Voting system

A voting system comprising:

• a portable and hand-held vote entering means comprising:
• display means including a plurality of spaced rows and columns wherein a matrix of areas are formed in which discrete ballot data may be inserted, and
• selection means including a plurality of hand-operated designators associated with each said area, and each having a "yes" and a "no" vote position;
• vote reading means responsive to the state of said designators for providing discrete output signals indicative of a "yes" vote;
• vote processing means, separate from said vote entering means, including receptacle means adapted to receive a said vote entering means, and including vote accumulating means responsive to a said vote entering means and to said output signals from said vote reading means for registering and providing discrete totals of votes cast by discrete said designators from a plurality of instances of engagement of said vote entering means with said receptacle means;
• impermissible vote detection means coupled between said vote reading means and said vote accumulating means, and responsive to the state of said designators after an instance of use by a voter for signalling an error in the event that more than a selected number of said designator of a selected group of designators is moved to a "yes" position;
• reset means housed by said vote processing means for resetting all said designators to a "no" state;
• means for enabling a write-in ballot comprising:
• second receptacle means comprising a plurality of receptacles in a discrete column separate from said first-named columns, there being a said second receptacle in each row of said areas on said display means, and wherein all candidates for a particular race are indicated on a single row;
• disabling means responsive to a card positioned in a selected one of said second receptacles bearing a write-in vote for preventing the reading of a "yes" state of a designator in that row;
• and
• third receptacle means and receptacle clearing means coordinately operative with said reset means for clearing said second receptacle of said card and including means for moving said card into said third receptacle;
• whereby a write-in vote may be cast by placing a card bearing a write-in candidate's name in a said first receptacle, whereby any other selection in that row is prevented, and whereby the write-in ballot is placed in a receptacle.