How to Use the Patriot Voting System™!

Prior to the first election, the political subdivision information is entered through the IntEllect™ software package into the Election Central Office PC workstation (names or numbers of precincts, which governmental districts are in which precincts, etc.) This only need be done once until it changes during redistricting in the future.

Before each election, a simple-to-use menu-driven program is used to prompt the entry of all offices, candidates and propositions to "code" the election. After being printed out on paper, it is proof-read and corrected if need be. No other proofing need be done for anything in the election (touch-screen, reports, absentee ballots, samples, etc.) after that.

By placing an InfoPack™ (a little larger than a pack of cigarettes) into the InfoPackER™ attached to the PC, the necessary ballot instructions are electronically transferred from the PC to the InfoPack™ (about 5 seconds). It is then inserted into the Precinct Control Unit™ for the appropriate precinct. It is tested, sealed and sent to the precinct along with the prescribed number of Patriot Voting Devices. (Some jurisdictions will prefer to have them delivered, while others will prefer for their precinct workers to pick them up from convenient locations. Being light in weight and small in size, a car trunk or back seat is ideal.)

On election day, the precinct workers place the Precinct Control Unit™ on their table and set up each booth. These are all connected from one to another by a cord similar in size to a lamp cord. The PCU is then turned on.

With the Precinct Control Unit™ in front of them, one of the precinct workers breaks the seal on the "Open Polls" latch, slides it open, and touches the red button underneath. This immediately causes the printer to print a report showing all the candidates with zero totals.

The polls are now open and await the first voter. As each voter is checked in, the precinct worker determines which ballot style the voter is entitled to use (only if a split precinct, or a certain party in a Primary), and assigns them to a particular open Voting Device booth. Only the offices on which the voter is entitled to vote will be displayed on the Voting Device. If a voter is judged to be a "Provisional" voter or "Challenged" or "Conditional" or "Affidavit" voter, a special button allows him/her to vote on the PATRIOT.  This ballot is not normally counted on election evening, but is added later if found to be valid.

Each voter will see the ballot electronically displayed on the screen. In localities where more than one language is required, the voter has the option of choosing privately which language he wishes to view. Usually the entire ballot will take more than one screen, so the voter may move forward or back by touching the appropriate box on the screen. The voter makes each candidate selection by touching anywhere in the box containing that name. As each is selected, that candidate's box becomes highly illuminated. If a mistake is made, the selected candidate's box may be touched again (de-selecting him), and the new candidate selected. The entire ballot may be reviewed at any time to check who was previously selected.

Write-ins may be electronically entered by touching the "Write-In" box for a particular office. Immediately the screen changes to display an alphabet, and the write-in name may be spelled by touching the proper letters. These names are automatically tallied and printed out under the proper office upon the closing of the polls.

When completely finished voting, the "Review and Record Ballot" area is touched.  This will automatically display on a single screen all choices made by that voter.  It will also highlight those offices which were not completed by the voter.  At that point, the voter may either "Make Ballot Changes" or "Record Vote Now". At this point, he has completed his task and leaves. Several other options also are available.

"Curb-Side" Voting Devices can be used all day by voters in the precincts,; however they also may be disconnected and taken to an infirm voter in a car, etc.

Freedom Voting Devices are also available which allow sight-impaired or illiterate voters to vote unassisted by listening through headphones and voting through the use of one, two, three or four different shaped response buttons.  After being cast, their ballot cannot be identified as a Freedom ballot.

The PATRIOT Voting System™ also allows the use of "Preferential" or "Proportional" voting where permitted.  This allows each voter to rank their candidates in order of desirability.  Candidates are then elected by quota.  It eliminates the need for additional "Runoff" elections.


At the end of the election day, a seal is broken on the "Close Polls" latch, opened and the exposed red button is touched. This time, several copies of the final precinct report are printed, showing the candidates and their vote totals. Where a standard telephone is available, the telephone is disconnected from the line, and the line inserted into the phone jack of the Precinct Control Unit™. All precinct totals are immediately transmitted directly to the Central Office PC in a few seconds. Another seal is then broken and the InfoPack is removed to be taken down to the Central Office.

At the Central Office, each InfoPack™ (for precinct totals not sent by telephone) is inserted into the InfoPackER™ for one (1) second to load the totals into the IntEllect™ PC. Throughout election evening, summary reports are printed showing all of the up-to-the-minute totals as they are received (these include all write-ins).

As often as desired, up-to-date totals may be posted on a website and also sent to the State Election Board.

ABSENTEE BALLOTS

In-Office Voting or Early Voting begins a few weeks before election day and uses our standard Voting Devices.  They are attached (up to 16) to a "Laptop PC Control Unit" that can be utilized in three ways.
1.   The Control Unit can be connected "on-line" to the jurisdiction's Voter Registration File.  This option automatically sends the proper ballot style for each voter to the Voting Device and (when finished) places a "flag" in the Voter Registration File prohibiting the voter from voting again in this election.  All ballots are captured, but not counted until election evening (instantly).
2.   All registered voters, addresses, dates of birth, etc. can be uploaded into the laptop and used as above.
3.   All ballot styles may be uploaded into the laptop and then selected manually based upon where the voter lives, their party, etc.

The standard absentee ballot counter reads individual ballots at the rate of 1,000 per minute. Each of these ballot cards is marked by the voter with a small enclosed no.2 pencil in positions assigned to each candidate automatically by our system. Fast, accurate ballots guides-on-demand are printed out when originally mailed to the voter.

A small 20 ballot per minute card reader is also available.

The Patriot Voting System™ seems like a simple system because it is. We do, however, stand ready to help you with any of the process at any time.