GB2287811A - Polling booth - Google Patents

Abstract

A voting booth through which voters can pass one at a time has a series of channels disposed between an entrance and an exit and shielded from view from outside the booth, which channels correspond in number to the number of candidates plus one and (except for that additional channel), bear candidates' identifications, the channels each having a sensor F, J, M which serves the functions of:- i) recording a vote corresponding to the identified candidate or (if the additional channel is used) an abstention; ii) once a vote or abstention has been recorded, deactivating both the channel entered and the other channels. <IMAGE>

Description

Polling The invention relates to polling.

Polling as usually conducted is labour intensive and slow, and also demands a level of literacy in voters that is not always to be found.

I have sought both to simplify the procedure for the voters and to speed up the production of results.

To do so, I propose a voting booth through which voters can pass one at a time and which has a series of channels disposed between an entrance and an exit and shielded from view from outside the booth, which channels correspond in number to the number of candidates plus one and (except for that additional channel), bear candidates' identifications, the channels each having a sensor which serves the functions of: i) recording a vote corresponding to the identified candidate or (if the additional channel is used) an abstention.

ii) once a vote or abstention has been recorded, deactivating both the channel entered and the other channels.

The sensor is conveniently a set of three presencedetectors, the central bne recording the vote or abstention and the other two deactivating, whether the voter goes on through the channel or, possibly, comes out the way he went in.

Conveniently further the booth has entry and exit sensors, the entry sensor operating an external "in use" indicator and the exit one a like "free" indicator.

Desirably, exit and entry sensors protect the security of the channels1 by having to be passed in turn to reactivate the channels after a vote or abstention has deactivated them.

The invention can give: 1. polling without using pen and paper 2. almost immediate result 3. a lot of money saved in man power 4. very fast result and still safeguard the rule: one man one vote, and voting is secret 5. fully automatic The invention is illustrated by a particular embodiment, given by way of example only, which is modular in construction. Each channel is provided by a capsule (Diagram 1), as shown I, II, III in Fig. 2, provided between an entry passage 1 and an exit passage 2. Between the passages, but with no view into them, is polling monitor 5.

Each channel has provision for a candidate's photograph 4 and symbol 3, and is a simple walk-through unit with three sensors, as above, in the ceiling.

The booth as a whole, seen in plan in Diagram 2, is in the example under 400 square feet in area, with passages 5 feet wide and capsules 8 feet through. The passages are 16 feet long and the polling monitor projects 4 feet from the main body of the booth. Sets of sensor EFG, HJK, LMO are provided in the capsules, and similar sets ABC at the entry and TSQ at the exit.

In more detail diagram 1 is the polling capsule. It is twelve feet high, four feet wide and eight feet long. On top of its ceiling, there are three sensors E, F and G. Sensor F is connected to an adding machine. When a person passes under it, it will register one in the adding machine. At the same time, this sensor F will activate the two other sensors E and G. Each of E and G senses when a person passes under it and will deactivate all sensors inside this capsule, as well as all sensors inside other capsules. This action is to prevent voters who like to walk in and out through all the capsules inside the polling module. E and G sensors thus act as protectors for one man one vote rule.

When a voter comes in for voting there are three capsules. Two candidates standing for election will each have a capsule. At diagram 2, there are three capsules for two candidates. One capsule is blank having no candidates. This blank capsule is for people who dislike the two candidates who are standing and do not wish to cast a vote for either of these two candidates. They can use the blank capsule.

Polling Booth This is used for housing all the capsules that are required in the election. Each candidate will have one capsule, if there are two candidates, there will be three capsules. If there are four or five candidates, there will be five or six capsules. You must add in one blank capsule. The reason for it is already explained above. The number of candidates standing for election require the same number of capsules plus one blank capsule. In diagram 2, there are three capsules placed side by side on the passage. A voter walking along the passage can choose his or her favourite candidate and walk through their capsule. By doing so, they are casting their vote for this candidate. This polling booth is safe as voting is secret. Nobody can see who you are voting for.

Polling Monitor This monitor is sandwiched by the in and out passages.

The function of this unit is to detect any fault in other apparatus. To start operation, it will activate sensor B at the IN entrance gate.

The combination of three units is described below. The units are interlocked physically as well as electrically. In order to function as one apparatus, the area required is approximately twenty feet by twenty feet (four hundred square feet). If more candidates stand for election, therefore more capsules are required and more space is required. When a voter comes in for voting, he will walk in into the IN entrance. On top of the ceiling, there are three sensors: A, B and C. They are placed exactly the same way as the polling capsules (as is already explained). Thus sensors A and C prevent a voter who decides to leave before casting a vote, but then enters again, from creating a double count where there is only one voter. Sensor B is connected to an adding machine. When a voter walks under it, it will register one.

At the same time, it will also activate sensor A and C as well as sensors F, J and M. These sensors are inside the first, second and third capsules. On top of the IN entrance, there are two lights: one red and the other green. Sensor B will turn on the red light indicating a voter is inside the polling modulator and they will have to wait until the person walks out of the modulator. This voter will continue walking on the walk passage. When he walks up to the first capsule, he can walk into this capsule if he likes this candidate. If he likes the candidate in the second capsule, he will walk into the second capsule instead of the first.

Now at the second capsule, the voter walks through this capsule. This means he has just cast his vote to this candidate. Sensor J in this capsule will register one in the adding machine. At the same time, activate sensor H, K and also S at the exit gate. This voter walks past sensor K, will deactivate all sensors. If this voter does not walk forward but steps backwards, sensor H will do the same as sensor K.

If this voter thinks that he likes to walk through all the other capsules, he may do so but only the first capsule he walks through counts. Now he walks on to the exit passage gate. On top of this gate, there are three sensors: T, S and Q. These sensors act as the same as shown in the polling capsule. When the voter walks through this exit gate, sensor S will activate sensor T, Q and also B at the IN entrance gate. This will also switch on the green light so that the next voter can proceed.

The same process will take place all over again. This will continue until polling ends. At that time, you can easily see the number of votes in each of the capsules. At the entrance gate, the adding machine will show the total number of voters which will tally with the sum of all votes cast in each capsules. Hence immediate result can be received from the polling booth.

The materials used in the apparatus are conventional, for example wood, iron, plastic, fibre glass, aluminium.

Claims (3)

1. A voting booth through which voters can pass one at a time and which has a series of channels disposed between an entrance and an exit and shielded from view from outside the booth, which channels correspond in number to the number of candidates plus one and (except for that additional channel), bear candidates' identifications, the channels each having a sensor which serves the functions of: i) recording a vote corresponding to the identified candidate or (if the additional channel is used) an abstention.

ii) once a vote or abstention has been recorded, deactivating both the channel entered and the other channels.

2. A voting booth according to claim 1 which has entry and exit sensors, the entry sensor operating an external "in use" indicator and the exit one a like "free" indicator.

3. A voting booth according to claim 1 or 2, having exit and entry sensors that protect the security of the channels, by having to be passed in turn to reactivate the channels after a vote or abstention has deactivated them.