Patent ID: 8150429

Claim:
A computer-implemented method, comprising: receiving, at a recipient computing device, from an originating computing device, an electronic voting request, wherein an indication of the originating computing device and an indication of the recipient computing device are each included in a tree structure for reference in distributing the electronic voting request to a plurality of computing devices, the indication of the originating computing device is located at a first level of the tree structure, the indication of the recipient computing device is located at a next-lower, second level of the tree structure, the recipient computing device having been selected for the second level of the tree structure based on at least (1) a messaging plan associated with the recipient computing device or (2) a per message cost incurred for messages sent or received by the recipient mobile device, the originating computing device is associated with a first user, the first user being a first member of a voting group, the recipient computing device is associated with a second user, the second user being a second member of the voting group, and the electronic voting request includes: (1) a voting ballot and (2) instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform operations including: receiving a first vote from the recipient computing device, the first vote being based on information included in the voting ballot; transmitting the electronic voting request to a plurality of other computing devices located at a third level of the tree structure, each of the plurality of other computing devices not having previously received the electronic voting request; receiving a plurality of votes from the plurality of other computing devices; and transmitting, to the originating computing device, a tally of (i) votes received from the plurality of other computing devices and (ii) the first vote; and performing the operations.