Ballot drop box
OwnerMark Ograminventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A ballot drop box adapted to collect voting ballots. The drop box is a shell having an interior and an exterior. A chute is used by the voter to deposit their ballot. Within the drop box is a scale which collects the deposited ballot from the chute. The scale determines if a single ballot has been deposited or multiple ballots. Based on this determination, the ballot(s) are sent to an “acceptable” bin within the box or to a “further investigation needed” bin. An alternative embodiment marks the she submitted ballot(s) allowing a later determination if the ballots have been “stuffed”.
Claims21
A ballot drop box comprising:
- a shell having an interior and an exterior;
- a chute accepting at least one ballot and communicating the at least one ballot into the interior of the shell;
- a scale located in the interior portion of the shell, said scale accepting the at least one ballot from the chute, said scale generating a weight indicia of the at least one ballot;
- and,
- wherein the scale tilts according to the weight indicia to deposit the at least one ballot into a first or second bin within the interior of the shell.
A ballot drop box comprising:
- a shell having an interior and an exterior with a chute communicating from an exterior to the interior portion;
- and,
- a scale collecting at least one ballot deposited into the chute, said scale tilting in response to a number of ballots within the at least one ballot such that the at least one ballot is deposited in a first or second bin in the interior of the shell.
A ballot drop box comprising:
- a shell having an interior portion and an exterior portion with a chute communicating at least one ballot to the interior portion;
- a marking mechanism marking the ballot passing through the chute;
- and, a door selectively closing access to the chute.
A ballot box assembly comprising:
- a shell having an interior and an exterior and a first and second bin within the interior;
- a chute accepting at least one ballot and communicating the at least one ballot into an interior of the shell;
- a scale within the shell and depositing the at least one ballot into either the first or second bin depending on a weight of the at least one ballot;
- a status indicator visible on an exterior of the shell;
- a level sensor generating a first level data indicative of a level of ballots within the first bin, and a second level data indicative of a level of ballots within the second bin;
- and,
- wherein the status indicator receives the first level data and the second level data from the level sensor and communicates the first level data and the second level data to an operator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.