Conductive Voting Circuitry for Secure Electronic Ballots
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic voting systems are vulnerable to malicious attacks and lack public trust due to complex infrastructure requirements and concerns about vote modification, necessitating an improved method for secure and efficient voting.
Innovation Solution
A substrate-based apparatus with deposited communication and ballot circuitry, comprising voting circuitry elements that change conductivity upon voter interaction, allowing for secure and efficient electronic voting while resembling traditional paper ballots, enabling easy use and trust in the voting process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If complex infrastructure such as voting terminals or smartcard readers is used for electronic voting, then voting speed and counting efficiency are improved, but system vulnerability to malicious attacks and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential voting function from complex electronic terminals and isolates it into a simple conductive element that can be integrated into a minimal infrastructure. The voting act is reduced to changing the conductive state of a simple element, removing unnecessary complexity while preserving the core voting functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs simple, inexpensive conductive elements that can be easily manufactured and deployed. These elements serve their voting purpose and can be discarded or reset, eliminating the need for expensive, complex terminals that require maintenance and security updates.
2Productivity
If complex electronic systems are used for voting, then voting efficiency is improved, but reliability and public trust decrease due to vulnerability to malicious attacks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex electronic systems with a simpler system based on fundamental conductive properties. The voting mechanism relies on basic electrical conductivity changes rather than complex electronic processing, reducing attack vectors while maintaining efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter used for voting from complex electronic data processing to simple conductive state changes. This parameter change makes the system inherently more secure as it relies on physical properties that are difficult to manipulate remotely or through software attacks.
3Device complexity
If paper ballot sheets are used for voting, then system simplicity and public trust are maintained, but counting speed and productivity decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces conductive elements as an intermediary between the simplicity of paper ballots and the efficiency of electronic counting. These elements can be manually marked like paper ballots but can also be electronically detected and counted, serving as a bridge between the two approaches.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The apparatus provides a secure, efficient, and cost-effective means of electronic voting that combines the benefits of electronic and paper voting systems, ensuring irreversible vote recording and minimizing infrastructure overhead, while allowing for efficient counting and verification.
Implementation Method 1
each voting circuitry element being responsive to a voting operation to change a conductive state of that voting circuitry element
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the present disclosure relate to an apparatus comprising: a substrate; communication circuitry deposited on said substrate; and ballot circuitry deposited on said substrate. The ballot circuitry comprises: a plurality of voting circuitry elements, each voting circuitry element being responsive to a voting operation to change a conductive state of that voting circuitry element; and logic circuitry communicatively coupled with each of the plurality of voting circuitry elements and with the communication circuitry. The logic circuitry is configured to: detect the conductive state of each of the plurality of voting circuitry elements; and transmit, via the communication circuitry and based on the conductive state of each of the plurality of voting circuitry elements, a voting result.