A system includes a plurality of political election ballots, each with a unique, machine readable, serial voter verification number. A receipt is associated with each ballot with the same individual serial number to be given to a voter using the ballot. A computer database contains the serial numbers of all ballots of the plurality used for voting and, with each serial number, a set of specific candidates selected by the voter on that ballot. An internet server provides computer access to the database by voters to verify each candidate recorded as selected by the voter in the election using the unique serial number of the ballot as a key. Each ballot contains bar codes identifying each different candidate for a different political office. At least portions of all of the printed candidate bar codes are not visible to the human eye but are made visible by the voter to identify each candidates selected by the voter on the ballot to register candidate selection by the voter.

An election system provides, in one example, each voter with multiple physical "layers" that the voter is able to choose between. The voter takes part of the layers as a kind of receipt and the other layers are retained and/or destroyed by the system. The actual vote is not readily revealed by the layers taken by the voter, thus protecting against improper influence. In the voting booth, when all the layers are combined, however, the voter is readily able to verify the vote. Moreover, posted images of the layers not taken by the voter can be used to compute the election results in a way that is verifiable by interested parties. The results cannot be changed without substantial probability of detection and privacy of votes can be maintained unless a number of parties are compromised or collude.

A ballot system including a printed ballot wherein the locations intended for marking voter choices are pre-treated with invisible ink, the remainder of the ballot being untreated; a marking pen containing an activating chemical which makes the invisible ink change to visible and produce permanent marks; and an optical scanning system which detects and tallies the marks made visible by the activation.

A method for conducting an election among a plurality of voters includes the steps of: providing each voter with a ballot having at least one unique identifying symbol and a section for authenticating a voting selection; retaining a record of each voting selection; publishing the record of each voting selection; validating the published record of each voting selection; tabulating the voting selections from the validated record; and certifying the tabulated voting selections.

A method and system for validating the creation and submission of absentee ballots is provided. An authentication/validation mark is generated and printed on an absentee ballot and/or the envelope that contains the absentee ballot. The authentication/validation marks include information such as, for example, the date and time of printing, an identification and location of the vote validator that generated and printed the mark, a unique identifier of the mark, and a digital signature of the authentication/validation data. Upon receipt of the absentee ballot by election officials, the authentication/validation marks printed on the absentee ballot and/or envelope containing the ballot can be verified by authenticating the digital signature and verifying the validity of the data in the mark. If the mark is verified, the authenticity and creation/submission dates of the absentee ballot are guaranteed and the absentee ballot can be accepted as a valid absentee ballot for election purposes.