Vote counting system

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There exist various methods through which the ballots cast at an election may be counted, prior to applying a voting system to obtain one or more winners.

Contents 1 Manual counting 2 Electromechanical and Optical scan counting 3 Direct-recording voting (mechanical) counting 4 Direct-recording electronic counting 5 References 6 See also 7 External links

[edit] Manual counting

Manual counting requires a physical ballot that visually represents voter intent. The physical ballots are then read and interpreted then results are individually tabulated.^[1]

[edit] Electromechanical and Optical scan counting

Further information: Optical scan voting system

Paper ballots, typically punch cards or marksense, are collected and fed into a machine to tabulate vote totals. Tabulation can occur with each individual ballot, or in batches.^[2]

[edit] Direct-recording voting (mechanical) counting

Voters selecting switches (levers), pushing plastic chips through holes, or pushing mechanical buttons which increment a mechanical counter (sometimes called the odometer) for the appropriate candidate.^[1]

[edit] Direct-recording electronic counting

Main article: DRE voting machine

Voting data and ballot images are recorded in memory components. Tabulation of the voting data stored in a removable memory component and as printed copy. The system may also provide a means for transmitting individual ballots or vote totals to a central location for consolidating and reporting results from precincts at the central location. This consolidation can be any subset of machines, such as all voting machines in a polling station, or all voting machines in a precinct, etc.^[3]

[edit] References

[edit] See also

• Tally (voting)
• Electronic voting
• Voting machine
• Voting system
• Electoral systems
• Ballot

[edit] External links

• The Election Technology Library research list - A comprehensive list of research relating to technology use in elections.
• E-Voting information from ACE Project
• AEI-Brookings Election Reform Project
• Electronic Voting Systems at the Open Directory Project
• Voting and Elections by Douglas W. Jones: Thorough articles about the history and problems with Voting Machinery
• Selker, Ted Scientific American Magazine Fixing the Vote October 2004
• The Machinery of Democracy: Voting System Security, Accessibility, Usability, and Cost from Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law
• Electronic Voting Machines ProCon.org - Does the use of electronic voting machines improve the voting process?
• Who's who in election technology
• An index of articles on vote counting from the ACE Project guide to designing and administering elections