Patent ID: 8740058

Claim:
A method comprising: (a) operating a ballot envelope processing system including at least one drive device and at least one scanning device to: (a1) cause a returned ballot envelope including a voter identifier and a voter signature to be automatically driven relative to the at least one scanning device by the at least one drive device, (a2) cause the voter identifier and the voter signature to be automatically scanned by the at least one scanning device; (b) operating at least one computer to retrieve a plurality of stored signatures correlated with the voter identifier scanned in step (a2) from a voter registration database, wherein the at least one computer is in operative connection with the at least one scanning device; (c) operating the at least one computer to enable a decision to be made on verification of the voter signature, wherein the decision is based on comparison of data corresponding to the voter signature scanned in step (a2) with data corresponding to the plurality of stored signatures retrieved in step (b); (d) responsive to verification of the voter signature in step (c), operating the at least one computer to cause the voter signature scanned in step (a2) to be stored in the voter registration database to thereby supplement the stored signatures; (e) operating the at least one computer to determine whether the voter identifier scanned in step (a2) is a valid voter identifier; and (f) responsive to a determination of a valid voter identifier in step (e), operating the at least one computer to determine a bin number and a sequence number designating a location in which the ballot envelope is to be stored and then cause an endorsement comprising the bin number and the sequence number to be printed on the ballot envelope.