded switches normally centered and movable upward to a vote position to select a candidate and downward to an erase position to erase a previous selection that has not yet been entered with a light above each switch indicating the state of selection. An n of m counter settable prior to the election to the maximum number of votes that may be cast by a voter and associated logical circuitry prevents more than that selected number from being entered by a single voter. An election official operates a voter enable switch to light a ready light and enables the apparatus to receive vote selections. Upon completing selections, the voter presses a register votes switch to enter the votes in associated electromechanical candidate counters if the number is less than the maximum and safety devices indicate an absence of potential safety problems while illuminating a green light to indicate the votes have been recorded. Each selection is stored in a candidate flip-flop with the candidate flip-flops sequentially scanned to advance the associated counter. A no vote candidate gate counter records the number of blanks, a protective counter records the number of voters that have voted on the machine for its life and a public counter records the number voting in that election.