Patent Publication Number: US-7581677-B2

Title: Vote by mail envelope that protects privacy of voter&#39;s signature

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention disclosed herein relates generally to voting systems, and more particularly to a method and system for protecting privacy of signatures on ballots sent through the mail. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   In democratic countries, governmental officials are chosen by the citizens in an election. Conducting an election and voting for candidates for public office in the United States can be performed in several different ways. One such way utilizes mechanical voting machines at predetermined polling places. When potential voters enter the predetermined polling place, voting personnel verify that each voter is properly registered in that voting district and that they have not already voted in that election. Thus, for a voter to cast his vote, he must go to the polling place at which he is registered, based on the voter&#39;s residence. Another method for conducting an election and voting utilizes paper ballots that are mailed to the voter. The voter marks the ballot and returns the ballot through the mail. Mailed ballots have been historically reserved for absentee voting. In the usual absentee voting process, the voter marks the ballot to cast his/her vote and then inserts the ballot in a return envelope which is typically pre-addressed to the voter registrar office in the corresponding county, town or locality in which the voter is registered. The voter typically appends his/her signature on the back of the envelope adjacent to his/her human or machine readable identification. 
   When the return envelope is received at the registrar&#39;s office, a voting official compares the voter signature on the envelope with the voter signature retrieved from the registration file to make a determination as to whether or not the identification information and signature are authentic and valid, and therefore the vote included in the envelope should be counted. If the identification information and signature are deemed to be authentic and valid, the identifying information and signature are separated from the sealed ballot before it is handed to the ballot counters for tabulation. In this manner, the privacy of the voter&#39;s selections is maintained and thus the ballot remains a “secret ballot.” 
   One general problem with vote by mail envelopes is the signature is in the open and exposed for all to see throughout the process for determining whether or not the vote is authentic. This leads to potential privacy issues and concerns, e.g., fraudulent usage of a voter&#39;s signature. Some jurisdictions have required that such signatures be hidden from plain sight while the envelope is en route from the voter to the registrar&#39;s office. This will protect against easy imaging of the signature, such as, for example, with a hand scanner or digital camera, for later impersonation or other fraudulent purposes, e.g., identity theft. To comply with such requirements, envelopes have been proposed that hide the signature with a flap which is removed when the envelope is received at the registrar&#39;s office. These solutions, however, require some mechanical manipulation of the envelopes, which is both expensive and increases the risk of accidental tears of the envelope, potentially leading to damage to the ballots contained in the envelopes, exposing the marked ballot before the conclusion of the authentication process (which in some states require the ballot to be counted, regardless of the outcome of the authentication process), or leading to the ability to link the voter with his/her ballot, thereby removing the secret ballot. 
   Voting by mail is becoming more prevalent, apart from the usual absentee voting, and in some jurisdictions, entire elections are being conducted exclusively by mail. As voting by mail becomes more prevalent, the privacy concerns discussed above are also more prevalent. Thus, there exists a need for efficient methods and systems that can protect the privacy of signatures on ballots sent through the mail while also reducing the risk of damage to the ballots when the signatures are revealed. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention alleviates the problems associated with the prior art and provides methods and systems that protect the privacy of signatures for ballots sent through the mail while also reducing the risk of damage to the ballots when the signatures are revealed. 
   In accordance with the present invention, the envelope for returning ballots by mail includes a signature area. The signature area is preferably formed of a material that is reflective to one or more specific ranges of wavelengths of light. The flap of the envelope includes a window such that when the flap is in a closed position, the window aligns with the signature area. The window is formed of a filtering material that limits the average light transmission within the visible light spectrum, except for one or more predetermined band(s), and therefore will appear opaque under normal lighting conditions, i.e., white light. When the filter is illuminated substantially by light with wavelengths in the predetermined band(s), the window will transmit the light and therefore will appear transparent. 
   The flap of the envelope is then sealed, thereby covering the voter&#39;s signature in the signature area with the window of the envelope flap. Since the window appears opaque under normal lighting conditions, the voter&#39;s signature will be concealed by the window and thus will not be visible. Upon receipt at the registrar&#39;s office (or other official vote tallying location), light having a wavelength within the predetermined band(s) can be directed onto the window, thereby rendering the window transparent. The light will be absorbed (or alternatively reflected) where the signature was imprinted on the signature area and reflected (or alternatively absorbed) elsewhere, resulting in the voter&#39;s signature being visible through the window of the envelope flap. The voter&#39;s signature can then be read for comparison with official records to perform the required signature verification to determine validity and authenticity of the ballot. Thus, while the envelope is en route from the voter to the registrar&#39;s office, the voter&#39;s signature will be concealed from plain view. Viewing of the signature does not require any mechanical manipulation of the envelope or flaps on the envelope, thereby reducing the risk of causing damage to the ballot contained therein. After positive verification of the voter&#39;s signature, the ballot can be separated from the envelope and provided to the ballot counters for tabulation. 
   Therefore, it should now be apparent that the invention substantially achieves all the above aspects and advantages. Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description that follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Moreover, the aspects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. 

   
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The accompanying drawings illustrate presently preferred embodiments of the invention, and together with the general description given above and the detailed description given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention. As shown throughout the drawings, like reference numerals designate like or corresponding parts. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an envelope, according to an embodiment of the present invention, for returning ballots by mail in an open position; 
       FIG. 2  illustrates the envelope of  FIG. 1  in a closed position; 
       FIG. 3  illustrates the transmission rate of two exemplary windows that can be utilized in the present invention; 
       FIG. 4  illustrates absorption rates of a representative sample of inks along with an exemplary optical band for transmission; 
       FIG. 5  illustrates absorption rates of a representative sample of inks along with two exemplary optical bands for transmission; 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a cross-sectional view along line A-A′ of  FIG. 2  when illuminated by white light; 
       FIG. 7  illustrates a cross-sectional view along line A-A′ of  FIG. 2  when illuminated by light within the optical band for transmission; 
       FIG. 8  illustrates in block diagram form a system for viewing the signature according to an embodiment of the present invention; and 
       FIG. 9  illustrates in flow diagram form the preparation and processing of an envelope for mailing a ballot according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
   In describing the present invention, reference is made to the drawings, wherein there is seen in  FIG. 1  an envelope  10  for returning ballots by mail according to an embodiment of the present invention in an open position. While the present description is directed to an envelope for returning ballots by mail, it should be understood that the invention is not so limited and the envelope  10  could be used to hold any type of communication or material. Envelope  10  includes a body portion  12  and a flap portion  14  connected to the body portion  12 . When the flap portion  14  is in an open position as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , contents, such as, for example, a ballot, can be inserted into a pocket  18  formed by the body portion  12 . The flap portion  14  can then be moved to a closed position (as illustrated in  FIG. 2 ), and sealed utilizing a glue or sealing strip  16  which when activated will adhere the flap portion  14  to the body portion  12 , thereby covering the pocket  18  and preventing the contents therein from falling out. 
   The body portion  12  is provided with a signature area  20  intended for the voter&#39;s signature. Signature area  20  is preferably formed from a reflective material or is enhanced, such as with a chemical or paper coating, in a manner which optimizes the reflectivity. The signature area  20  may be a separate material provided on a label or the like that is applied to the body portion  12 , or alternatively may be formed from a material deposited directly to the body portion  12  using a suitable process, such as, for example, ink jet printing or the like. For example, the signature area could be formed of standard optical brightener dyes deposited on the body portion  12  of the envelope  10 . The use of a reflective material for the signature area  20  will aid in the reading of a signature as described below. It should be noted, however, that no additional reflective material is required for the signature area  20  if the body portion  12  of the envelope  10  is sufficiently reflective. 
   An area  22  for information that identifies the voter may also be provided adjacent to the signature area  20 . Such information can include, for example, the voter&#39;s name and address, and is preferably provided in some machine readable form such as a barcode. The identification information is preferably printed using an ink that is absorptive of light, such as for example a blue or black ink, or alternatively on an adhesive label that the voter applies to the body portion  12  adjacent to the signature area  20  in the identification area  22 . Alternatively, the voter identification information could be printed on the flap portion  14  or elsewhere on the body portion  12  such that it can be viewed when the flap portion  14  is in the closed position as illustrated in  FIG. 2 . 
   The flap portion includes a window  26  that corresponds with the signature area  20  and identification area  22  of the body portion  12  when the flap portion  14  is in the closed position. Strip  16  preferably extends along the sides of flap portion  14 , thereby preventing access to the signature area  20  and identification area  22  through the side of the flap portion  14 . The window  26  is formed from any suitable material, such as, for example, a polymeric film that is impregnated with one or more dyes that limits the average transmission of light in the human visible spectrum, i.e., approximately 400 to 700 nm, such that the window  26  appears opaque when illuminated by white light. White light includes all light that is a mixture of wavelengths of various colors and is perceived as colorless, such as, for example and without limitation, sunlight, fluorescent light, halogen light, incandescent light and the like. The transmission of light through the window  26  is not limited in one or more predetermined bands of visible light that are significantly smaller than the full spectrum of visible light.  FIG. 3  illustrates the transmission rates  32 ,  34  of two exemplary windows  26  that can be utilized in envelope  10 . As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , a first exemplary window  26  has a transmission rate identified by curve  32  and a second exemplary window  26  has a transmission rate identified by curve  34 . The average light transmission across the visible spectrum for curve  32  is approximately 12%, while the average light transmission across the visible spectrum for curve  34  is approximately 9%. The average light transmission across the visible spectrum is obtained by adding the amount of light transmitted at each individual wavelength across the visible spectrum, e.g., 400 to 700 nm, and dividing by the total number of wavelengths sampled, e.g., 301. 
   As further shown in  FIG. 3 , the exemplary windows  26  represented by both curves  32 ,  34  transmit very little to no light in the wavelength band between approximately 480 nm to 640 nm, transmit some light in the wavelength band between 400 and 480, and allow increasing transmission above 640 nm to more than 60% transmission at approximately 680 nm. Because the average transmission rates are relatively low (both less than approximately 12%), a window  26  having either of the transmission curves  32 ,  34  will appear opaque under normal lighting conditions, e.g., white light, as the amount of light absorbed or reflected in the visible spectrum is far greater than the amount of light being transmitted. However, when illuminated by light having wavelengths of between approximately 640 and 700 nm, a window  26  having either of the transmission curves  32 ,  34  will have a transmission rate within that band of wavelengths such that the window  26  will appear at least partially transparent. An average transmission of less than approximately 19% is sufficient to provide the necessary opacity for the window  26 , but preferably the average transmission rate across the visible spectrum is less than approximately 12%. 
   The selected wavelength band(s) in which the window  26  transmits light is based on the absorption properties of the ink colors that would be expected to be used by a typical voter when signing in the signature area  20 , thereby providing sufficient contrast between the signature and background for the signature to be read. For example, if the predetermined band encompasses wavelengths in which inks expected to be used are reflective, the signature will not be able to be read even when illuminated by light within the predetermined band. While the light will pass through the window  26 , it will be reflected by both the signature and background, thereby providing insufficient contrast between them. If, however the band(s) selected were too large, the window  26  may not appear opaque in white light, but may instead appear translucent. It is therefore desirable to select a band of wavelengths that is not too large but still is sufficiently absorbed by typical inks that would be expected to be used when providing a signature. Most inks are absorptive in a rather wide range of wavelengths.  FIG. 4  illustrates absorption rates of a representative sample of inks, and more specifically a black ballpoint pen  40 , a black marker  42 , a blue ballpoint pen  44  and a blue marker  46 , that would typically be used for signing the envelope  10  in the signature area  20 , as well as white paper  38 . As can be seen from  FIG. 4 , the white paper  38 , being reflective, absorbs very little of light of any wavelength. The other inks shown in  FIG. 4  have varying absorbance levels depending upon the wavelength of light. The selection of the wavelength band must be large enough such that the absorption rate is above a certain threshold for all of the typical inks (for example, 0.6 in  FIG. 4 ) within the band, but still narrow enough such that under white light the window  26  will appear as opaque. One such suitable band, as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , is from approximately 620 to 680 nm. Thus for example, a window  26  having either transmission rate  32 ,  34  as illustrated in  FIG. 3  will provide suitable filtering properties such that the window  26  will appear opaque under normal lighting conditions, e.g., white light. When illuminated with light in the band of approximately 620 to 680 nm, the window  26  will appear at least partially transparent. The light in the band will be absorbed by most of the ink colors that would typically be used for providing a signature (as shown in  FIG. 4 ), thereby providing sufficient contrast such that the signature could be read through the window. 
   Other suitable bands could also be selected for the window  26 , provided the selection criteria as described above is satisfied. For example, it may be desirable to allow the voter to sign using a red ink as well as a blue or black ink.  FIG. 5  is similar to  FIG. 4 , but also includes the absorption of a red marker  48  and a red pen  50 . In this situation, two different bands can be selected, such as, for example, a first band of wavelengths of approximately 620 to 680 nm for the blue and black inks, and a second band of wavelengths of approximately 300 to 380 nm for the red inks. Of course, the transmission rate of the window  26  would also have to be suitable for those bands. 
   Referring again to  FIG. 2 , when the flap portion  14  is folded over the body portion  12 , the window  26  covers the signature area  20  (and possibly the identification area  22 ) on the body portion  12  of the envelope  10 . Because of the filtering properties of the window  26 , when the window  26  is illuminated by white light, a substantial portion, outside of the predetermined band, of the light will be reflected and/or absorbed and the window  26  will appear as opaque. When the window  26  is illuminated by light within the predetermined band or bands, it will pass the light through and appear at least partially transparent. The signature in the signature area  20  can then be read as described further below. 
     FIG. 6  illustrates a cross-sectional view along line A-A′ in  FIG. 2  of the signature area  20  when illuminated by white light. As shown in  FIG. 6 , the window  26  of flap  14  covers the signature area  20  in which the voter has deposited ink (designated  44 ) when signing his or her signature. As can be seen in  FIG. 6 , when white light strikes the window  26 , the window  26  will transmit only that portion of the white light in the predetermined band (designated by the dotted lines in  FIG. 50 , while reflecting or absorbing a substantial portion of the white light (indicated by the solid lines in  FIG. 6 ). Because of the significant amount of light either reflected or absorbed by the window  26 , the window  26  will appear as opaque. Thus, the signature area  20  beneath the window  26  (and the identification area  22  if provided adjacent to the signature area  20 ) will not be visible and can not be read.  FIG. 7  illustrates the cross-sectional view of the signature area  20  illustrated in  FIG. 6  when illuminated by light having wavelengths W i  that are within the predetermined band that the window  26  will transmit. As can be seen in  FIG. 7 , light having wavelength W i  is passed through the window  26  where it will strike either the signature area  20  and the areas  44  where the ink deposited by the voter is located. The signature area  20 , being reflective of light having wavelength W i , will reflect the light back up through the window  26 . The areas  44 , having the ink that is absorptive of light having wavelength W i , will absorb the light and not reflect it. The areas  44  where the light is absorbed will appear as dark areas, thereby forming an image in the signature area  20  of the signature. The signature can then be read. Similarly, if the identification area  22  is provided adjacent to the signature area  20 , the light will be absorbed by the ink used to print the information and reflected elsewhere, thereby forming an image of the identification information that can be read. When the light having wavelength W i  is removed from the signature area  20 , the window  26  will again appear as opaque as described above with respect to  FIG. 6 , and the signature (and identification information) will no longer be able to be read. 
     FIG. 8  illustrates in block diagram form an automated system  60  for viewing the signature concealed using the envelope  10  illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2  according to an embodiment of the present invention. System  60  includes a control unit  62 , such as, for example, a general or special purpose microprocessor or the like, that controls operation of the system  60 . Control unit  62  is connected to a database  74 , which is used to store voter information, including, for example, name, address, and a reference signature for use in verifying ballots received by mail as described below. A transport  64 , such as, for example, rollers and/or belts, is used to transport a series of envelopes  10  (only one shown in  FIG. 7 ) through the system  60 . A light source  66  (or multiple sources if necessary for multiple bands) is located adjacent to the transport to illuminate envelope  10  with light having predetermined wavelengths W i  that are within the predetermined band(s) that window  26  will pass. A reading device  68 , such as, for example, a scanner, camera, or the like is positioned adjacent to the light source  64  such that images of the envelopes  10  can be read while illuminated by the light source  66 . Optionally, the light source  66  and reading device  68  can be located in some type of enclosure to limit the amount of outside light (white light) that will illuminate the envelope  10  during the reading process. Alternatively, the reading device  68  could utilize a lens that will capture only light having the wavelengths W i , thereby removing any interference from outside white light. A diverter  76  is located downstream from the reading device  68  and is coupled to the control unit  62 . Based on command signals from the control unit  62 , the diverter  76  will divert each envelope to a reject path  78  or an accept ballot path  80  as described below. 
     FIG. 9  illustrates in flow diagram form the preparation and processing of an envelope  10  for mailing a ballot. In step  100 , a voter completes a ballot and inserts it into the pocket  18  of envelope  10 . In step  102 , the voter signs the envelope  10  in the signature area  20 . Optionally, the envelope  10  could include instructions to the voter to sign using only a specified ink color, such as, for example, blue or black, to ensure that the ink used will be sufficiently absorptive within the passing band selected for window  26 . In step  104 , the voter seals the flap portion  14  to the body portion  12  of the envelope  10 , thereby covering the signature area  20  with the window  26 , and mails the envelope  10  to the registrar&#39;s office. The window  26  will conceal the voter&#39;s signature in the signature area  20  under normal, e.g., white light, illumination, as described above with respect to  FIG. 6 . Thus, the privacy of the voter&#39;s signature is maintained during transit of the envelope  10  from the voter to the registrar&#39;s office. 
   Upon receipt of the envelope  10  at the registrar&#39;s office, the envelope  10  can be processed using the system as illustrated in  FIG. 8 . In step  106 , the envelope  10  is transported by the transport  64  and illuminated by the light source  66  with light having the predetermined wavelengths W i  that are within the predetermined band(s) that window  26  will transmit. Illumination by light having the wavelength(s) W i  will result in the voter&#39;s signature being revealed as described above with respect to  FIG. 7 . The reading device  68  can then read the voter&#39;s signature in signature area  20  and the identification information from identification area  22  (regardless of where the identification information is printed on the envelope  10 ) from the envelope  10 . In step  108 , the control unit  62  can retrieve the reference signature from the database  74  (based on the identification information included on the envelope  10  for the voter) and compare the reference signature to the signature read from signature area  20  of envelope  10 . In step  110 , it is determined if the reference signature retrieved from the database  74  corresponds to the signature read from signature area  20  of envelope  10 . This can be performed by the control unit  62  or, alternatively, the control unit can display the reference signature and the signature read from the signature area  20  on a display device for an operator to make a visual comparison. If the signatures do not correspond, then in step  112  the ballot is rejected as not being verified and the envelope  10  is diverted by the diverter  76  to the reject path  78 . Envelopes diverted to the reject path may be subject to some type of additional inspection to make a final determination if the vote should be counted or not. If in step  110  it is determined that the signatures do correspond, then in step  114  the ballot is deemed to be authentic and verified and the envelope  10  is diverted by the diverter  76  to the accept ballot path  80 , in which the ballot will be given to ballot counters for tabulation. Preferably, the ballot is removed from the envelope  10  before being given to the ballot counters thereby maintaining a “secret ballot.” 
   It should be noted that the location and orientation of the window need not be as shown and the window can be located and oriented in any position on the envelope. For example, the window could be located along the bottom edge of the envelope, or oriented vertically along a side edge of the envelope. 
   Thus, according to the present invention, methods and systems that protect the privacy of signatures on ballots sent through the mail are provided. Those skilled in the art will also recognize that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. While preferred embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated above, it should be understood that these are exemplary of the invention and are not to be considered as limiting. Additions, deletions, substitutions, and other modifications can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be considered as limited by the foregoing description but is only limited by the scope of the appended claims.