Patent Application
20150100392
The invention relates to systems and methods for voting. More particularly the invention relates to a system and method for voting with write-in option in which the ballot evolves dynamically, so that once a voter submits a write-in candidate, an updated ballot is presented to subsequent voters, which includes the name of the write-in candidate.
Systems and methods for voting have been described since days of antiquity. For a typical system and method, some entity initiates a poll utilizing a ballot, such ballot comprising one or numerous ballot items, each such ballot item comprising a ballot question and one or more candidate answers to that question, with mechanisms to allow voters to identify one or several answers to each question and then transmit this information to some entity for processing.
The term poll is used here in a very general sense. It may be an election, a survey, a referendum, or any other application in which people are asked to choose one or several options from a collection of options related to a set of issues.
The terms “ballot question” and “candidate answers” are very general. For example, a ballot question may be the phase “President of Club A,” which corresponds to the question “Who are you voting for President of Club A?” and in which case candidate answers would presumably be names of people. Or, a ballot question may be “Best movie of 2012,” in which case candidate answers would presumably be names of movies. In what follows, we will use the terms “candidates” and “candidate answers” interchangeably.
The types of entities that may initiate a poll are numerous. With the advent of the Internet and modern web-based technologies, systems exist that allow any computer user to initiate a poll. Numerous online services enable such capabilities, including www.surverymonkey.com, www.pollcode.com, and www.micropoll.com.
Sometimes a poll will allow write-in candidates. In such a case, a ballot item has one or numerous candidates presented for voting plus a place in the ballot item where a voter may write in a candidate that does not appear on the ballot item, and this write-in candidate will be be considered in the final tally of votes along with the other candidates.
In polls with write-in options, candidates who are written-in are at a distinct disadvantage. Voters who cast their votes after the write-in do not necessarily know about the new entrant in the poll and are therefore less likely to vote for this written-in candidate. The present invention reduces this disadvantage by having all subsequent voters see the new candidate alongside the other candidates as just another candidate on the ballot.
A system and method for voting provide write-in options such that after a voter submits a write-in candidate, that new candidate appears on the ballot as a listed candidate for all subsequent voters to see. The system includes a database to store votes and other information related to the poll, and a computer program to generate new ballots that incorporate write-in candidates as they are introduced.
The following is a detailed description of exemplary embodiments to illustrate the principles of the invention. The embodiments are provided to illustrate aspects of the invention, but the invention is not limited to any embodiment. The scope of the invention encompasses numerous alternatives, modifications and equivalents.
A poll is conducted online. Referring to
In a preferred embodiment, the poll is executed inside a controlled environment, a website where users can register and then log in to identify themselves. Once a user has signed in, the Server maintains the identity of that user for the duration of the session, so that all interactions with the system during the session are attributable to that user.
The website has a page with a poll. The poll utilizes a ballot with one question, one or more candidates and a write-in option. If the user has not yet voted in this poll, then the system will allow this user to vote in this poll.
Items 202 and 203 form a set of radio-buttons. A radio-button is text on a screen and an actionable element on the screen next to the text, so that when a user puts a cursor on this element and clicks it or touches the element if the screen is touch sensitive, then the element gets highlighted. Throughout the rest of the description, the term “click” an element will mean either “put a cursor on it and click it” or “touch it, if it is a touch sensitive screen.” A set of radio-buttons is a collection of radio-buttons in which at most one of them can be highlighted at any time. Accompanying the set of radio-buttons is Enter button 204. Upon clicking the Enter button, the device sends information via the Network to the Server, where the computer program processes this information and then takes action according to which selection was made.
The text of items 202 are candidates for Ballot question 201. Even though the names are different in the two radio-buttons 202, both radio buttons are functionally identical, hence the identical labels. If a user wants to vote fro any candidate 202, he would highlight the corresponding actionable element and then click Enter button 204. The Device communicates the selection back to the Server via the Network, where the computer program acts according to the selection made. The program finds the portion of the Database containing the selected candidate, adds one to the tally of votes fro that candidate, and records that the user has cast a vote for this ballot.
If a user wants to enter a new candidate via the write-in option, he would highlight the actionable element of radio-button 203 next to the text “I want to enter a new candidate.”
If the user clicks Enter button 403 before entering any text in the text-input box, the device transmits information back to the Server indicating the empty text field, and the Server returns to the device a signal to display a message that the empty vote is not valid.
If the user enters a candidate in the text-input box, the box changes status.
In one embodiment, the system allows any registered user to initiate a poll. In one such particular embodiment, a user may initiate a poll with one question and one candidate. The system provides an authoring tool to the user in order to initiate this poll.
The disclosed embodiments are illustrative, not restrictive. One can create numerous alternate embodiments and extensions of the general invention of dynamic ballots. Below are examples, certainly not exhaustive, of possible variations.
In one embodiment, the website displays the tally of votes in real time, even while the poll is active.
In one embodiment, voters who have already voted have the option of returning to the ballot and changing their vote, as long as the poll is active.
The ballot need not be accessed via the Internet. The entire system could be contained in a single personal computer.
The size of the list of candidates may be subject to a limit according to some rule. The rule may be that when the limit is reached, the write-in option disappears. Or, the rule may be that after the limit has been reached, when a new write-in candidate is proposed, the listed candidate with the least number of votes is dropped and replaced by the new write-in candidate. Other rules may be instituted.
A website may host numerous polls and allow visitors to see all polls, whether active or ended. A registered user who is logged in can click on a link to an active poll that will take him to this poll. If this user has already voted in this poll, upon clicking the link, a message will be displayed that the user has already voted in this poll. If the user has not yet voted in this poll, then upon clicking the link, a ballot will be displayed.
A ballot may have numerous questions.
A ballot may have some questions with write-in options and some without.
A poll may allow the selection of more than one candidate for some ballot questions.
A poll may allow the submission of an empty text-input box entry.
