Terminal device and program

Abstract

To provide a terminal device and program that can suppress the occurrence of fraud while controlling the increase in costs in an electronic voting system. [Solution] The terminal device is a terminal device that can be used as a voting terminal in an electronic voting system, and comprises a control unit that executes a voting application and a wireless communication unit that performs wireless communication under the control of the control unit, wherein the control unit controls the system so that wireless communication does not occur while the voting application is being executed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a terminal device and a program used in an electronic voting system.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes an electronic voting system that records data output from an electronic voting machine installed at a polling place on an electromagnetic storage medium to generate original data, and further reads the original data and records it as copy (duplicate) data on a different electromagnetic storage medium. The data recorded on these media is transferred to the counting place and aggregated.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] If a general-purpose terminal device such as a tablet terminal can be used as a voting terminal instead of a dedicated electronic voting machine as in Patent Document 1, the cost for constructing an electronic voting system can be reduced.

[0005] However, such a terminal device generally has a wireless communication function such as a wireless LAN. Therefore, when the terminal device is in a state where it can communicate with the network through the wireless communication function, there is a problem that fraud such as browsing and tampering of voting data and the like can occur from the outside through the communication.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a terminal device and a program that can suppress the occurrence of fraud while suppressing an increase in cost in an electronic voting system.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] A terminal device according to a first aspect of this disclosure is a terminal device that can be used as a voting terminal in an electronic voting system, comprising a control unit that executes a voting application, and a wireless communication unit that performs wireless communication under the control of the control unit, wherein the control unit controls the wireless communication so that it does not occur while the voting application is being executed.

[0008] A program according to a second aspect of this disclosure causes a terminal device usable as a voting terminal in an electronic voting system to perform the steps of: performing wireless communication; executing a voting application; and controlling the device so that wireless communication is not performed while the voting application is being executed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to one aspect of this disclosure, it is possible to provide a terminal device and program that can suppress the occurrence of fraud while suppressing cost increases in an electronic voting system. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing an example configuration of an electronic voting system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of a management table for a voting terminal and an external recording medium in an electronic voting system according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing an example configuration of a voting terminal according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] This diagram illustrates how a voting terminal according to an embodiment assigns a file name to voting data. [Figure 5] This block diagram shows an example configuration of a data aggregation terminal according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] This diagram illustrates the procedure for voting operations in a voting terminal according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a flowchart showing the voting process procedure in a voting terminal according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] This flowchart shows the procedure for aggregation processing in the aggregation terminal according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] This is a block diagram showing an example configuration of a voting terminal related to a modified version. [Figure 10] This diagram illustrates the procedure for performing a vote on a voting terminal in a modified form. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The electronic voting system according to the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, identical or similar parts are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals.

[0012] (1) Example of an electronic voting system configuration Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the electronic voting system 1 according to an embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the electronic voting system 1 comprises multiple voting terminals (voting terminal 10_1 to voting terminal 10_n) installed at each of the multiple polling stations (polling station 1 to polling station n), and a counting terminal 20 installed at the vote counting station.

[0013] Each voting terminal 10_1 to 10_n is accompanied by a set of external recording media (sets 30_1 to 30_n). Each set of external recording media, which has recorded voting data at each polling station, is stored in a transport case (transport case 40_1 to 40_n) and transported to the counting station. Hereafter, if voting terminals 10_1 to 10_n are not distinguished, they will be referred to as "voting terminal 10". Similarly, if sets 30_1 to 30_n are not distinguished, they will be referred to as "external recording media set 30". Similarly, if transport cases 40_1 to 40_n are not distinguished, they will be referred to as "transport case 40". Although Figure 1 shows an example where one voting terminal 10 is installed at each polling station, this disclosure is not limited to this, and multiple voting terminals 10 may be installed at each polling station.

[0014] The voting terminal 10 is an example of a terminal device, which receives the voting operation of the voter and records the voting data indicating the voting content on the external recording medium included in the set 30 of external recording media. The voting terminal 10 is composed of, for example, terminal devices such as tablets, smartphones, and notebook PCs (Personal Computers). The configuration and detailed functions of the voting terminal 10 will be described in FIG. 3 described later.

[0015] The tabulation terminal 20 performs tabulation processing using the voting data recorded on the external recording medium included in the set 30 of external recording media transported from each polling place using the transport case 40. The tabulation terminal 20 is an example of an information processing terminal and is composed of, for example, notebook PCs, desktop PCs, etc. The configuration and detailed functions of the tabulation terminal 20 will be described in FIG. 5 described later.

[0016] The set 30 of external recording media includes a first external recording medium 31 and a second external recording medium 32. The first external recording medium 31 is, for example, a dongle-type external recording medium such as a USB (registered trademark, the same hereinafter) memory, and can be electrically connected to a first interface 14 of the voting terminal 10 described later. The second external recording medium 32 is an external recording medium of a type different from the first external recording medium 31, for example, a card-type external recording medium such as an SD (Secure Digital) card (registered trademark, the same hereinafter), and can be electrically connected to a second interface 15 of the voting terminal 10 described later.

[0017] The first external recording medium 31 and the second external recording medium 32 respectively record the original data and copy data of the voting data indicating the voting content of the voter. In the present disclosure, the dongle-type first external recording medium 31 is used as the external recording medium for recording the original data of the voting data, and the second external recording medium 32 is used as the external recording medium for recording the copy data (duplicate data) of the voting data. By recording the copy data (duplicate data) on the second external recording medium 32, it is possible to prevent the destruction of the voting data due to damage to the first external recording medium 31 or the like. In addition, by recording the original data of the voting data on the dongle-type first external recording medium 31, it is possible to facilitate the insertion and removal of the external recording medium during tabulation.

[0018] By using different types of external recording media for recording the original data and the copy data respectively, it becomes easy to distinguish between the first external recording medium 31 and the second external recording medium 32, the original data and the copy data can be distinguished, and double counting can also be prevented. Also, by using different types of external recording media corresponding to different types of interfaces (the first interface and the second interface described later), it is possible to recover from a failure in writing / reading voting data due to a defect in any of the interfaces. Note that hereinafter, when the first external recording medium 31 and the second external recording medium 32 are not distinguished, it is referred to as "external recording medium".

[0019] The electronic voting system 1 manages the voting terminal 10 and the set 30 of external recording media as a pair using the management table T1 shown in FIG. 2 described later. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a management table of the voting terminal and the external recording medium in the electronic voting system 1 according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the management table T1 has an item T11 of the serial number of the voting terminal, an item T12 of the identification tag of the voting terminal, an item T13 of the identification tag of the first external recording medium, an item T14 of the identification tag of the second external recording medium, and an item T15 of the original.

[0020] The item T11 of the serial number of the voting terminal stores the serial number of the voting terminal. The item T12 of the identification tag of the voting terminal is associated with the serial number of the voting terminal and stores an identifier that can uniquely identify the voting terminal. The item T13 of the identification tag of the first external recording medium stores an identifier that can uniquely identify the first external recording medium 31. The item T14 of the identification tag of the second external recording medium stores an identifier that can uniquely identify the second external recording medium 32. The identification tag of the first external recording medium and the identification tag of the second external recording medium are associated with the identification tag of the voting terminal as a set. The item T15 of the original stores the identification tag of the external recording medium that records the original data of the voting data.

[0021] Note that the configuration of the management table T1 is not limited to the configuration shown in Figure 2, and may include, for example, items for storing information about polling stations where voting terminals are installed, or items for the type of election (election name) conducted at the voting terminals.

[0022] By using the management table T1, it is possible to distinguish between external recording media that record voting data among voting terminals, and also to distinguish between external recording media that record original data and external recording media that record copy data within a voting terminal.

[0023] (2) Example of a voting terminal configuration Next, an example of the configuration of the voting terminal 10 according to the embodiment will be described. Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the voting terminal 10 according to the embodiment. As shown in Figure 3, the voting terminal 10 comprises a control unit 11, an operation display unit 12, a wireless communication unit 13, a first interface 14, and a second interface 15. The control unit 11 is connected to the operation display unit 12, the wireless communication unit 13, the first interface 14, and the second interface 15 via a bus so as to be able to send and receive signals. Note that the configuration of the voting terminal 10 is not limited to the components shown in Figure 3, and may further include components other than these components, such as a power supply unit (battery, etc.) and an electronic pen (stylus pen), which are not shown.

[0024] When the control unit 11 detects a vote application startup operation on the operation display unit 12, it executes the vote application installed on the vote terminal 10 and displays various screens of the vote application (see Figures 6 and 10 below) on the operation display unit 12. As shown in Figure 3, the control unit 11 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 111 and memory 112.

[0025] The CPU 111 reads the voting application's program code from memory 112 and executes the voting application. Alternatively, a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) or similar component may be used instead of the CPU 111, or the CPU 111 and GPU may be used in combination.

[0026] Memory 112 includes, for example, ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), and non-volatile storage. ROM is composed of a recording medium such as non-volatile memory and stores program code for the voting application executed by CPU 111. ROM also records, for example, management table T1, the election administrator password (described later), the polling station administrator password (described later), the operation passcode (described later), and candidate data read from an external recording medium. RAM is composed of a storage medium such as volatile memory and temporarily stores information (data) necessary for each process performed by CPU 111. Non-volatile storage is composed of a non-transient recording medium such as HDD (Hard Disk Drive). Non-volatile storage may store various information data stored in ROM, or other information data.

[0027] As shown in Figure 3, the operation display unit 12 has a display unit 121 and an operation unit 122. The display unit 121 displays various screens of the voting application to the user (voter) of the voting terminal 10. The operation unit 122 accepts user input operations. The display unit 121 and the operation unit 122 are configured as an integrated touch panel display, for example. The display unit 121 may be composed of a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electro-luminescence) display. The operation unit 122 may be composed of an operating device such as a touch sensor or a mouse.

[0028] The wireless communication unit 13 includes an antenna (not shown), a receiver (not shown) that converts the wireless signal received by the antenna into a baseband signal and outputs it to the control unit 11, and a transmitter (not shown) that converts the baseband signal output by the control unit 11 into a wireless signal and transmits it from the antenna. The wireless communication unit 13 performs wireless communication under the control of the control unit 11. The wireless communication unit 13 includes at least one of a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) communication unit (not shown) that performs wireless LAN communication as wireless communication, and a cellular communication unit (not shown) that performs cellular communication as wireless communication. Wireless LAN communication is, for example, communication compliant with standards such as IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax. Cellular communication is, for example, communication compliant with 3GPP (registered trademark) standards.

[0029] The first interface 14 is an interface that corresponds to a dongle-type external recording medium and can electrically connect to a dongle-type first external recording medium 31. In this embodiment, the first interface 14 may be, for example, a USB Type-A interface, a USB Type-C interface, or another type of USB interface. The second interface 15 differs from the first interface 14 in that it corresponds to a card-type external recording medium and can electrically connect to a card-type second external recording medium 32. In this embodiment, the second interface 15 may be, for example, a miniSD card interface or a microSD card interface.

[0030] The control unit 11 writes the voting data obtained through voting operations using the voting application to the first external recording medium 31, which is electrically connected to the first interface 14, as original data. The control unit 11 also writes the voting data to the second external recording medium 32, which is electrically connected to the second interface 15, as copy data.

[0031] Furthermore, the first interface 14 is not limited to an interface that supports a dongle-type external recording medium, nor is the second interface 15 limited to an interface that supports a card-type external recording medium. For example, the first interface 14 may be an interface that supports a card-type external recording medium, and the second interface 15 may be an interface that supports a dongle-type external recording medium. Also, the first interface 14 and the second interface 15 may be of different types, other than dongle-type and card-type. In this case, it is necessary to provide a first external recording medium 31 and a second external recording medium 32 that correspond to the respective types of the first interface 14 and the second interface 15.

[0032] Since the voting terminal 10 has wireless communication capabilities such as Wi-Fi, if the voting terminal 10 becomes capable of communicating with a network via wireless communication, there is a possibility that unauthorized access or alteration of voting data may occur from the outside through such communication. To prevent such situations from occurring, the control unit 11 of the voting terminal 10 controls the system so that wireless communication is not performed while the voting application is running.

[0033] Specifically, when the voting application is launched, the control unit 11 turns off the wireless communication function if it is enabled. Furthermore, while the voting application is running, the control unit 11 sets a mode that disables the wireless communication function, such as Airplane mode, and restricts the ability to change this mode setting.

[0034] Furthermore, to prevent users from manually turning on the wireless communication function, the control unit 11 controls the system so that even if the operation unit 122 receives an input operation to turn on the wireless communication function while the voting application is running, it does not turn on the wireless communication function. This control restricts user-operated changes to the setting by, for example, utilizing a function provided in the voting terminal 10 that makes it impossible to change the setting of the wireless communication function. When the voting application ends, the control unit 11 releases this restriction and controls the system so that the wireless communication function becomes available.

[0035] The control unit 11 can suppress fraudulent activities such as viewing or tampering with voting data from external sources via wireless communication by performing various controls to turn off the wireless communication function described above.

[0036] Furthermore, if the wireless communication function is turned on, the control unit 11 controls the system so that it does not launch the voting application even if the operation unit 122 receives an input operation to launch the voting application. In this case, the control unit 11 may display a message on the display unit 121 prompting the user to turn off the wireless communication function, for example, "Please turn off Wi-Fi." This type of control can prevent the launch of fraudulent voting applications.

[0037] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control unit 11 assigns a unique file name to the voting data to be recorded on the external recording medium in order to prevent duplicate counting of the voting data. This will be explained in detail using Figure 4.

[0038] Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating how the voting terminal 10 according to the embodiment assigns a file name to the voting data. As an example of how to assign a file name to the voting data, one of the voting data file name patterns A to F shown in Figure 4 is used to assign a file name to the voting data.

[0039] In Pattern A, the control unit 11 assigns a unique file name to the voting data that includes the identifier of the voting terminal 10. Specifically, as shown in Figure 4, the file name in Pattern A consists of the identifier (identification tag) of the voting terminal 10 and an identifier of a predetermined number of characters (for example, four characters "XXXX"). Here, the identifier of a predetermined number of characters is, for example, an identifier that can uniquely identify the election type (election name). The following identifiers of a predetermined number of characters are the same as those described above, so a redundant explanation is omitted. The file name structure of Pattern A prevents duplication of voting data file names between multiple voting terminals.

[0040] In Pattern B, the control unit 11 assigns a unique file name to the voting data that includes the identifier of the voting terminal 10 and a random number generated by the voting terminal 10. The control unit 11 also determines a random number that does not overlap with the random numbers included in the file names of voting data already recorded on the external recording medium, and assigns a unique file name to the voting data that includes the determined random number. Specifically, as shown in Figure 4, the file name in Pattern B consists of the identifier of the voting terminal 10, an identifier of a predetermined number of characters, and a random number that does not overlap. In Pattern B, by including a random number that does not overlap in the file name of the voting data, duplication of voting data file names can be prevented within the voting terminal 10.

[0041] In pattern C, the control unit 11 assigns a unique file name to the voting data that includes the identifier of the voting terminal 10 and information about the date on which the vote is taken. Specifically, as shown in Figure 4, the file name in pattern C consists of the identifier of the voting terminal 10, an identifier of a predetermined number of characters, and the date on which the vote is taken. In pattern C, by including information about the date on which the vote is taken in the file name, it is possible to prevent duplication of file names between voting data on the voting day and voting data for early voting.

[0042] In Pattern D, the control unit 11 assigns a unique file name to the voting data that includes the identifier of the voting terminal 10 and the identifier of the external recording medium on which the voting data is recorded. Specifically, as shown in Figure 4, the file name in Pattern D consists of the identifier of the voting terminal 10, the identifier of the external recording medium on which the voting data is recorded, and an identifier of a predetermined number of characters. The file name structure in Pattern D prevents duplication of voting data file names across multiple voting terminals and allows for the distinction between the original and duplicate voting data.

[0043] In pattern E, the control unit 11 assigns a unique file name to the voting data that includes the identifier of the voting terminal 10, the identifier of the external recording medium on which the voting data is recorded, and a non-repeating random number. Specifically, as shown in Figure 4, the file name in pattern E consists of the identifier of the voting terminal 10, the identifier of the external recording medium on which the voting data is recorded, an identifier of a predetermined number of characters, and a non-repeating random number. The file name structure in pattern E prevents duplication of voting data file names within the voting terminal 10 and allows for the distinction between the original and duplicate voting data.

[0044] In pattern F, the control unit 11 assigns a unique file name to the voting data that includes the identifier of the voting terminal 10, the identifier of the external recording medium on which the voting data is recorded, a non-repeating random number, and information about the date on which the vote is held. Specifically, as shown in Figure 4, the file name in pattern F consists of the identifier of the voting terminal, the identifier of the external recording medium on which the voting data is recorded, an identifier of a predetermined number of characters, a non-repeating random number, and the date on which the vote is held. The file name structure in pattern F prevents duplication between voting data on the election day and voting data from early voting, and also allows for the distinction between the original and copy data of the voting data.

[0045] The tabulation terminal 20 prevents duplicate counting in the tabulation process based on the unique file name assigned to the voting data by the voting terminal 10.

[0046] Furthermore, the method for assigning a unique filename to the voting data is not limited to the methods described in patterns A to F above; other methods that assign a filename that uniquely identifies the voting data file are also acceptable.

[0047] (3) Example of a terminal configuration for data collection Next, an example of the configuration of the aggregation terminal 20 according to the embodiment will be described. Figure 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the aggregation terminal 20 according to the embodiment. As shown in Figure 5, the aggregation terminal 20 comprises a control unit 21, an operation display unit 22, a first interface 23, and a second interface 24. The control unit 21 is connected to the operation display unit 22, the first interface 23, and the second interface 24 via a bus so as to be able to send and receive signals. Note that the configuration of the aggregation terminal 20 is not limited to the components shown in Figure 5, and may further include components other than these components, such as a power supply unit (battery, etc.) not shown.

[0048] When the control unit 21 detects a startup operation for the aggregation application on the operation display unit 22, it executes the aggregation application installed on the aggregation terminal 20 and displays various screens (not shown) of the aggregation application on the operation display unit 12. As shown in Figure 5, the control unit 21 has a CPU 211 and a memory 212.

[0049] The CPU 211 reads the program code for the aggregation application from memory 212 and executes the aggregation application. Note that a GPU or other system may be used instead of the CPU 211, or the CPU 211 and GPU may be used in combination.

[0050] Memory 212 includes, for example, ROM, RAM, and non-volatile storage. ROM is composed of a recording medium such as non-volatile memory and stores program code for the aggregation application executed by CPU 211. ROM also stores, for example, management table T1, the election administrator password described later, the polling station administrator password described later, the operation passcode described later, candidate data and voting data read from an external recording medium. RAM is composed of a storage medium such as volatile memory and temporarily stores information (data) necessary for each process performed by CPU 211. Non-volatile storage is composed of a non-transient recording medium such as an HDD. Non-volatile storage may store various information data stored in ROM, or other information data.

[0051] As shown in Figure 5, the operation display unit 22 has a display unit 221 and an operation unit 222. The display unit 221 displays various screens of the tabulation application to the user (election administrator) of the tabulation terminal 20. The operation unit 222 accepts user input operations. The display unit 221 is composed of a display device such as an LCD or an organic EL display. The operation unit 222 is composed of an operating device such as a touch sensor or a mouse. Note that the display unit 221 and the operation unit 222 may be configured as an integrated touch panel display, for example.

[0052] The first interface 23 is an interface that corresponds to a dongle-type external recording medium and can electrically connect to a dongle-type first external recording medium 31. In this embodiment, the first interface 23 may be, for example, a USB Type-A interface, a USB Type-C interface, or another type of USB interface. The second interface 24 differs from the first interface 23 in that it corresponds to a card-type external recording medium and can electrically connect to a card-type second external recording medium 32. In this embodiment, the second interface 24 may be, for example, a miniSD card interface or a microSD card interface.

[0053] Furthermore, the first interface 23 is not limited to an interface that supports a dongle-type external recording medium, nor is the second interface 24 limited to an interface that supports a card-type external recording medium. For example, the first interface 23 may be an interface that supports a card-type external recording medium, and the second interface 24 may be an interface that supports a dongle-type external recording medium. Also, the first interface 23 and the second interface 24 may be of different types, other than dongle-type and card-type. In this case, it is necessary to provide a first external recording medium 31 and a second external recording medium 32 that correspond to the respective types of the first interface 23 and the second interface 24.

[0054] (4) Operation related to the embodiment (4.1) Procedures for manipulating the vote Next, the procedure for voting operations on the voting terminal 10 will be described. Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating the procedure for voting operations on the voting terminal 10 according to the embodiment. The various screens shown in Figure 6 are vote acceptance screens for receiving voter votes. Note that the operation / display screens of the voting application are not limited to the various screens shown in Figure 6. For example, the voting application may also have display screens for responding to errors that occur during operation, and various password setting (change) screens described later. The voting application may also have various operation display screens (not shown) for polling station administrators. Operation display screens for polling station administrators may include, for example, screens that show the current voting status such as voting not started, voting in progress, voting completed, etc., and screens that confirm the number of votes cast or the number of vote data entries. Furthermore, the voting application may have any screens related to the implementation, operation, and management of voting.

[0055] The voting start screen U1 shown in Figure 6 is the first screen that accepts voter input. At the top of the voting start screen U1, a message M11 is displayed to guide voters to start voting, for example, "Please press the [Start Voting] button." At the bottom of the voting start screen U1, a "Start Voting" button B11 is displayed. When the "Start Voting" button B11 is pressed, the candidate selection screen U2 is displayed.

[0056] At the top of the candidate selection screen U2, a message M21 is displayed to guide the user through selecting a candidate to vote for, for example, "Please select a candidate to vote for." Below message M21, a "Do not vote" button B21 and candidate selection buttons B22 are displayed. If the "Do not vote" button B21 is pressed, the vote completion screen U4, described below, is displayed. If any of the candidate selection buttons B22 are pressed, the vote confirmation screen U3 is displayed.

[0057] At the top of the vote confirmation screen U3, a message M31 is displayed to confirm the candidate you are voting for, for example, "Do you want to vote for this person?". Below message M31, the name of the selected candidate is displayed. Below the name of the selected candidate, a "Re-select" button B31 and a "Vote" button B32 are displayed. When the "Re-select" button B31 is pressed, the display screen returns to the candidate selection screen U2. When the "Vote" button B32 is pressed, the vote completion screen U4 is displayed.

[0058] The voting completion screen U4 displays a message M41 indicating that voting is complete and providing instructions for departure, such as "Your vote is complete. Please proceed to exit." The voting completion screen U4 is displayed for a certain period of time (e.g., 15 seconds), after which it automatically transitions to the operation passcode input screen U5. However, the transition from the voting completion screen U4 to the operation passcode input screen U5 is not limited to automatic transition. The voting completion screen U4 may also transition to the operation passcode input screen U5 through a predetermined operation on that screen, for example.

[0059] On the operational passcode input screen U5, a graphic M51 (including the word "Complete") indicating that voting is complete is displayed. Below graphic M51, a message M52 is displayed to guide the voter to contact an official (voting staff), for example, "Please inform the nearest official." Below message M52, a text box B51 for entering the operational passcode is displayed. When a voting staff member enters the correct operational passcode into text box B51, the display screen transitions to the voting start screen U1, and voting for the next voter begins. If an abnormal stop or other issue occurs during the voting process described above, the display screen automatically transitions to the operational passcode input screen U5.

[0060] Here, the operational passcode is a passcode for election officials and is set during the initial setup of the voting terminal 10 to prevent double voting. The control unit 11 of the voting terminal 10 displays a vote acceptance screen on the display unit 121 to accept voting operations, and after the operation unit 122 accepts the voting operation, it transitions to a screen (operational passcode input screen U5) that accepts input of the operational passcode for election officials. If the operation unit 122 accepts the input of a correct operational passcode as the operational passcode on the operational passcode input screen U5, the control unit 11 displays the voting start screen U1 on the display unit 121. Before accepting voting operations from each voter, election officials can prevent double voting by confirming that there are no duplicate voters and then entering the operational passcode.

[0061] (4.2) Procedures for processing votes Next, the procedure for voting in the voting terminal 10 will be described. Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the procedure for voting in the voting terminal 10 according to this embodiment. The process described below starts when the operation to launch the voting application is performed on the operation display unit 12 of the voting terminal 10.

[0062] First, the control unit 11 starts the voting application in response to the operation display unit 12's operation to start the voting application (step S101). In this process, after the voting application is started, the election administrator performs an operation on the voting application's startup screen to allow access to the external storage medium.

[0063] Next, the control unit 11 grants access to the external recording medium based on the operation performed by the election administrator to grant access to the external recording medium (step S102).

[0064] Next, the control unit 11 determines whether the voting application is in its initial startup state (step S103). Here, the control unit 11 determines whether the voting application is in its initial startup state based, for example, on the startup log of the voting application.

[0065] If, during the process in step S103, it is determined that the voting application is not in its initial startup state (i.e., the result in a NO determination in step S103), the process in step S106, described below, is performed.

[0066] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S103 that the voting application is being started for the first time (a YES determination in step S103), the operation display unit 12 accepts the initial election administrator password entered by the election administrator (step S104). The initial election administrator password is entered when the voting application is first started, and if the correct initial election administrator password is entered, the control unit 11 proceeds to the next step of initializing various passwords. If the entered initial election administrator password is incorrect, it will need to be re-entered.

[0067] Next, the control unit 11 performs initial setup according to the setting operation on the operation display unit 12 by the election administrator (step S105). In this process, the election administrator uses the operation display unit 12 to set a new election administrator password, polling station administrator password, and operation passcode. The election administrator password is a password for the election administrator and grants access rights to all operations related to the electronic voting system 1. The polling station administrator password is a password for the polling station administrator and grants access rights to operations necessary for voting management and operation at each polling station. As mentioned above, the operation passcode is provided to prevent double voting at the voting terminal 10 and is a passcode for election administration personnel, which must be entered before accepting each voter's vote.

[0068] When the correct polling station administrator password is entered as the polling station administrator password, the control unit 11 enables the first operation necessary for the management and operation of each polling station. Furthermore, when the correct election administrator password is entered as the election administrator password, the control unit 11 enables not only the first operation but also the second operation, which includes the registration and modification of candidate data for each candidate in the voting process. By setting up the various passwords described above, the access rights to various voting-related operations held by polling station administrators and election administrators are clearly defined, making voting management easier. In addition, by using multiple passwords entered by different responsible persons, it is possible to prevent fraud such as viewing or tampering with voting data.

[0069] If the NO determination is made in step S103, or after processing in step S105, the operation display unit 12 accepts the election administrator password entered by the election administrator (step S106). This election administrator password is the one set in the initial setup in step S105.

[0070] Next, the control unit 11 electrically connects to the first external recording medium 31 and the second external recording medium 32, which are inserted into the first interface 14 and the second interface 15, respectively (step S107). In this disclosure, when recording voting data, the control unit 11 records the voting data on the first external recording medium 31 and the second external recording medium 32, respectively. The voting data recorded on the first external recording medium 31 is used as the original data. The voting data recorded on the second external recording medium 32 is the duplicate data used as a countermeasure in case of damage to the original data. Alternatively, the voting data recorded on the second external recording medium 32 may be used as the original data, and the voting data recorded on the first external recording medium 31 may be used as the duplicate data.

[0071] Next, the control unit 11 reads the candidate data from the external recording medium in which the candidate data is stored and registers (sets) it in the device's memory 112 (step S108). If the electronic voting system 1 has multiple external recording media, the candidate data may be recorded on these multiple external recording media. In this case, the control unit 11 sets the candidate data recorded on one of the multiple external recording media, in which the candidate data is recorded, into the device after that one external recording media is electrically connected to the device. The multiple external recording media may include the first external recording medium 31 and the second external recording medium 32, or they may be multiple external recording media prepared separately from the first external recording medium 31 and the second external recording medium 32.

[0072] Furthermore, while the initial setup in step S105 described above involves the control unit 11 setting various passwords one by one in accordance with the election administrator's setting operations, and then setting candidate data in step S108, this disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the correct polling station administrator password, the correct election administrator password, the correct operational passcode, and candidate data may all be stored on a single external recording medium. In that case, the control unit 11 reads the correct polling station administrator password, the correct election administrator password, the correct operational passcode, and candidate data from the single external recording medium electrically connected to the voting terminal 10 and sets (registers) them in its own device. Through this operation, the initial setup of various passwords and the registration of candidate data are automatically performed by the control unit 11 in one step, eliminating the need for the election administrator's setting work and reducing the workload of the election administrator.

[0073] The one external recording medium mentioned above is not necessarily a separately prepared external recording medium, but could be, for example, either the first external recording medium 31 or the second external recording medium 32. Furthermore, the process in step S108 is not limited to setting the polling station administrator password, election administrator password, and operation passcode all at once. For example, depending on the actual operation, some of these passwords may be automatically set by the control unit 11, and some may be set by the election administrator's setting operation.

[0074] Next, the operation display unit 12 receives the polling station administrator password entered by the polling station administrator using the operation display unit 12 (step S109). If the entered polling station administrator password is incorrect, re-entry is required.

[0075] Next, the control unit 11 displays the voting start screen U1 shown in Figure 6 on the display unit 121 and starts voting (step S110). In this process, except for the first vote acceptance, the control unit 11 displays the operation passcode input screen U5 shown in Figure 6 on the display unit 121, and when the correct operation passcode is entered, it displays the voting start screen U1.

[0076] Next, the operation display unit 12 receives the voting operations performed by the voter, that is, the various voting operations described in Figure 6 (step S111). In this process, the operation display unit 12 outputs a signal to the control unit 11 indicating the received voting operation.

[0077] Next, the control unit 11 records voting data indicating the content of the voting operation on the first external recording medium 31 and the second external recording medium 32, respectively, based on the signal indicating the voting operation input from the operation display unit 12 (step S112). In this process, the control unit 11 writes the voting data to the first external recording medium 31 as original data and writes the voting data to the second external recording medium 32 as copy data. Since the voting data is aggregated for each election type (election name), the control unit 11 stores and records all voting data corresponding to one election type in a single file. To prevent duplicate counting of voting data, the control unit 11 assigns a unique file name to the voting data as the file name of the voting data, as explained in Figure 4.

[0078] Next, the control unit 11 determines whether or not voting has been completed (step S113). When the polling station manager confirms that all voters who have come to the polling station have completed voting, the manager uses the operation display unit 12 to perform a vote completion operation on the administrator screen (not shown) of the voting application. If the operation display unit 12 receives the vote completion operation from the polling station manager, the control unit 11 determines that voting has been completed, and step S113 becomes a YES determination. On the other hand, if the operation display unit 12 does not receive the vote completion operation from the polling station manager, the control unit 11 determines that voting has not been completed, and step S113 becomes a NO determination.

[0079] In the process of step S113, if the control unit 11 determines that the vote is not complete (in the case of a NO determination in step S113), it returns to the process of step S110 and repeatedly executes the processes of steps S110 to S113.

[0080] On the other hand, in the process of step S113, if the control unit 11 determines that voting is complete (if the result of step S113 is YES), it terminates the voting application (step S114). After the process of step S114, the voting process ends.

[0081] (4.3) Procedure for aggregation processing Next, the procedure for aggregation processing in the aggregation terminal 20 will be described. Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the procedure for aggregation processing in the aggregation terminal 20 according to the embodiment. The process described below starts when the aggregation application is launched on the operation display unit 22 of the aggregation terminal 20.

[0082] First, the control unit 21 of the tabulation terminal 20 starts the tabulation application in response to the operation display unit 22's operation to start the tabulation application (step S201). When the tabulation application is started, the election administrator password input screen (not shown) is displayed. When the correct election administrator password is entered, the candidate data registration screen (not shown) is displayed. Note that when logging into the tabulation application for the first time, the election administrator is required to enter the initial election administrator password on the election administrator password input screen and set a new election administrator password.

[0083] Next, after the external recording medium containing the candidate data is electrically connected to the counting terminal 20, the control unit 21 reads the candidate data from the external recording medium and registers (sets) it in the device's memory 212 (step S202). If the electronic voting system 1 has multiple external recording media on which the same candidate data is recorded, for example, the voting terminal 10 sets the candidate data recorded on one of the multiple external recording media in its device after one of the multiple external recording media is electrically connected to its device. On the other hand, the counting terminal 20 sets the candidate data recorded on another external recording medium in its device after another external recording media, different from the one mentioned above, is electrically connected to its device.

[0084] Next, after the first external recording medium 31 containing the voting data is electrically connected to the counting terminal 20, the control unit 21 reads the voting data from the first external recording medium 31 and displays it on the counting screen (not shown) (step S203). In this process, the election administrator selects the file of voting data to be counted on the counting screen, and the operation display unit 22 receives the selection operation of the target to be counted made by the election administrator on the counting screen and outputs the operation signal to the control unit 21. In this disclosure, the control unit 21 manages the file of voting data that has been counted as a counted file, and if the election administrator selects a counted file on the counting screen, the selection operation is automatically ignored. This operation makes it possible to avoid double counting of the voting data file.

[0085] Next, the control unit 21 extracts the selected voting data for the aggregation target based on the selection operation signal for the aggregation target input from the operation display unit 22 (step S204).

[0086] Next, the control unit 21 performs aggregation on the extracted voting data to be aggregated (step S205).

[0087] Next, the control unit 21 displays the results of the tabulation for the vote data to be tallied on the tabulation screen, outputs a data file of the tabulation results, and records it in the memory 212 (step S206). Here, the destination for saving the data file of the tabulation results is the destination selected by the election administrator. After the processing in step S206, the tabulation process is completed.

[0088] As described above, the electronic voting system 1 according to this embodiment does not require the installation of a dedicated electronic voting machine and uses a general-purpose mobile terminal such as a tablet with the voting application installed as the voting terminal, thus suppressing cost increases. Furthermore, the voting terminal 10 according to this embodiment controls the system so that the voting application is not launched when the wireless communication function is set to ON. In addition, the voting terminal 10 turns off the wireless communication function when the voting application is launched and running, and even if it receives a user operation to turn on the wireless communication function, it does not turn on the wireless communication function. For this reason, the voting terminal 10 according to this embodiment can suppress cost increases in the electronic voting system 1 while suppressing the occurrence of fraud such as viewing or tampering with voting data from outside via wireless communication.

[0089] Furthermore, the electronic voting system 1 according to this embodiment manages a voting terminal 10 in association with a set of external recording media including a first external recording media 31 for recording the original voting data and a second external recording media 32 for recording the duplicate voting data. The voting terminal 10 assigns a unique file name to the voting data so as to include at least one of the following: an identifier for the voting terminal linked to its own serial number, a non-repeating random number, information on the date the vote is taken, and an identifier for the external recording media on which the voting data is recorded. Therefore, the voting terminal 10 according to this embodiment can prevent duplication of voting data file names between voting terminals and within voting terminals, as well as duplication of voting data file names between external recording media. In addition, the voting terminal 10 can distinguish between voting data on the election day and voting data from early voting. Thus, the electronic voting system 1 according to this embodiment can prevent double counting of voting data.

[0090] (5) A modified example of a voting terminal In the above embodiment, an example configuration of a voting terminal 10 that prevents double voting using an operational passcode was described, but this disclosure is not limited thereto. Currently, many mobile terminals such as tablets and smartphones have NFC (Near Field Communication) functionality. In this modification, an example configuration of a voting terminal that prevents double voting using the NFC functionality of the voting terminal instead of an operational passcode will be described.

[0091] Figure 9 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of a modified voting terminal 10a. As can be seen by comparing Figure 9 with Figure 3, the voting terminal 10a has the components described in Figure 3, and further includes an NFC communication unit 16. Here, the redundant explanation of each component that is the same as in Figure 9 and Figure 3 is omitted.

[0092] The NFC communication unit 16 can perform NFC communication, including communication with contactless IC (Integrated Circuit) cards and short-range wireless communication between devices. The NFC communication unit 16 performs NFC communication under the control of the control unit 11.

[0093] In the above embodiment, after the voter completes the voting operation, the display screen of the display unit 121 transitions to the operation passcode input screen U5 (see Figure 6). In contrast, in this modified example, after the voter completes the voting operation, the display screen of the display unit 121 transitions to the NFC communication reception screen U6 shown in Figure 10 instead of the operation passcode input screen U5.

[0094] Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating the procedure for voting operations in the voting terminal 10a according to this modified example. The configuration and operation procedures of screens U1 to U4 shown in Figure 10 are the same as those explained in Figure 6, so redundant explanations are omitted.

[0095] The NFC communication reception screen U6 is a screen that accepts NFC communication from voters after the voting completion screen U4 is displayed. As shown in Figure 10, the NFC communication reception screen U6 displays a message M61 that guides voters to bring their NFC tag close to the screen, for example, "Please bring your NFC tag close to the screen." Below message M61, for example, a wireless communication mark B61 is displayed. If the NFC tag brought close to the display unit 121 does not have information indicating that it has been voted written to it via NFC communication, the voting start screen U1 is displayed.

[0096] In accordance with the operations described in Figure 10, the control unit 11 of the voting terminal 10a controls NFC communication while preventing wireless communication from occurring during the execution of the voting application. The control unit 11 also displays a voting acceptance screen on the display unit 121 to accept voting operations, and after the operation unit 122 accepts the voting operation, it transitions to a screen (NFC communication acceptance screen U6) that accepts NFC communication with the NFC tag used by the voter. Furthermore, if the control unit 11 confirms via NFC communication that information indicating that voting has been completed has not been written to the NFC tag, it displays the voting start screen U1 on the display unit 121 and writes information indicating that voting has been completed to the NFC tag.

[0097] The operation using NFC communication described above prevents double voting and eliminates the need to set and enter an operational passcode, thereby reducing the workload of voting officials.

[0098] In the embodiments and modifications described above, the electronic voting system 1 is configured to include one counting terminal 20, but this disclosure is not limited thereto. The electronic voting system 1 may have multiple counting terminals 20. By using multiple counting terminals 20, the counting process can be performed in parallel, thereby improving the speed of the counting process.

[0099] Furthermore, while the above embodiments and modifications were described on the premise that the voting terminal 10 and the counting terminal 20 themselves have a second interface (slot) into which a card-type second external recording medium 32 can be inserted, this disclosure is not limited thereto. The voting terminal 10 and / or the counting terminal 20 themselves do not have a slot into which a card-type external recording medium can be inserted. In this case, an external interface (slot) is required for the voting terminal 10 and / or the counting terminal 20, and the card-type external recording medium may be connected to the external interface (slot).

[0100] Furthermore, while the above embodiments and modifications describe various processes to prevent double voting and double counting of voting data in the electronic voting system 1, this disclosure is not limited to these. For example, when the voting terminal 10 records voting data on the first external recording medium 31 and the second external recording medium 32, the voting data may be encrypted. Encryption of voting data can reduce the risk of information leakage in the event of loss or theft of the external recording medium.

[0101] (6) Other embodiments The above-described operation flows can be performed not only independently, but also in combination of two or more operation flows. For example, some steps of one operation flow may be added to another operation flow, or some steps of one operation flow may be replaced with some steps of another operation flow. It is not necessary to execute all steps in each flow; only some steps may be executed. Furthermore, the order of steps in each flow may be changed as appropriate.

[0102] A program may be provided that causes a computer to perform each of the processes described above by each of the devices. The program may be recorded on a computer-readable medium. Using a computer-readable medium, it is possible to install the program on a computer. Here, the computer-readable medium on which the program is recorded may be a non-transient recording medium. The non-transient recording medium is not particularly limited, but may be a recording medium such as a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM. Furthermore, the circuits that perform each of the processes described above by each of the devices may be integrated, and at least a part of each of the devices described above may be configured as a semiconductor integrated circuit (chipset, SoC).

[0103] The functions realized by each of the above-described devices may be implemented in a circuit or processing circuitry, including a general-purpose processor, application-specific processor, integrated circuit, ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), CPU (a Central Processing Unit), conventional circuitry, and / or a combination thereof, programmed to realize the described functions. A processor, including transistors and other circuits, is considered a circuit or processing circuitry. A processor may be a programmed processor that executes a program stored in memory. In this specification, circuitry, unit, and means are hardware programmed to realize or perform the described functions. Such hardware may be any hardware disclosed herein, or any hardware known to be programmed to realize or perform the described functions. If such hardware is a processor that is considered a type of circuitry, then such circuitry, means, or unit is a combination of hardware and software used to constitute such hardware and / or processor.

[0104] The terms "based on" and "depending on / in response to" used in this disclosure do not mean "based solely on" or "depending solely on" unless otherwise specified. "Based on" means both "based solely on" and "at least partially on." Similarly, "depending on" means both "at least partially on" and "at least partially on." The terms "include," "comprise," and their variations do not mean to include only the listed items, but may include only the listed items or may include additional items in addition to the listed items. Furthermore, the term "or" used in this disclosure is not intended to mean exclusive OR. Additionally, any reference to elements using designations such as "first," "second," etc., used in this disclosure does not generally limit the quantity or order of those elements. These designations may be used herein as a convenient way to distinguish between two or more elements. Therefore, references to the first and second elements do not imply that only two elements may be adopted therein, or that the first element must precede the second element in any way. In this disclosure, where articles are added by translation, such as a, an, and the in English, these articles shall be plural unless it is clearly indicated by the context that they are not.

[0105] Although the embodiments have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to those described above, and various design changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention.

[0106] (7) Note The features of the above-described embodiment are noted below.

[0107] • Note 1 A terminal device that can be used as a voting terminal in an electronic voting system, A control unit that runs the voting application, The system comprises a wireless communication unit that performs wireless communication under the control of the control unit, The control unit controls the wireless communication to not occur while the voting application is running. Terminal device.

[0108] • Appendix 2 The wireless communication unit includes at least one of the following: a wireless LAN communication unit that performs wireless LAN communication as the wireless communication, and a cellular communication unit that performs cellular communication as the wireless communication. The terminal device described in Appendix 1.

[0109] • Appendix 3 The control unit, when the voting application is started, turns off the wireless communication function if it is turned on. The terminal device described in Appendix 1 or 2.

[0110] • Appendix 4 The control unit sets a mode in which the wireless communication function is turned off while the voting application is running. A terminal device as described in any of the appendices 1 to 3.

[0111] • Appendix 5 It further includes an operating section that accepts user input, The control unit, while the voting application is running, receives an input operation to turn on the wireless communication function, but controls the system so as not to turn on the wireless communication function. A terminal device as described in any of the appendices 1 to 4.

[0112] • Appendix 6 The control unit controls the voting application not to start when the wireless communication function is turned on. A terminal device as described in any of the appendices 1 to 5.

[0113] • Appendix 7 It further includes an operating section that accepts user input, When the wireless communication function is turned on, the control unit controls the system so as not to launch the voting application even when it receives the input operation to launch the voting application. The terminal device described in Appendix 6.

[0114] • Appendix 8 A first interface to which the first external recording medium is electrically connected, The system further comprises a second interface to which a second external recording medium of a different type from the first external recording medium is electrically connected, The control unit writes the voting data obtained by the voting operation using the voting application to the first external recording medium as original data, and writes the voting data to the second external recording medium as copy data. The terminal device described in Appendix 1.

[0115] • Appendix 9 Display unit and It further includes an operating unit that accepts user input, The control unit, The display unit will show a voting acceptance screen for accepting voting operations, and after the operation unit has accepted the voting operation, it will transition to a screen for accepting input of an operational passcode for voting staff. When the operation unit receives input of a correct operation passcode, the voting acceptance screen is displayed on the display unit. The terminal device described in Appendix 1.

[0116] • Appendix 10 Display unit and The system further comprises an NFC communication unit that performs NFC communication under the control of the control unit, The control unit, The display unit displays a voting acceptance screen for accepting voting operations, and after the operation unit accepts the voting operation, it transitions to a screen that accepts NFC communication with the NFC tag used by the voter. If the NFC communication confirms that information indicating a vote has been cast has not been written to the NFC tag, the vote acceptance screen is displayed on the display unit, and information indicating a vote has been cast is written to the NFC tag. The terminal device described in Appendix 1.

[0117] • Appendix 11 The control unit controls the NFC communication to occur while preventing the wireless communication from occurring during the execution of the voting application. The terminal device described in Appendix 10.

[0118] • Appendix 12 It further includes an operating section that accepts user input, The control unit, If the correct polling station administrator password is entered for the polling station administrator, the first operation necessary for the management and operation of each polling station will be enabled. If the correct election administrator password is entered for the election administrator, not only the first operation described above, but also the second operation, which includes registering and modifying candidate data for each candidate in the voting process, will be possible. The terminal device described in Appendix 1.

[0119] • Note 13 The system further comprises an interface to which an external recording medium containing the correct polling station administrator password, the correct election administrator password, and the candidate data is electrically connected. The control unit reads the correct polling station administrator password, the correct election administrator password, and the candidate data from the external recording medium and sets them in its own device. The terminal device described in Appendix 12.

[0120] • Appendix 14 A terminal device that can be used as a voting terminal in an electronic voting system, Steps for performing wireless communication, Steps to run the voting application, The steps include: causing the system to control the system so that wireless communication does not occur while the voting application is running; and causing the system to perform the following steps. program. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0121] 1: Electronic voting system 10: Voting terminal 10a: Voting terminal 11: Control Unit 12: Operation display section 121: Display section 122:Operation unit 13: Wireless Communication Department 14: First Interface 15: Second Interface 16: NFC Communication Department 20: Data aggregation terminal 21: Control Unit 22: Operation display section 221:Display section 222:Operation unit 23: First Interface 24: Second Interface 31: First external recording medium 32: Second external recording medium

Claims

1. A terminal device that can be used as a voting terminal in an electronic voting system, A control unit that runs the voting application, The system comprises a wireless communication unit that performs wireless communication under the control of the control unit, The control unit controls the wireless communication to not occur while the voting application is running. Terminal device.

2. The wireless communication unit includes at least one of the following: a wireless LAN communication unit that performs wireless LAN communication as the wireless communication, and a cellular communication unit that performs cellular communication as the wireless communication. The terminal device according to claim 1.

3. The control unit, when the voting application is started, turns off the wireless communication function if it is turned on. The terminal device according to claim 1.

4. The control unit sets a mode in which the wireless communication function is turned off while the voting application is running. The terminal device according to claim 1.

5. It further includes an operating section that accepts user input, The control unit, while the voting application is running, receives an input operation to turn on the wireless communication function, but controls the system so as not to turn on the wireless communication function. The terminal device according to claim 1.

6. The control unit controls the voting application not to start when the wireless communication function is turned on. The terminal device according to claim 1.

7. It further includes an operating section that accepts user input, When the wireless communication function is turned on, the control unit controls the system so as not to launch the voting application even when it receives the input operation to launch the voting application. The terminal device according to claim 6.

8. A first interface to which the first external recording medium is electrically connected, The system further comprises a second interface to which a second external recording medium of a different type from the first external recording medium is electrically connected, The control unit writes the voting data obtained by the voting operation using the voting application to the first external recording medium as original data, and writes the voting data to the second external recording medium as copy data. The terminal device according to claim 1.

9. Display unit and It further includes an operating unit that accepts user input, The control unit, The display unit will show a voting acceptance screen for accepting voting operations, and after the operation unit has accepted the voting operation, it will transition to a screen for accepting input of an operational passcode for voting staff. When the operation unit receives input of a correct operation passcode, the voting acceptance screen is displayed on the display unit. The terminal device according to claim 1.

10. Display unit and The system further comprises an NFC communication unit that performs NFC communication under the control of the control unit, The control unit, The display unit displays a voting acceptance screen for accepting voting operations, and after the operation unit accepts the voting operation, it transitions to a screen that accepts NFC communication with the NFC tag used by the voter. If the NFC communication confirms that information indicating a vote has been cast has not been written to the NFC tag, the vote acceptance screen is displayed on the display unit, and information indicating a vote has been cast is written to the NFC tag. The terminal device according to claim 1.

11. The control unit controls the NFC communication while preventing the wireless communication from occurring during the execution of the voting application. The terminal device according to claim 10.

12. It further includes an operating section that accepts user input, The control unit, If the correct polling station administrator password is entered for the polling station administrator, the first operation necessary for the management and operation of each polling station will be enabled. If the correct election administrator password is entered for the election administrator, not only the first operation described above, but also the second operation, which includes registering and modifying candidate data for each candidate in the voting process, will be possible. The terminal device according to claim 1.

13. The system further comprises an interface to which an external recording medium containing the correct polling station administrator password, the correct election administrator password, and the candidate data is electrically connected. The control unit reads the correct polling station administrator password, the correct election administrator password, and the candidate data from the external recording medium and sets them in its own device. The terminal device according to claim 12.

14. A terminal device that can be used as a voting terminal in an electronic voting system, Steps for performing wireless communication, Steps to run the voting application, The steps include: causing the system to control the system so that wireless communication does not occur while the voting application is running; and causing the system to perform the following steps. program.

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