How The Citizen of
Democratia Votes
Community Opinion Terminal Procedures
The Polling Terminal is user-friendly. It is used for voting at an election, and for opinion polling. The terminal has two viewing screens. The larger displays information on files, a smaller one displays instructions on procedure. Both have scroll buttons. There is a slot for the voter's Personal Voter Number card. There are six Operating Keys, numbered 0 to 5, and a Voting Button. There is an headphone jack and privacy shields on the booth.
The Voting System
When the Voter's PVN card is inserted, the Instruction Display (and the headphones, if required) instructs the voter to enter a PVN. If this is accepted the Information Display puts up the names of all Candidates. Each name has an identification number between 10 and 55. The voter selects up to 5 candidates by pressing their numbers. The selected names appear with a box beside each name. The voter chooses the order of preference by placing the numbers 1 to 5 , one in each box as it flashes in turn. When the last name has been numbered the display re-arranges the names in numerical order top to bottom. This order can be changed, if desired. When satisfied that the order is correct, the voter presses the VOTE button identified by a X. The Instruction flashes "Please remove your card" until it is retrieved.
The voter's name and Registration number are recorded as having voted. A Stop prevents the voter from attempting to vote a second time. Voting takes place over several days. Results go to the central Opinion Data Bank for counting, but the results are not revealed until a chosen poll results time. The local voting figures are stored at each COT to confirm the accuracy of the ODB figures.The Opinion Polling System
This system is on line except during the Election periods. The Instruction Display is activated by the Voter Card and the Personal Voter Number. Up to 55 different questions are possible on each of 5 different menus. National and Regional menus are chosen by pressing buttons 1 and 2. Local Community menus are on 3. Buttons 4 and 5 are available for other uses.
The screen will display the topic in the chosen menu and give background details of the topic, controlled by the scroll buttons. The questions then appear one by one. Each question requires 0 for 'Undecided', 1 for 'Yes', 2 for 'No'. When the last question is answered, all the questions appear with the choices made. Changes can be made by pressing the question #. That question is highlighted and the choice box is emptied to allow entry of a new answer.
When satisfied with all the answers the voter presses the X button to record all opinions on the topic. This information is passed directly to the Opinion Data Bank. Opinions can be changed at any time during the polling period.
