DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF AN AUTOMATED VOTING RESULTS COLLECTION SYSTEM
ABSTRACT
Voting is a very important process in the Nigerian Political system. It is one of the means and most effective method of ensuring a legitimate government through popular participation. A system of free and fair voting has to be put in place in order to enthrone a sound democracy and stability in the political system of Imo State. The system would aid to, discourage double voting, forgery or hoarding of electoral materials, massive transfer of ballot papers, destruction of ballot boxes, inflation of election figures and unnecessary delay in pronouncement of election result. This could be achieved by an online voting system to remove the difficult administrative tasks of the electoral body which regulates the conduct of election in Imo state. This basically forms the goal set to achieve this study. Therefore, this project aims at alleviating the incidence of rigging and introduction of an organized procedure of voting which is the banner of socio-economic and political progress in Imo State Nigeria.Get complete project
CHAPTER ONE
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The advancement made in technology over the past years is astonishing. The computer alone has progressed at a remarkable pace and updates are continually occurring. Along with the progress of the computer, comes the transformation of the virtual world. The internet is a fairly recent concept that has profoundly affected our daily lives. As with anything new, the internet posses various mysteries. Research is being conducted to determine the possibilities of an automated voting results collection system. Internet result collecting opens the door to all sorts of possibilities for our state voting future.
Therefore, voting is a means of selecting or choosing leaders. It does not apply to only local, state and federal government of Nigeria but, also in different institutions and social organizations. The conduct of elections in a democratic society is very important not only because through it, a change of government is effected but, also because voting is the main form of political participation for most people. Democracy should be anchored on election free form fraud, for it to be sound.
Over the years, the voting operation has been put under a manual system of operation which mostly results to inaccurate and ineffective election. It is gradually being realized that much faster, accurate, effective and efficient system is needed to be adopted. Here, online is to be instituted to handle voting.
The online voting system ensures that each intended voter is checked whether he/she is registered or not. If he/she is not registered, the system refuses him/her from voting. It also checks whether he/she has voted for that particular election. This online voting system prevents a situation where a particular candidate seizes the cards and uses them to vote for himself/herself. Hence, the rigging associated with the manual voting system has been handled completely. The system also takes care of result calculation of each candidate in a particular election and the percentage scored in that election. This eliminates rigging associated with the calculation and counting of votes.
A means of showing the various outputs is also adopted by the system. The output can either be displayed on the screen or a hardcopy of it can be produced depending on the choice of the user. This prevents international and local typographical errors in showing the result of the elections.
With an online voting, votes can be cast only once. It will also afford people who are sick and unable to go to the polling stations to cast their votes, to do so. It should be noted, however, that an online voting will not replace the existing ballot forms, but is offered as a supplementary way of casting ballot.
1.2 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The main aim of this project t work is to design an automated voting result collection system which among others can be able to achieve the following targets;
Nobody will have access to the votes before the official opening of the electronic ballot box.
Each voter will be opportune to vote only once.
The secrecy of the votes will be guaranteed.
The casting of votes cannot be interpreted, modified or diverted.
The system will not accept any vote outside the voting period.
Votes will be protected against any attempt of identified theft.
Only registered voters will have access to the application.
Rigging of the election will be controlled.
Put to an end, the indiscriminate alteration of election result of any officer of the electoral commission of Imo state.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The inefficiency of voting result collection process in Imo state has resulted to a lot of problems. These problems have continued to obstruct the peace of democracy in Imo because the choice of a capable candidate is not encouraged by the current system.
These problems include:
Inefficiency and inaccuracy of counting of votes by officials concerned.
High rigging during election process.
Illegal voters casting their votes.
Long queues observed at poling stations.
Loss of votes due to either wrong voting of the use of case of any accident occurring during transportation of the statement of result and other electoral materials to the collection centres.
1.3 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The study covers voting results processes as it is done at the ward councillorship and local government chairmanship elections. It also inculcates the voters’ personal records, candidates’ personal records and voting procedures.
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The purpose of this study is to design and implement an automated voting result system. The study will activate democracy and ensure that the popular choice emerges in any election conducted in Imo state.
1.5 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
Due to the fact of Non-availability of the vital components required for the design and implementation of an AUTOMATED RESULT COLLECTION system. However, the immediate availability of components will help the researcher to achieve his/her objectives fully.
1.6 DEFINITION OF TECHNICAL TERMS
ASP: Active server Page.
Ballot: A vote recorded in an election.
Ballot Box: A container in which voters drop their votes.
Ballot Paper: A material with which voters used to cast their votes.
Collection Centre: A designated location where results are collected.
Computer: An electronic device that stores data, process data and produces result as information automatically under program control.
Democracy: A system of government by all the people of a country, usually through representatives, whom they elect, thought of as allowing freedom of speech, religion and political opinion.
Election: The art of choosing by voting one of the candidates for a position.
ISINEC: Imo State Independent Electoral Commission.
INEC: Independent Electoral Commission
Home Page: The front door to a website, which normally contains links to other sites or pages.
IIS: Internet Information Service.
Poll: The process of voting in an election.
Poll Station: A centre or venue where voters cast their votes.
Rigging: To manipulate election result in favour of another person.
SQL: Structured Query Language.
Voter’s Card: A card given to voters to ascertain that he/she has the right to vote.
Voters Register: A register containing the data of eligible voters completed by the election officials.
Website: A location on the web that publishes some kinds of information.