System and method for influencing dynamic community shared elements of audio, video, and text programming via a polling system

A system for influencing dynamic community shared elements of broadcast content comprising:

• a plurality of participant devices each associated with a participant connected to a network, the participant devices further comprising instructions for obtaining and casting electronic votes;
• a transaction server connected to the network further comprising instructions for receiving requests from the participant devices to obtain electronic votes, and instructions for delivering electronic votes to the participant devices over the network independent of a poll sent by a polling server;
• the polling server connected to the network for receiving the electronic votes from the participant devices in response to polls sent by the polling server;
• the polling server further comprising instructions for receiving and tallying the electronic votes received from the participant devices, and reporting the tally;
• and
• a content server connected to the polling server for receiving the tally of the electronic votes, the content server further comprising instructions for modifying content served to the participant devices in response to the tally of electronic votes.

A method for influencing dynamic community shared elements of broadcast content comprising:

• obtaining via a network an electronic vote for a participant account, wherein the vote may be cast at a later time and wherein the electronic vote is independent of a poll;
• issuing the poll from a polling server to a participant device via the network for an opinion concerning the content of a program;
• casting the electronic vote obtained for the participant account from the participant device to express the opinion concerning the content of the program via the network;
• receiving at the polling server the electronic vote from the participant device, tallying the electronic vote, and reporting a result to a content server, and
• receiving at the content server the result and retrieving content based upon the result.

A method for making choices by a group of participants comprising:

• obtaining via a network an electronic vote for a participant account at a participant device, wherein the vote may later be cast and wherein the electronic vote is independent of an opportunity to select a choice;
• presenting the participant device the opportunity to select a choice from a group of choices;
• casting the electronic vote obtained for the participant account from the participant device to express the choice made;
• receiving the electronic vote from the participant device, tallying the electronic vote, and reporting a result to a content server;
• and
• retrieving a selected choice from the group of choices based upon the result.

A system for making choices by a group of participants comprising;

• a participant device connected to a network, wherein the participant device is adapted to:
• receive a poll from a polling server presenting the participant an opportunity to select a choice from a group of choices;
• obtain an electronic vote for a participant account associated with a participant, wherein the vote may cast at a later time, and wherein the electronic vote is independent of the opportunity to select the choice;
• cast the electronic vote to express the selection made;
• and
• the polling server adapted to:
• periodically poll the participant device over the network to provide the opportunity to select the choice;
• receive the electronic vote from the participant device;
• tally the electronic vote from other participant devices;
• and
• report a result to a selection server;
• and
• the selection server adapted to:
• receive the result from the polling server,
• retrieve a selected choice from the group of choices based upon the result;
• and
• deliver the selected choice to the participant device.