Trystan Casey
Thomas Edison is known for his work in sound recording, motion pictures, and telegraphy, but fewer people are aware of his first official patent: an Electrographic Vote-Recorder and Register. Edison's vote recorder was designed to record ballots with the help of a simple switch and an electric current. The machine was intended to make the voting process faster and easier, but it was ultimately rejected by Congress, who believed it would not streamline the process enough.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Inventor | Thomas Edison |
| Age of Inventor | 21 |
| Year of Patent | 1868 |
| Date of Patent | June 1, 1869 |
| Patent Number | 90,646 |
| Purpose | To make the voting process easier and faster |
| Function | Recorded ballots with the help of a simple switch and an electric current |
| Components | Switch, electric current, chemically treated paper, metal type, metal roller |
| Process | Legislators moved a switch to "yes" or "no" position, sending an electric current to the device at the clerk's desk; after voting, the clerk placed chemically treated paper on metal type and ran a metal roller over it, causing the chemicals to dissolve on one side and record the vote |
| Result | "Yes" and "no" wheels kept track of and tabulated the vote totals |
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What You'll Learn
Thomas Edison's first patent
Thomas Edison is known as one of the world's most prolific inventors, with 1,093 U.S. patents and a total of 2,332 patents worldwide. His first patent was for an "Electrographic Vote-Recorder and Register", which he applied for on October 28, 1868, and received on June 1, 1869.
The machine was designed to record ballots with the help of a simple switch and an electric current. Each legislator would move a switch to either a “yes” or “no” position, sending an electric current to the device at the clerk’s desk. After voting was completed, the clerk would place a chemically treated piece of paper on top of the metal type and run a metal roller over it. The current would cause the chemicals in the paper to dissolve on the side for which the vote should be recorded, leaving an imprint in either the "yes" or "no" column. Dials placed on both sides of the main cylinder counted each “yes” and “no” vote, keeping track of the vote totals and tabulating the results.
Edison's vote recorder was intended to make the voting process faster and easier, as the slow pace of roll-call voting allowed for filibustering and gave legislators time to convince others to change their votes. However, despite the machine's functionality, it was not a commercial success. The device was demonstrated before a congressional committee in Washington D.C., but it was quickly rejected as it would have prevented policymakers from filibustering or changing their votes. Members of Congress also felt that the machine did not streamline the voting process enough to be useful.
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How it worked
Thomas Edison's electric vote recorder was designed to record ballots with the help of a simple switch and an electric current. Each legislator would move a switch to either a “yes” or “no” position, sending an electric current to the device at the clerk’s desk. The machine would then transmit the signal through an electric current and mark their name in the corresponding column, while keeping track of the total tally of votes on a dial.
After voting was completed, the clerk would place a chemically treated or chemical piece of paper on top of the columns and press down on it with a metallic roller, imprinting the paper with the results. The current would cause the chemicals in the paper to dissolve on the side for which the vote should be recorded, leaving an imprint of the name in a manner similar to that of chemical recording automatic telegraphs.
The invention was intended to make the voting process easier and faster as the slow pace of roll call voting enabled members to filibuster legislation and convince others to change their votes. However, despite the machine working, governments refused to purchase it.
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Why it was rejected
Thomas Edison's electric vote recorder was designed to record ballots using a simple switch and an electric current. Each legislator would move a switch to either a "yes" or "no" position, sending an electric current to the device at the clerk's desk. After voting was completed, the clerk would place a chemically treated piece of paper on top of the metal type and run a metal roller over it, causing the chemicals in the paper to dissolve on the side for which the vote should be recorded. "Yes" and "no" wheels kept track of the vote totals and tabulated the results.
Despite being Edison's first patented invention, the electric vote recorder was rejected for several reasons:
- Unimpressive Speed: The vote recorder was not considered a significant improvement over existing voting methods in terms of speed. The chairman of the congressional committee reviewing the invention stated that "if there is any invention on earth that we don't want down here, that is it," implying that they were unimpressed with the speed at which the machine could record votes.
- Obstructing Filibustering: Edison's vote recorder threatened the existing legislative tactics employed by policymakers. The machine would have made it more difficult for legislators to filibuster legislation or persuade others to change their votes. This was seen as a disadvantage by some, as these tactics are often used to influence and shape policy outcomes.
- Lack of Interest: Members of Congress were reportedly uninterested in the invention. They may have been reluctant to adopt new technology, especially if they believed it did not offer significant advantages over traditional voting methods.
- Insufficient Streamlining: The committee reviewing the invention did not feel that the vote recorder streamlined the voting process enough to be useful. They may have expected a more substantial improvement in efficiency and ease of use.
- Cost and Implementation: Implementing the electric vote recorder would have required financial investment and logistical changes. Governments may have been hesitant to incur the costs and undergo the necessary procedural changes to accommodate the new technology.
- Patent Competition: It is possible that other inventors were working on similar ideas, and the competition may have influenced the reception of Edison's invention. The existence of multiple patents and inventions related to voting machines could have created a more challenging environment for Edison's electric vote recorder to gain traction.
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Similar inventions
Thomas Edison's electric vote recorder was designed to record ballots using a simple switch and an electric current. Each legislator would move a switch to either a “yes” or “no” position, sending an electric current to the device at the clerk’s desk. This system was designed to make the voting process faster and easier.
The electric vote recorder was Edison's first patented invention, but it was not the first voting machine to be conceived. In 1856, the state of Victoria in Australia adopted the first pre-printed paper ballot, which quickly spread worldwide.
In the 1960s, the famous architect and futurist Buckminster Fuller championed a vote-from-home system. He proposed that voters could call in their votes by telephone, dialling in a personal identification number to vote efficiently and privately. However, this idea was rejected by those who believed it would make it easier for dishonest people to cast fraudulent votes.
The first electronic voting machines were introduced in two Georgia counties in 1964. The Votomatic, designed by IBM, punched holes in cards to record votes, which were then read by a computer. By the 1980s, the Votomatic system was the most widely used voting system in the United States. However, there were problems with this technology, particularly with interpreting defectively punched cards, as seen in the 2000 US presidential election.
As a proposed solution to the issues with the Votomatic system, optically read ballots were suggested. These used computer-scanned sheets or cards and "electronic eyes" to detect marks written or drawn on the sheets.
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Modern voting machines
Thomas Edison's first patented invention was an "Electrographic Vote-Recorder and Register", also known as an "electronic vote-recorder". The machine was designed to record ballots with the help of a simple switch and an electric current. Each legislator would move a switch to either a “yes” or “no” position, sending an electric current to the device at the clerk’s desk. After voting was completed, the clerk would place a chemically treated piece of paper on top of the metal type and run a metal roller over it. The current would cause the chemicals in the paper to dissolve on the side for which the vote should be recorded. The machine was intended to make the voting process easier and faster, but it was rejected as it did not streamline the process enough.
Currently, the types of voting equipment used in the United States vary from state to state. Some jurisdictions use electronic devices to record votes, while others use paper ballots. One common type of voting equipment is the optical scan paper ballot system, where voters mark their votes on a paper ballot, which is then scanned. Another type is the direct recording electronic (DRE) system, which employs computers that record votes directly into the computer's memory. These interfaces may include touchscreens, dials, or mechanical buttons.
To address concerns about the accuracy and security of electronic voting machines, some states have implemented directives requiring all voting equipment to provide a paper record of all votes cast. This enhances the resiliency, auditability, and security of the voting process. As a result, many counties are transitioning to voting machines with paper ballots or voter-verifiable paper backups.
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Frequently asked questions
The electric vote recorder was a machine designed to record ballots with the help of a simple switch and an electric current.
Each legislator would move a switch to either a “yes” or “no” position, sending an electric current to the device at the clerk’s desk. After voting was completed, the clerk would place a chemically treated piece of paper on top of the metal type and run a metal roller over it, causing the chemicals in the paper to dissolve on the side for which the vote should be recorded.
The electric vote recorder was invented by Thomas Edison and was his first patented invention.
Edison was spurred to invent the electric vote recorder after reading reports that the Washington, D.C., City Council and the New York State Legislature planned to install an electric vote recorder.
No, the electric vote recorder was a flop. Members of Congress were uninterested in the invention, with one congressman saying, "if there is any invention on earth that we don't want down here, that is it."
