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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.
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Manual counting
Manual counting requires a physical ballot that visually represents voter intent. The physical ballots are read and interpreted; then results are individually tabulated.[1]
Such a system may be used for recounts in areas where mechanical or automated counting systems are used.
Electromechanical and Optical scan counting
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]
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]
Direct-recording electronic counting
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]
References
See also
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
- An index of articles on vote counting from the ACE Project guide to designing and administering elections
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