Unknown perhaps to many voters, the PCOS has a built-in photocopy function. A photocopier scans a document and generates a copy of the document on paper. The PCOS photocopier, however, scans the ballot and generates an electronic copy of the ballot. Both have scanning bars inside them. While a photocopier’s scanning bar moves to scan the document, the PCOS’s scanning bar is at a fixed position. It is the ballot that moves to be scanned. Designed to scan both sides of the ballot without having to turn the ballot over, it is easy to deduce that the PCOS has a pair of scanning bars that are positioned close enough to each other as to allow a ballot to go through. On the PCOS scanning bar is an assembly of light emitters, mirrors, and light sensitive diodes. Covering the assembly is a clear plastic material generically known as Mylar film to prevent dirt or any foreign material from adhering to the assembly. The Mylar film also prevents the ballot from directly touching the assembly. Rollers are also placed at a fixed position near the scanning bars to pull the ballot from the insertion slot on the PCOS enclosure and push the ballot between the pair of scanning bars. As the PCOS scans the ballot, it generates an electronic copy of the ballot, referred to as a ballot image, which is stored in the CF card.
Posted on: Tue, 07 Oct 2014 23:40:11 +0000