Integrated vote by mail processing system
View Patent ↗A modular integrated software and hardware suite can accept data exported from a voter registration database corresponding to requests for mail ballots, sort the data as necessary for ballot preparation, create a road map for ballot mailing preparation, provide for mail presorting, scan returned ballot envelopes using a ballot envelope scanner, and accept data from the scanner. The scanner uses a passive feed system, a separator brush, and a variable speed straight paper path to minimize jamming through the ballot envelope scanner. The scanner can work with a workstation application to interpret a barcode, store an image of the ballot envelope signature in association with a specific voter, print an endorsement on each verified ballot envelope, and store the endorsement with the signature image. The scanner can divert ballot envelopes with unrecognizable or unmatched barcodes to a separate tray for manual processing.
1. A method comprising:
(a) operating a ballot envelope processing system including at least one drive device and at least one scanning device to:
(a1) cause a returned ballot envelope including a voter identifier and a voter signature to be automatically driven relative to the at least one scanning device by the at least one drive device,
(a2) cause the voter identifier and the voter signature to be automatically scanned by the at least one scanning device;
(b) operating at least one computer to retrieve a plurality of stored signatures correlated with the voter identifier scanned in step (a2) from a voter registration database, wherein the at least one computer is in operative connection with the at least one scanning device;
(c) operating the at least one computer to enable a decision to be made on verification of the voter signature, wherein the decision is based on comparison of data corresponding to the voter signature scanned in step (a2) with data corresponding to the plurality of stored signatures retrieved in step (b);
(d) responsive to verification of the voter signature in step (c), operating the at least one computer to cause the voter signature scanned in step (a2) to be stored in the voter registration database to thereby supplement the stored signatures;
(e) operating the at least one computer to determine whether the voter identifier scanned in step (a2) is a valid voter identifier; and
(f) responsive to a determination of a valid voter identifier in step (e), operating the at least one computer to determine a bin number and a sequence number designating a location in which the ballot envelope is to be stored and then cause an endorsement comprising the bin number and the sequence number to be printed on the ballot envelope.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the data corresponding to the voter signature scanned in step (a2) is compared with the data corresponding to the plurality of stored signatures retrieved in step (b) using at least one signature comparison computer program.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein step (c) includes operating the at least one computer to cause at least one display device to simultaneously visually display both the voter signature scanned in step (a2) and the plurality of stored signatures retrieved in step (b) to enable visual comparison therebetween.
4. The method according to claim 3 and further comprising:
(g) visually comparing the voter signature scanned in step (a2) with the plurality of stored signatures retrieved in step (b) as displayed on the display device; and
(h) making the decision based on the visual comparing in step (g), wherein the decision is a human decision, wherein the decision making includes determining whether the voter signature scanned in step (a2) corresponds to a valid voter signature for the scanned voter identifier.
5. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein step (a2) includes capturing the voter signature as electronic image data;
wherein step (b) includes retrieving the plurality of stored signatures as electronic signature image data;
and further comprising:
(g) comparing the electronic image data captured in step (a2) with the electronic signature image data retrieved in step (b); and
(h) making the decision based on the comparing in step (g).
6. The method according to claim 5 wherein step (a2) includes:
(a2i) automatically operating a reader device to read the voter identifier from the returned ballot envelope; and
(a2ii) automatically operating an image capture device to capture the voter signature from the returned ballot envelope.
7. The method according to claim 6 wherein step (a2i) includes reading a barcode on the returned ballot envelope, wherein the barcode includes the voter identifier.
8. A method comprising:
(a) receiving a stack of returned ballot envelopes into a feed tray of a ballot envelope scanner system of a ballot envelope processing system, wherein each returned ballot envelope includes a voter identifier and a voter signature, wherein the ballot envelope processing system includes at least one computer in operative connection with the ballot envelope scanner system, wherein the ballot envelope scanner system includes at least one drive device, a feed portion, a processing portion, and an output portion, wherein the feed portion includes the feed tray which is configured to receive the stack of returned ballot envelopes, wherein the processing portion includes at least one scanning device, wherein the output portion includes an accepted tray and a rejected tray;
(b) operating the ballot envelope processing system to:
(b1) cause each returned ballot envelope to be automatically driven relative to the at least one scanning device by the at least one drive device,
(b2) cause the voter identifier and the voter signature to be automatically scanned by the at least one scanning device;
(c) operating the at least one computer to retrieve at least one stored signature correlated with the voter identifier scanned in step (b2);
(d) operating the at least one computer to enable a decision to be made on verification of the voter signature, wherein the decision is based on comparison of data corresponding to the voter signature scanned in step (b2) with data corresponding to the at least one stored signature retrieved in step (c);
(e) storing data reflective of the decision; and
(f) operating the at least one drive device to move each returned ballot envelope into one of the accepted tray and rejected tray.
9. An apparatus comprising:
a ballot envelope processing system including at least one drive device and at least one scanning device, wherein the at least one drive device is operative to cause a returned ballot envelope including a voter identifier and a voter signature to be automatically driven relative to the at least one scanning device, wherein the at least one scanning device is operative to cause the voter identifier and the voter signature to be automatically scanned from the returned ballot envelope,
at least one computer in operative connection with the at least one scanning device, wherein the at least one computer is operative to retrieve at least one stored signature correlated with the voter identifier scanned by the at least one scanning device, wherein the at least one computer is operative to enable a decision to be made on verification of a voter signature, wherein the decision is based on comparison of data corresponding to the voter signature scanned by the at least one scanning device with data corresponding to the at least one stored signature retrieved by the at least one computer, wherein the at least one computer is operative to store data reflective of the decision;
an output unit in operative connection with the at least one computer, wherein the output unit is operative to store the ballot envelope;
wherein the at least one computer is operative to communicate with at least one database to determine whether the voter identifier scanned from the returned ballot envelope by the at least one scanning device is a valid voter identifier, and
wherein the at least one computer is further operative to determine a bin number and a sequence number designating a location in which the ballot envelope is to be stored and then cause an endorsement comprising the bin number and the sequence number to be printed on the returned ballot envelope.
10. The apparatus according to claim 9 , and further comprising at least one signature comparison computer program, wherein the at least one computer is operative to use the at least one signature comparison computer program to compare data corresponding to the voter signature scanned by the at least one scanning device with data corresponding to the at least one stored signature retrieved by the at least one computer.
11. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the at least one computer is operative to make the decision on verification of a voter signature, wherein the decision making includes determining whether the voter signature scanned from the returned ballot envelope by the at least one scanning device corresponds to a valid voter signature for a voter identifier scanned from the same returned ballot envelope by the at least one scanning device.
12. The apparatus according to claim 9 , and further comprising at least one display device, wherein the at least one computer is operative to cause the at least one display device to simultaneously visually display both the voter signature scanned from the returned ballot envelope and at least one stored signature retrieved to enable visual comparison therebetween.
13. The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the at least one computer is operative to cause the at least one display device to display side by side the voter signature scanned and the at least one stored signature retrieved.
14. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the ballot envelope processing system further includes an accepted tray and a rejected tray, and wherein the at least one computer causes the at least one drive device to move the returned ballot envelope into one of the accepted tray and the rejected tray.