Patent ID: 7337964

Claim:
A voting apparatus, comprising: a computing unit; an election box unit, comprising an input board adapted to receive a ballot; an electronic probe adapted to create an ink mark of a vote on said ballot and simultaneously cause said input board to electrically indicate said vote to said computing unit for vote tabulation; wherein said electronic probe further comprises: an ink ejection coil unit; an electrical means for transmitting an electrical signal to said election box unit when said probe is inserted into an input point on said input board; wherein said ink ejection coil unit further comprises: a spring-loaded head; a contact; an electro-magnet; and an ink cartridge magnetically held in place by said electro-magnet, whereby when said electronic probe is depressed into a valid input point on said input board, said electro-magnet releases its magnetic hold on said ink cartridge to release ink in said ink cartridge.