Voter instruction device

Claim 1

A voter instruction device simulating an official voting machine, comprising in combination; a frame; a voting format panel carried by said frame to face an instructee, said panel including a plurality of vote selection indicia; a vote selection mechanism associated with each of said indicia and each mechanism including an actuating member extending forwardly of said panel for manual operation by the instructee; an interlock strap connected with each actuating member for upwardly lifted vertical movement in response to manual operation of the actuating member by the instructee; programmable interlock means for limiting the number and combinations of said interlock straps which may be so lifted whereby to conform the number and combinations of said actuating members which may be manually actuated by the instructee to a prescribed voting format which will prepare the instructee for actual machine voting at a later date; a horizontally disposed return bar projecting through all of said straps and movable between a lowered position preventing upward movement of any of said straps and a raised position allowing said straps to be lifted according to the program permitted by said interlock means; a horizontally disposed control strut; a pair of bell cranks pivotally connected to opposite ends of said control strut and mounting said control strut for longitudinal shifting with respect to said return bar, said bell cranks having portions engaging said return bar to fix said return bar in said lowered position thereof when said control strut is in one longitudinally shifted position while releasing said return bar to assume said raised position thereof when said control strut is in a second longitudinally shifted position; instructee-controlled means for longitudinally shifting said control strut from said one position to said second position thereof whereby to prepare the device for simulated voting; control means normally preventing movement of Said control strut from said one position to said second position thereof; and an instructor-controlled button for actuating said control means to allow said control strut to move from its one position to said second position thereof whereby the instructor may prevent manipulation of said actuating members while he is instructing the instructee.