Continuous Polling Ballots for Snapshot-Based Vote Aggregation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing consensus polling mechanisms require voters to re-vote if a poll is conducted again at a later time, limiting the continuity of voting and potentially affecting the accuracy of aggregated results.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for continuous polling that verifies user accounts, grants access to a poll-specific ballot, allows selection of options, tallies active ballots at intervals, and stores aggregated snapshots, enabling ongoing voting without repeated voting by individual users.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a poll is conducted again at a later point in time, then new voting results can be obtained, but voters would need to vote again which increases time consumption and reduces voting continuity
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by establishing continuous polling mechanisms that maintain voter registrations and ballot configurations across multiple polling instances. Voter accounts, eligibility status, and ballot structures are pre-established and persisted, so when a poll is conducted again, voters can immediately participate without re-registration or reconfiguration, eliminating the time loss while maintaining accurate aggregated results across polling instances.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuity of useful action by maintaining active voter accounts and ballot configurations across multiple polling instances. Rather than closing polls and requiring complete re-voting, the system keeps polling mechanisms continuously active or readily re-openable, allowing voters to participate in successive polls without interruption or repeated setup, thus resolving the contradiction between obtaining new results and avoiding time-consuming re-voting.
2Device complexity
If polls are open for a limited period of time, then voting management is simplified, but voting continuity and accuracy of aggregated results are affected
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies dynamics by implementing flexible, configurable poll duration settings that can adapt to different polling scenarios. Polls can be set to open for limited periods when simplicity is needed, or configured for continuous operation when voting continuity is prioritized. The system dynamically adjusts between these modes based on configuration, allowing poll management complexity and voting continuity to be optimized according to specific needs without rigid constraints.
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes parameter changes by allowing the poll duration parameter to be variable rather than fixed. Administrators can configure polls with different time limits or continuous operation settings, and the system adapts its behavior based on these parameter values. This enables the same polling infrastructure to support both limited-period polls (simpler management) and continuous polls (better continuity) by changing the duration parameter, thus resolving the contradiction between management simplicity and voting continuity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If voters must re-vote in later polls, then each poll instance is independent, but aggregated results accuracy decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements universality by creating a multi-functional polling framework that simultaneously supports independent poll instances and aggregated result calculation. The same voter account and ballot configuration infrastructure serves multiple poll instances, allowing each poll to function independently with its own questions and timing, while the underlying system aggregates results across all instances. This universal infrastructure enables both poll independence and accurate aggregation without requiring voters to re-vote, resolving the contradiction between these two requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for continuous polling of networked users. An account associated with a user device is verified to determine whether the account has access to a poll. On a condition that the account is verified, the account is granted access to a ballot, wherein the ballot is a copy of the poll specific to the account. A selection of one or more options in the ballot is received from the user device. The results of all active ballots are tallied at intervals into an aggregated ballot, wherein an active ballot is a most recently submitted ballot of each verified voter. The aggregated ballot is stored as a snapshot.