Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
  • G07C—TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
  • G07C13/00—Voting apparatus

Definitions

• the present invention is in the field of equipment used for electronic voting and more particularly relates to an electronic voting system implementing on the one hand ballot papers and on the other hand at least one ballot box provided to receive the ballots during the election. voting operation.
• the voting operation consists first of introducing the ballot into a standardized envelope and then to insert this envelope with its contents in the dedicated ballot box.
• the result of the vote is proclaimed after counting and counting of the ballots.
• voting machines by which voters can choose their candidates.
• Such machines allow a real-time count of the votes cast and are able to give a result as soon as the poll closes.
• the present invention aims to solve the problems mentioned above.
• the installation of electronic ballot according to the invention implementing ballot papers, at least one voting booth for the use of the voter for the envelope of the ballot, and at least one adapted urn to receive said envelopes, is essentially characterized in that:
• each ballot is provided with an electronic chip comprising a first non-contact reading memory, in which is recorded a bulletin identification code, and a second non-contact permanent reading and writing memory, intended to receive the choice; the elector,
• each ballot box has at least one integrated reader with at least one antenna, able to read, without contact, during the introduction of the bulletin, and this through the envelope, the contents of the memories of the chip of this bulletin, this reader being connected to a an autonomous unit with a microprocessor integrated into the ballot box, this autonomous unit being provided with a local memory in which the contents of the ballot papers are recorded.
• the autonomous unit receives from the reader the result of the reading of the microchip and records in the local memory the choice of the elector to ensure in real time the vote count for each candidate.
• the ballot box is equipped with an electronic counter, connected to the autonomous unit, in order to count the number of newsletters entered. The result of this count will be saved in local memory.
• a portable reader without contact, connected to the autonomous unit. This provision will make it possible to verify after counting the coherence between the name of the candidate inscribed in the clear on the ballot and the name inscribed in memory.
• each isolator that the installation comprises is equipped with:
• this input interface being connected to a central unit, remote, independent of the autonomous unit associated with the ballot box,
• - a unit for publishing a ballot, from a blank bulletin, connected to the central unit, able to write on one of the sides of the ballot to edit the name and / or the photograph of the candidate chosen by the elector,
• a contactless writing and reading unit connected to the central unit able to record in the memory of the ballot the elector's choice, this unit being integrated into the voting unit of the ballot paper .
• the invention provides that the central unit, after registration of the elector's choice in the memory of the electronic chip of the ballot, permanently locks the latter to prohibit any later write access.
• the central unit will have a memory containing the codes
• identification of the ballots In this way during the vote, by reading the identification code, it can be verified that the ballot entered in the ballot box is a valid ballot.
• the central unit is electrically connected to the reader integrated in the urn and to the electronic counter that it has.
• the central unit will be able, in real time, to count the votes for each candidate.
• the result of the polling station can be given immediately and be transmitted for example, by wire, to a centralizing body.
• the input interface is constituted by a touch screen on which are displayed the names of the candidates and the choice for a blank vote.
• the elector by support in the reserved areas of the touch screen will make his choice and validate it. Its choice and the validation will be transmitted to the central unit.
• This unit will then transmit to the publishing unit an order for printing the name and / or photograph of the chosen candidate, and to the writing unit, an order of inscription in the memory of the bulletin, the name and / or the number of the chosen candidate.
• the unit for publishing the ballot papers is a printer.
• the ballots form a continuous band wound on a drum, and the printer's magazine has a rotor designed to receive the drum. This printer will also have a cutter with controlled action to separate from the tape, each bulletin after printing.
• the writing in the bulletin memory is made after printing of the latter, especially in the case where the printer used is of the thermal type.
• the contents of the memory can not be altered by the release of heat that can occur during printing.
• the non-contact writing unit or at least the antenna which is equipped with this unit is located at a distance from the print head.
• the writing unit is located beyond the printer's paper exit, external to the volume containing the print head, and is separated from said volume by a physical barrier constituted by one or more walls.
• This arrangement further contributes to isolating from the hot source that is the print head, the area in which is made the writing of the memory of the newsletter.
• the contactless writing unit integrates a contactless reading module so that the registration in memory can be reread before issuing the ballot to the voter. If the registration is illegible, the ballot will be destroyed using the printer's cutter. To do this, the printer's stepper motor will first be activated in the direction of the paper return in the printer for a distance corresponding to the length of the bulletin and then will be dragged in the direction of delivery on a distance of a few millimeters and the cutting member will be activated so as to slice the bulletin. This cycle will be repeated until the complete cutting of the bulletin. Judiciously, the strips thus formed will fall into a dedicated tray. After the complete cutting of the erroneous bulletin, a new edition of the bulletin will be undertaken.
• the input interface is provided with a contactless reading module able to read the entries contained in the bulletin memories so that they can be displayed on said input unit.
• a contactless reading module able to read the entries contained in the bulletin memories so that they can be displayed on said input unit.
• the central unit during the edition of the bulletin, inscribes in one of its memoirs the identifier of the ballot as well as the elector's choice. Moreover, when inserting the ballot in the ballot box, the central unit, through the reader associated with the ballot box, reads the identifier of the ballot to verify that this ballot has already been counted at the time of the ballot box. his impression. Otherwise, this ballot may be considered null at the end of the poll by the central unit.
• the electronic chip of each bulletin is of the RFID type, which stands for Radio Frequency Identification.
• the RFID chip will be low frequency and low power type so as to limit to at most 5 cm its ability to read or write.
• a container in which is formed an upper compartment provided to receive the editing unit, a lateral compartment provided for receiving the reading writing unit, said lateral compartment being separated the preceding one by a vertical partition having a passage opening of the bulletin, said container being further provided with a third compartment provided for receiving a tray, the third compartment being separated from the upper compartment by a horizontal partition wall provided in the vicinity vertical partition wall of a through passage opening strips formed during the destruction by cutting an erroneous bulletin.
• FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an installation according to the invention according to a first embodiment
• FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a ballot paper
• FIG. 3 is a schematic view of an installation according to a second embodiment of the invention.
• FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view of an editing facility of the bulletin.
• FIG. 1 is shown schematically a voting installation according to a first embodiment of the invention.
• This installation comprises ballots 1 each including at least one contactless read-write electronic chip 10, a polling booth 4 in which each voter introduces a ballot paper 1 into a standardized envelope, a ballot box 2 able to receive ballot papers.
• vote 1 equipped with a contactless reader 20 able to read the content of the ballot when it is placed in the ballot box and an independent unit 21 connected to the reader in order to receive from the latter the result of the reading and record this result in a local memory 22 to be counted, this local memory being functionally associated with the autonomous unit 21.
• Each ballot paper consisting of a sheet of paper in a standardized format, incorporates into its mass at least one electronic chip 10 of the RFID type.
• This chip can also be glued on one of the sides of the bulletin.
• This chip comprises a first memory of the dead type 11 containing the identification code of the bulletin, this code may be in a form of sequence of numeric, alphabetic or alphanumeric characters.
• This chip also includes a second memory 12 provided for receiving the elector's choice namely the name of a candidate and / or a number assigned to the candidate, the second memory, after recording the elector's choice being made inaccessible to writing.
• the electronic chip 10 of the bulletin may include an additional memory area capable of receiving a code representative of the introduction of the ballot in the ballot box, this area of memory, after registration of the code, being rendered inaccessible to writing.
• the urn 2 is typically made of a parallelepiped container provided with a lid with a slot for introducing the ballots, the latter being in an envelope.
• an RFID chip reader 20 having a plurality of antennas in this case three antennas, this reader 20 being arranged by its antennas near the slit introduction of ballots.
• This reader will be able to read the RFID chip 10 and more precisely the contents of his memories 11 and 12, through the thickness of the envelope containing the ballot 1.
• the multiplicity of antennas is a guarantee of good quality reading the briefs of each newsletter.
• an airlock 26 for introducing the ballot, this airlock comprising, opposite the slot, in the lower part, an introduction flap 27 controlled in the direction of the ballast. opening and closing by a lever not shown maneuver.
• the shutter 27 could be powered by an electric motor controlled in the direction of the opening of the flap 27 from a presence information delivered by a not shown presence sensor associated with the lock 26, the opening control being then timed.
• the urn 2 may be provided with an electronic counter 23 adapted to be incremented each deposit of an envelope.
• This counter 23 and the reader 20 will be electrically connected to the autonomous unit 21 which will be
• the autonomous unit 21 will receive from the reader 20 the result of its reading and will record in the local memory 22 this result.
• the results will be processed in real time to record in real time the number of votes allocated to each candidate.
• the reader 20 will not perceive any identification signal while the counter 23 will have recorded an introduction. The vote will then be considered blank.
• the reader 20 will detect the presence of several identifiers for a single introduction. In this case again, the vote will be considered void.
• the urn may be equipped with a writing device adapted to enter in the additional area of the memory of the bullet 10 of the bulletin, the code representative of the introduction of the bulletin in its internal volume.
• This writing device will be connected to the autonomous unit 21.
• the urn will be equipped with a second reader 20 disposed opposite the previous.
• These first and second readers 20 will be arranged on either side of the passage channel that forms the airlock 26 and the envelope will be positioned between the two readers. The time of reading the envelope rests on the flap 27 the latter being in the closed position.
• This second reader will be connected to the autonomous unit 21.
• Such an arrangement is able to detect the presence of several bulletins in the envelope. If such a fault is detected, the shutter 27 engine will not be activated and the voter will be prompted by an audible and / or visual message to withdraw his ballot.
• Such an arrangement is capable of detecting other anomalies, for example the presence in the envelope of a screen capable of concealing from one of the two readers the ballot. For example, if one of the ballots is placed in a foil, one of the readers will be unable to read the newsletter. This fault will be detected and the motor of the shutter 27 will not be actuated. In this case again, the voter will be invited to withdraw his ballot.
• the flap 27 can only be actuated in the opening direction if the two associated readers give the same reading of the contents of the envelope.
• a reference RFID chip 28 may be arranged instead of the second reader.
• the RFID chip 28 and the reader 20 will be arranged on either side of the passage channel that forms aces.
• Reader 20 will read both the reference RFID chip and the bullet carried by the ballot. In the negative or in the case of a reading of several bulletins in the envelope, the engine of the shutter 27 will not be activated and the voter, by an audible and / or visual message will be invited to withdraw his ballot.
• inductive coils 29 for measuring the magnetic value of a compliant bulletin.
• Four coils 29 arranged in pairs on either side of the passage channel formed by the airlock 26 are preferably used. These coils are connected to the autonomous unit 21.
• the coils When a envelope with ballot is introduced into the airlock 26, the coils generate an electrical signal specific to the introduced ballot. The value of the measured magnetic field is compared with a reference value
• the depth of the airlock 26 will be less than the length of the envelope so that it can easily be removed in the event of an invalid vote.
• ejector rollers actuated by a motor controlled by the autonomous unit 21 and coming into pressure against and on both sides of the envelope.
• these rollers will be activated in the direction of ejection of the envelope out of the ballot box while in the case of a valid vote, these rollers, after opening the flap 27 will be activated in the direction of the introduction of the envelope in the urn.
• the airlock 26 as well as the readers 20 and / or the reference RFID chip 28 and / or the inductive coils 29 may be arranged in a sheath
• the urn according to the invention may be provided with a second chamber with shutters mechanically actuated so that even when breaking the power supply, the vote can be continued with the aid of this second chamber.
• This second chamber when the first will be active, will of course be locked by any appropriate means.
• the installation may be equipped with a portable contactless reader 24 adapted to be connected to the autonomous unit 21.
• This reader may be used to read after counting the contents of the memories of each bulletin and thus to check the coherence between the name of the candidate written in the clear on the bulletin and the content of the memory 12 that includes the chip of the latter.
• the ballot may be considered invalid or valid, and the name of the candidate in the clear of the ballot paper will then be printed on the ballot paper.
• the installation may also be equipped with a control screen 25 intended to be connected to the autonomous unit 21. This screen will display the results of the vote during a manual recount.
• Figure 3 is shown an installation according to a second embodiment.
• an input interface 50 of the touch screen type for example, by which the voter selects his candidate, this input interface 50 being connected to a central unit 51, remote, independent of the autonomous unit 21,
• an editing unit 52 of a ballot paper 1 from a blank bulletin connected to the central unit 51, able to write on one of the faces of the ballot paper.
• the input interface 50 in the form of a touch screen of any known type, will be able to simultaneously display the photographs and the names of the various candidates as well as their political affiliation, as well as their number.
• On this touch screen will be displayed instructions on the procedure to conduct for the selection and editing of the ballot, these instructions may also be broadcast by electroacoustic transducers associated with the input interface.
• the choice of the candidate will be made by pressing a dedicated area of the screen for example on the display area of the candidate's photograph or his political affiliation. This choice must be validated by pressing a dedicated area of the screen. The choice and the validation will be transmitted to the central unit 51 in order to edit the ballot.
• the central unit 51 will then transmit edit commands and editing data to the editing unit 52 so that the latter prints on one of the faces of a blank bulletin the name and / or photograph of the chosen candidate and his political affiliation.
• This data relating to the choice of the elector will also be transmitted by the central unit 51 to the read / write unit 53 so that the latter places them in the memory 12 of the bulletin 1.
• the The central unit will be able to read the prerecorded identification code in the memory 11 of the bulletin and check its validity. This code for the current voting session will be registered in a dedicated memory of the central unit 51.
• the central unit 51 can then check the uniqueness of the identifier in comparison with those already entered in memory.
• the input interface 50 is provided with a contactless reading module 54 able to read the inscriptions contained in the bulletin's memories after the latter's edition, so that at least the inscriptions relating to the elector's choice can displayed on said input unit and verified by the voter.
• the editing unit 52 and the non-contact writing and reading unit 53 are shown schematically in FIG. 4.
• these two units 52 and 53 are arranged in two separate compartments 60, 61 formed in a suitable container 6 made of a material capable of constituting an electromagnetic insulator.
• the editing unit 52 housed in the upper compartment 60 is advantageously constituted by a thermal printer of any known type, the paper used for the edition of the bulletin will be of the thermal type.
• printer 52 is provided with a suitable support equipped with a hub on which is threaded a roll of blank newscasts arranged in tape. This strip enters the printer by passing through an introduction opening and comes out through a delivery opening. Between these two openings, the band is engaged in a motorized mechanism
• the ballot paper 1 is for the most part located outside the printer, as can be seen in FIG. 4, and advantageously is engaged, by passing through an appropriate opening, into the compartment 61 containing the printing unit. 53. As can be seen, this
• compartment is lateral to the compartment 60 and is separated from the latter by a vertical partition 64 in which is formed said passage opening of the bulletin.
• This opening is arranged opposite the delivery opening that includes the printer.
• the lower part of this compartment is arranged in a bulletin receptacle and may include a presence sensor 610. This presence sensor will be able to emit a fault signal if after cutting control no bulletin is present in the lower part of the compartment.
• the data will be entered in the memory 12 of the bulletin and read to verify compliance. If the entry in the memory is incorrect or illegible, the bulletin is destroyed and for this purpose the printer engine will first be activated in the direction of paper return in the printer for a distance corresponding to the length of the bulletin and then will be driven in the direction of delivery over a distance of a few millimeters and the cutter will be activated so as to slice the bulletin. This cycle will be repeated until cutting total of the newsletter.
• the strips formed by the bill cutout will fall into a dedicated receiving tray 62 installed in a lower compartment 63 separate from the upper compartment by a horizontal partition 65 having a through opening for passage of the strips.
• the printer is positioned at a distance from the vertical partition separating the compartment 60 from the compartment 61 and a through passage opening of the strips is formed in the partition wall between the
• the editing unit 52 will be equipped with a heating element, not shown, constituted by an electric resistance supplied with electrical energy by a source independent of that of the editing unit 52.
• a heating element not shown, constituted by an electric resistance supplied with electrical energy by a source independent of that of the editing unit 52.
• the bulletin cutting operation, or in case of a paper jam, this resistance, arranged next to the path of the bulletin will be activated so that the bulletin is blackened and made illegible.
• the reading antenna of the reading module possessed by the unit 53 is installed at a distance from the walls of the compartment 61 so that it can not read newsletters other than the one currently being printed. delivery by the printer.
• the installation may be equipped with a destructive device provided with a journal swallowing mechanism formed by two driving rollers capable of driving first the bulletin or the envelope which contains it in front of a device read-write device capable of reading and erasing the memory or memories of the bulletin and in a shredder device formed of cutting blades, able to shear strips the bulletin.
• the read-write device will be connected to the central unit. This bulletin, reported as erroneous to the central unit 51 because of its passage in front of the read-write device of the destroyer and its recognition as a bulletin, will have to be destroyed in order to author the edition of a new bulletin.
• the central unit 51 of any known type, for example of the microcomputer type, will be advantageously connected to the at least one contactless reader 20 as well as to the counter 23 that the urn 2 comprises in order to receive these last the result of the reading and the result of the count. These data will be recorded in dedicated memories.
• This unit will also be connected to the reference RFID chip 28 and / or to the inductive coils 29 as well as to the writing device in the additional memory zone of the bullet 10, of the code representative of the introduction of this bulletin in the ballot box, if these elements are present.
• central unit 51 will be connected to a centralizing body for the transmission to the latter of the result of the vote after the close of the poll.

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Time Recorders, Dirve Recorders, Access Control (AREA)
• Management, Administration, Business Operations System, And Electronic Commerce (AREA)

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• 2009
  • 2009-08-19 FR FR0904006A patent/FR2949269B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2010
  • 2010-03-03 FR FR1000868A patent/FR2949270B1/fr active Active
  • 2010-08-19 EP EP10771347.1A patent/EP2467836B1/de active Active
  • 2010-08-19 US US13/388,559 patent/US8556161B2/en active Active
  • 2010-08-19 ES ES10771347T patent/ES2431017T3/es active Active
  • 2010-08-19 BR BR112012002502A patent/BR112012002502B1/pt active IP Right Grant
  • 2010-08-19 CA CA2767380A patent/CA2767380C/fr active Active
  • 2010-08-19 WO PCT/EP2010/062094 patent/WO2011020875A1/fr active Application Filing
  • 2010-08-19 CN CN201080037107.3A patent/CN102598065B/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related

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