Patent ID: 7163147

Claim:
A ballot marking apparatus adapted to automatically mark a user-readable pre-printed ballot having a front side and a reverse side and containing a plurality of races on the front and reverse sides, in accordance with selections made by a voter, each of the races having a plurality of candidates and each candidate having an associated space to be marked, said apparatus comprising: a housing; a user input device on said housing for voter selection of candidates; a slot in said housing for receiving the pre-printed ballot from a voter; means for determining the style of ballot and thereby at least one marking position on each side of said ballot; a first marking head positioned along a path to print on the front side of said ballot; a second marking head positioned along said path to print on the reverse of said ballot; means defining a paper path within said housing for receiving said ballot as said ballot passes through said slot and conveying said ballot past said first and second marking heads, said heads marking said front and reverse sides of said ballot, respectively, in accordance with the space associated with selections made by the voter.