Mobile Voting System

MOBILE VOTING SYSTEM (MVS)

By

CSC11-54

Net-Centric Computing

DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE

SCHOOL OF COMPUTING AND INFORMATICS TECHNOLOGY

A Project Report Submitted to the School of Computing and Informatics Technology

for the Study Leading to a Project in Partial Fulfillment of the

Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Bachelor of

Science in Computer Science of Makerere University.

Supervisor

MR. JOAB AGABA

Department of Networks

School of Computing and Informatics Technology, Makerere University

[email protected], +256-41-540628, Fax: +256-41-540620

June, 2011.

mailto:[email protected]

i

Declaration

We Group CSC11-54 do hereby declare that this Project Report is original and has not been

published and/or submitted for any other degree award to any other University before.

GROUP MEMBERS:

# Names Registration Number Signature

1 OYITE DAVID ROBINSON 08/U/1429

2 KAWAIDA DAVID 08/U/1418

3 OCHOLA JACOB 08/U/1426

4 LUTAAYA JOSEPH 08/U/16799/PS

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Approval

This Project Report has been submitted for Examination with the approval of the following

supervisor.

Signed: _______________________

Date: _______________________

Mr. Agaba Joab

Bsc (CS), MSc

Department of Networks

College of Computing and Information Sciences

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Dedication

This project is dedicated to our loved ones, families, comrades and all those who have

contributed to our studies and to our Lord Jesus Christ for His grace we worked together as a

team to accomplish this project.

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Acknowledgment

First of all, we glorify the Lord Jesus Christ who enabled us to merge ideas throughout this

period so as to achieve and present a solution to the task we were handling.

We would also like to appreciate our supervisor Mr. Joab Agaba for the inestimable support,

guidance and encouragement offered to us during this projects undertaking.

We also extend our gratitude to our family members and friends whose support, tireless efforts

and prayers gave us the faith to accomplish this project.

May God richly bless you all!

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Table of Contents

Declaration ................................................................................................................................... i

Approval ..................................................................................................................................... ii

Dedication .................................................................................................................................. iii

Acknowledgment ....................................................................................................................... iv

Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................ v

List of Tables ............................................................................................................................. ix

List of Figures ............................................................................................................................. x

List of Abbreviations and Acronyms ......................................................................................... xi

Abstract ..................................................................................................................................... xii

Chapter 1 ....................................................................................................................................... 1

Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 1

1.1 Background ........................................................................................................................... 1

1.2 Problem Statement ................................................................................................................ 1

1.3 Main Objective...................................................................................................................... 1

1.3.1 Specific Objectives ........................................................................................................ 2

1.4 Scope ..................................................................................................................................... 2

1.5 Significance ........................................................................................................................... 2

Chapter 2 ....................................................................................................................................... 4

Literature Review ......................................................................................................................... 4

2.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 4

2.2 Mobile Voting Systems......................................................................................................... 4

2.2.1 Risks ............................................................................................................................... 5

2.2.2 Challenges ...................................................................................................................... 5

2.3 Usage of Mobile Voting Systems ......................................................................................... 7

2.3.1 The Current Voting Process ........................................................................................... 8

2.4 Examples of Existing Voting Systems .................................................................................. 9

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2.4.1 Makerere University e-voting System ........................................................................... 9

2.4.2 Mobile Voting in Estonia ............................................................................................... 9

2.4.3 The EU CyberVote Project .......................................................................................... 10

2.5 Comparison between the Existing Voting Systems and the Proposed Mobile Voting

System ....................................................................................................................................... 11

2.6 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................... 11

Chapter 3 ..................................................................................................................................... 12

Methodology ................................................................................................................................ 12

3.1 Data Collection Techniques ................................................................................................ 12

3.1.1 Interviews ..................................................................................................................... 12

3.1.2 Documentation Review ................................................................................................ 12

3.2 System Analysis and Design ............................................................................................... 12

3.2.1 System Analysis ........................................................................................................... 12

3.2.2 System Design ............................................................................................................. 13

3.3 System Implementation Tools ............................................................................................ 13

3.3.1 Implementation Tools .................................................................................................. 13

3.4 Systems Testing and Validation ........................................................................................ 15

3.4.1 Testing.......................................................................................................................... 15

3.4.2 Validation ..................................................................................................................... 15

Chapter 4 ..................................................................................................................................... 16

System Study, Analysis and Design ........................................................................................... 16

4.1 System Study ...................................................................................................................... 16

4.1.1 Workflow for the Voting Process ................................................................................ 16

4.1.2 Weaknesses of the Existing Systems ........................................................................... 17

4.2 System Analysis .................................................................................................................. 17

4.2.1 User Requirements ....................................................................................................... 17

4.2.2 Functional Requirements ............................................................................................. 18

4.2.3 Non-Functional Requirements ..................................................................................... 18

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4.3 System Design .................................................................................................................... 18

4.3.1 Process Modeling ......................................................................................................... 19

4.3.2 Description for the level1 DFD .................................................................................... 22

4.3.3 Architectural Design for the System ............................................................................ 24

4.4 Data Modeling .................................................................................................................... 24

4.4.1 Data Requirements ....................................................................................................... 25

4.4.2 Identification of Entities and the Associated Attributes .............................................. 26

4.4.3 Modeling Relationships between Entities .................................................................... 27

4.4.4 The Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD) ..................................................................... 28

4.4.6 Mapping ERD to Relational Schema ........................................................................... 29

Chapter 5 ..................................................................................................................................... 31

System Implementation .............................................................................................................. 31

5.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 31

5.2 System Functions ................................................................................................................ 31

5.2.1 Functions provided to all Users. .................................................................................. 31

5.2.2 Functions provided to the Voter. ................................................................................. 31

5.2.3 Functions provided to the Registrar. ............................................................................ 31

5.2.4 Functions provided to the Returning Officer. .............................................................. 31

5.3 System Map ........................................................................................................................ 32

5.4 System Requirements.......................................................................................................... 33

5.4.1 Hardware Requirements............................................................................................... 33

5.4.2 Software Requirements ................................................................................................ 33

5.5 Sample Screenshots ............................................................................................................ 35

5.5.1 The Election Administration Pages ............................................................................. 35

5.5.2 The Election Results Page ........................................................................................... 36

5.5.3 The Mobile Voters Interfaces ..................................................................................... 37

5.6 System Testing and Validation Results .............................................................................. 38

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5.6.1 System Testing Results .................................................................................................... 38

5.6.2 Validation Results ............................................................................................................ 39

Chapter 6 ..................................................................................................................................... 40

Summary, Recommendations and Conclusion......................................................................... 40

6.1 Summary ............................................................................................................................. 40

6.2 Recommendations ............................................................................................................... 40

6.3 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................... 40

References .................................................................................................................................... 41

Appendices ................................................................................................................................... 43

Appendix I: ............................................................................................................................... 43

Appendix II: .............................................................................................................................. 44

Appendix III: ............................................................................................................................. 45

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List of Tables

Table 1: Comparison between the existing systems and the proposed MVS ................................ 11

Table 2: Description of Processes ................................................................................................ 22

Table 3: Description of Data Stores ............................................................................................. 22

Table 4: Description of Data Reports ........................................................................................... 22

Table 5: Description of External Entities ..................................................................................... 23

Table 6: Identification of Entities and Associated Attributes ....................................................... 26

Table 7: The Candidate table ....................................................................................................... 29

Table 8: The Voter table ............................................................................................................... 29

Table 9: The Course table ............................................................................................................ 29

Table 10: The Position table ......................................................................................................... 30

Table 11: The Hall table ............................................................................................................... 30

Table 12: The Vote table ............................................................................................................... 30

Table 13: Hardware Requirements ............................................................................................... 33

Table 14: Software Requirements ................................................................................................. 34

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List of Figures

Figure 4.1: Flowchart for the manual voting process .................................................................. 16

Figure 4.2: Context Diagram for the Mobile Voting System ........................................................ 19

Figure 4.3: Level1 DFD for the Mobile Voting System ................................................................ 21

Figure 4.4: Architectural Design for the System .......................................................................... 24

Figure 4.5: Relationship between Voter and Course ................................................................... 27

Figure 4.6: Relationship between Voter and Hall ........................................................................ 27

Figure 4.7: Relationship between Candidate and Position .......................................................... 27

Figure 4.8: Relationship between Voter and Vote. ....................................................................... 27

Figure 4.9: Relationship between Candidate and Vote ................................................................ 27

Figure 4.10: Relationship between Vote and Position ................................................................. 28

Figure 4.11: The ERD for Mobile Voting System ......................................................................... 28

Figure 5.1: System Map showing functions provided by the system to each user ........................ 32

Figure 5.2: The Mobile Voting Systems login page and Homepage. .......................................... 35

Figure 5.3: The Edit Voter Register Page. ................................................................................... 36

Figure 5.4: The Election Results Page. ........................................................................................ 36

Figures 5.5 5.8: The Mobile Voters Login & Authentication Interfaces.................................. 37

Figures 5.9 5.12: The Mobile Voters Electronic Ballot Interfaces. ......................................... 37

xi

List of Abbreviations and Acronyms

3G Third Generation

Ack Acknowledgment (or feedback)

AJAX Asynchronous JavaScript and XML

CLDC Connected, Limited Device Configuration

DFD Dataflow Diagram

DISD Department of Innovations and Software Development

DRE Direct Recording Electronic

ERD Entity Relationship Diagram

EU European Union

FSB Front Side Bus

GSM Global System for Mobile communication

HTML Hyper Text Markup Language

ICT Information and Communication Technology

JTWI Java Technology for Wireless Industry

MIDP Mobile Information Device Profile

MVS Mobile Voting System

MySQL My Simple Query Language

PHP Hypertext Preprocessor

RO Returning Officer

SCIT School of Computing & Informatics Technology

XML Extensible Markup Language

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Abstract

This report presents a mobile voting system project tailored for Makerere University. The project

was an important area for development because the efficiency, reliability and security of the

procedures used to conduct preceding elections were jeopardized by numerous irregularities. The

aim of this project was to develop an interactive voting system with which users can participate

using their mobile phone and retrieve real-time results on a web-based platform. It involved three

phases: the development of a front-end to the voting system; the development of a method of

interaction with mobile phones, and the development of a web-based administration tool.

Information for system study was gathered using tools such as interviews and study of relevant

literature. DFDs and ERDs were used in the analysis and design of the system. The technologies

used in the implementation of the objectives of this study included, Java, AJAX, PHP and the

Database Management System employed was MySQL. The outcome of the project was an

integrated system capable of online registration, receiving votes from mobile phones, tallying the

received votes and real-time display of results over the web. Upon successful testing and system

validation, we believe that the system can administer election processes fairly, effectively and

efficiently.

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Chapter 1

Introduction

1.1 Background

Voting is a formal indication of a choice between two or more candidates or courses of action,

expressed typically through hand-counted paper ballots or by show of hands [1]. In democratic

societies, voting is an important tool to collect and reflect peoples opinions. Traditionally, voting is

conducted in centralized locations called polling stations. Voters go to these polling stations and cast

their votes under the supervision of authorized parties. The votes are then counted manually once the

voting process has ended and later the results are declared. Like all other aspects of democracy,

voting requires transparency, participation and accountability. To increase the efficiency and

accuracy of voting procedures, computerized voting systems have been developed to help in

collecting and counting the votes. These include Lever Voting Machines, Punched Cards for Voting,

Optical Mark-Sense Scanners and Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) voting systems [2].

However, the voting systems in most institutional bodies in the past have been marred with

irregularities which have jeopardized this democratic process. Hence the need for improvement in the

voting system through mobile technologies as a means of attaining the democracy most people

advocate for is paramount.

1.2 Problem Statement

Due to the irregularities involved in the voting process such as delays in tallying, poor attendance due

to distant poll-sites, increased cost of conducting elections, lack of transparency and poll-site voting

limitations (such as queues), there is need to develop a Mobile Voting System to curb these problems.

1.3 Main Objective

The general objective of the study is to develop a Mobile Voting System (MVS) for Makerere

University.

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1.3.1 Specific Objectives

The specific objectives for the Mobile Voting System are;

1. To carry out an investigation on the electoral process in Makerere University

2. To design a Mobile Voting System to support voting at Makerere University

3. To implement the system.

4. To test and validate the system.

1.4 Scope

The system will be limited to elections held at the school level in Makerere University which include;

the School President, Vice President, Finance Minister and other members of the cabinet. Emphasis

will be on the School of Computing and Informatics Technology (SCIT) but it can also serve as a tool

in conducting elections in other schools and colleges.

1.5 Significance

Business around the world has widely, of recent, been conducted using electronic means.

Governments have come to realize the benefits of automating several processes due to efficiency and

relatively low cost as compared to traditional means. As the digital age continues to grow, only time

will tell until almost every human-handled process becomes computerized. Furthermore,

governments are getting more involved in developing the ICT sector due to the pressure imposed by

other governments and regulatory bodies for fear of lagging behind.

Mobile communication of recent has taken the world by storm and its getting bigger and better. Due

to the numerous advantages they offer, a number of government and private business processes are

being carried out under this platform. A case in point is the Mobile Money service provided by

Mobile Telecommunications Companies in Uganda that enable users to pay water bills, electricity

bills, tax, send and receive money, et al.

Augmenting the current voting systems with mobile voting will enhance the voting process by

increasing voter participation. Below are other advantages that mobile voting systems offer;

1. Reduced costs in the materials required for printing and distributing ballots.

2. It permits access to more information regarding voting options and processes also.

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3. Efficiency and accuracy in placing and tallying votes and displaying the results to the voters.

4. Minimal chances of invalid votes due to the use of option buttons to represent candidates.

5. Flexibility as mobile voting can support multiple languages, and the flexible design allows up-

to-the minute ballot modifications.

6. The same development concept can be used and applied in other fields of research to support

researchers in collecting and analyzing peoples opinions and views.

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Chapter 2

Literature Review

2.1 Introduction

This chapter includes a critical look at the existing research and case studies that have significance

with this research project. It has been done by consulting other peoples work in order to understand

and investigate the problem of the research project. In conducting literature review, scholarly articles,

books and other sources relevant to a particular issue, area of research or theory has been surveyed.

After reviewing all materials, a description, summary, and critical evaluation of each work is granted.

The automation of business and governmental processes has long been a success story in many

countries. As the use of mobile phones for voice and data communication increase, users continue to

demand for more services to be offered by mobile phones due to the comfort they present. Recently a

number of governments have employed e-voting systems in some of their elections and referendums

using mostly computer terminals and a few with mobile voting systems.

There is need to review the literature because it is important to know exactly what has been going on,

the system in use and identification of gaps and inefficiencies so as to come up with the appropriate

solution that will lead to the enhancement of the electoral process in Makerere University. Therefore

using different sources we have managed to analyze and compare the existing voting systems and we

have concluded that there is need for improvement.

2.2 Mobile Voting Systems

Mobile Voting System (MVS) is a system that will operate in parallel with the existing manual and

automated voting processes. It will enable legitimate voters to cast their vote from wherever they

please using their mobile devices unlike other means that require the voter to appear at the polling

station. This will help alleviate the nuisance of long queues at poll-sites which waste a lot of time. It

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will also ease the vote-counting process which will be done instantly as the voting progresses and a

graphical display will be available on a site (attached to the system) for all stakeholders to view

progress, hence ensuring transparency.

Mobile voting falls under a category of voting called e-voting, which is short for electronic voting,

and refers to the option of using electronic means to vote in referendums and elections. There are

systems such as DRE voting machines that record the vote without that vote being transmitted over

the Internet or another network. The interface of a DRE machine can be a touch screen or a scanner

that scans the ballot paper where the voter marked the vote.

The vote is then registered and stored in the voting machine. Then there is voting over the Internet

that uses a PC with an Internet-connection to cast the vote and send it to be stored in another remote

computer. Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), telephones or mobile phones can also be used to cast

a vote electronically [3].

Besides its hype and advantages over traditional voting systems, MVS reliability, security and

transparency are still issues that limit its deployment in many countries. Bradly et al [3], points out

the risks and challenges faced by electronic voting systems as follows;

2.2.1 Risks

1. Third parties: Unauthorized intervention of third parties in the voting process. Given the

current state of information technology, there is no guarantee, that a programme would not be

manipulated to allow the storage and printing of a form or document different from the one

appearing on the screen.

2. Errors and technical malfunctions: More difficult to detect and identify the source of errors

and technical malfunctions than with conventional procedures.

3. Unreliability: Possibility that fully digitized system would fail to produce results and lack

physical back-up records, making a public recount difficult or impossible.

2.2.2 Challenges

1. Security: In the context of remote e-voting, special attention should be given to the process

guaranteeing a free and secret vote. Only entitled voters are allowed to cast a vote and this

requires that every voter be authenticated (e.g. by using a PIN -Personal Identification

Number or TAN -Transaction Number or by the use of digital signature) and their right to

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vote verified. In order to prevent multiple votes being cast or other misuse, a record must be

made and checked in order to establish whether the voter has already cast a vote. There must

be an electronic separation between the vote and the identification of the voter.

2. Reliability: Mobile Voting Systems have to interact with some database server, or some other

server, over a network. There might be instances when this network goes down during the

voting process which may cause a potential voter to miss out on casting his/her vote,

especially when he/she planned to use the system with no aim of going to the poll-site.

Keeping the network stable and available during the voting process is a challenge that MVS

application developers need to consider.

3. Skepticism: Networks have been widely used all around the world in a number of sectors due

to their benefits. The internet is the worlds largest network, with billions of dollars in

transactions being carried out over it per fiscal year. Nevertheless, a large number of people,

especially in developing countries where internet technologies are beginning to gain ground,

still doubt the power that it brings into speeding up communication and information sharing.

As governments begin to adopt e-voting, Mobile Voting for that matter, people doubt the

security and transparency of such schemes just as they do for the internet.

Besides these challenges and risks, Mobile Voting Systems can still be trusted as a platform to

conduct free and fair elections in a secure and transparent manner given that they are well

implemented. Mutual authentication, integrity, voter anonymity and system accountability are some

of the critical functional requirements that Mobile Voting Systems should have. If all these and some

other requirements are well catered for in the system, then it can be a success which is a high

possibility [4].

Mobile Voting Systems are composed of several interacting agents, the Vote Collector, the Vote

Manager, the Vote Authority, the Candidate, and the Voters. The Vote Authority (VA) is responsible

for registering candidates for elections and commissioning Vote Managers. The Vote Collector (VC)

is a mobile agent mandated by a stationary Vote Manager (VM) agent to collect votes from stationary

voting agents (VOs). The arrangement of the system in such components can ensure a stable system

suitable for voting [5].

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2.3 Usage of Mobile Voting Systems

Citizens around the world recognize and embrace the benefits of e-Government services such as

online tax filing, license renewal, and benefits claims. Now governments are initiating strategies that

support e-democracy and in doing so, engaging more citizens in democratic processes. This briefly

addresses the highly formal processes of e-democracy, e-voting in particular, to offer governments

and democratic-based entities worldwide the infrastructures, applications, and services necessary to

implement and manage reliable, secure e-voting systems.

Today, the development and widespread use of information technologies is changing the way people

view voting processes and, ultimately, the way they vote.

Mobile Voting Systems offer multiple advantages over traditional paper-based voting systems-

advantages that increase citizen access to democratic processes and encourage participation.

Manish et al [6] explains these advantages as below;

1. Reduced costs: E-voting systems reduce the materials required for printing and distributing

ballots. Internet based voting, in particular, offers superior economies of scale in regard to the

size of the electoral roll.

2. Increased participation and voting options: E-voting offers increased convenience to the

voter, encourages more voters to cast their votes remotely, and increases the likelihood of

participation for mobile voters. Additionally, it permits access to more information regarding

voting options.

3. Greater speed and accuracy placing and tallying votes: E-voting's step-by-step processes

help minimize the number of miscast votes. The electronic gathering and counting of ballots

reduces the amount of time spent tallying votes and delivering results.

4. Greater accessibility for the disabled and the sick: Because they support a variety of

interfaces and accessibility features, e-voting systems allow citizens with disabilities-especially

the visually impaired-to vote independently and privately.

5. Flexibility: E-voting can support multiple languages, and the flexible design allows up-to-the-

minute ballot modifications.

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According to Lumu [7], an article on the aftermath of 18th

February 2011 presidential elections in

Uganda, invalid votes accounted for 4% of the votes. This makes the issue of invalid votes in manual

voting systems a big problem. However, with a mobile voting system, there will be little or no invalid

votes due to the use of option buttons on the electronic ballots to represent candidates.

2.3.1 The Current Voting Process

According to the Electoral Commission Board [8], Constitutionalism, rule of law and good

governance are the fundamental pillars of democracy. Democracy, irrespective of whatever form it

takes in different national domains must not lose its universal sense of a government of the people, by

the people and for the people. This is why democratic leadership in any country should only be

accessed through a free and fair electoral process which is the foundation of true democracy.

Mugisha [9], lists the steps used in the manual electoral process as follows;

1. Formulating legislation, through Parliament, that will guide and support any election process.

2. Calling of elections,

3. Registration of candidates,

4. Preparation and display of voters register at polling stations

5. Voting at polling stations

6. Counting and tallying of votes,

7. Declaration of results by the Electoral Body

A citizen of Uganda of or above 18 years who is registered has the right to vote in a parish or ward

where he or she is registered as a voter for public elections and referenda. That person cannot be

compelled to vote in any election in Uganda under the present constitution. A person, however, is not

qualified to vote in an election if he/she is not a registered voter. The guidelines to be followed when

voting in elections and referenda can be found in articles 68 (1), (2), (3), (4) and (5) of the

constitution of Uganda. Articles 59 (1), (2), (3), and (4) also identify the citizens who are eligible for

voting and the role of the state and the parliament in the electoral process [10].

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2.4 Examples of Existing Voting Systems

2.4.1 Makerere University e-voting System

According to the Department of Innovations and Software Development (DISD), School of

Computing and Informatics Technology [11], In March 2009, Makerere University office of the Dean

of Students approached DISD and requested that an application be developed that could help to

alleviate, among other things, election rigging, loss of votes, disparities in regard to how many voters

registered and the number of votes counted and any other election malpractices that have plagued the

university over the years. The system was supposed to be used in the Makerere University Guild

elections.

A prototype of the system was used in the Guild Representative Council Elections at the Halls of

Residence where the students were electing student leaders. Basing on this, the system was enhanced

and is now ready to be used in the entire Guild elections. Because of the projects success, Makerere

University Administration asked the Department to maintain it for future election that shall be

conducted at the University.

The system had the following capabilities;

1. It does instant counting; counts the voters who have voted instantly

2. Instantly counts the voters who have voted for a particular candidate

3. Gives overall count and tallies the votes for each candidate

4. Can provide option of manual counting of votes by printing the ballot papers that were ticked in

case one doubts its results

5. It totally eliminates the involvement of human force during the counting and tallying the results

6. In less than a minute, the winner is known

2.4.2 Mobile Voting in Estonia

Estonia is a small country hidden away on the shores of the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland. Despite

its small size and population, it has already made a significant contribution to the communications

world, being home to much of the R & D that has gone into the skype application now used by some

370 million people globally.

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In 2008, Estonia became the first country to allow voting in nationwide general elections to be done

online. The online turnout wasnt very great only about 3.5% of registered voters but it signaled

again that the country holds its own when it comes to technology.

Now, Estonia has again landed itself in the global technology spotlight. Its parliament voted to allow

voting via mobile phones Mobile Voting. Though it wont actually implement the process until the

2011 general elections, it is the first country to pass such a law.

Estonias mobile penetration rate was rated at more than 120% in 2008. The first question that comes

to mind is regarding the security of such endeavor. Following 2009 elections, officials said there were

no instances of hacking, fraud, or other malicious activity with the online voting process [12].

2.4.3 The EU CyberVote Project

In September 2000, the European Commission launched the CyberVote project with the aim of

demonstrating fully verifiable on-line elections guaranteeing absolute privacy of the votes and using

fixed and mobile Internet terminal. The project involved partners from industries: EADS Matra

Systmes & Information of France, Nokia Research Centre of Finland, and British

Telecommunications of the United Kingdom, universities: K.U.Leuven Research & Development of

Belgium, Technische Universiteit Eindhoven of The Netherlands, and potential users: Freie

Hansestadt Bremen of Germany, Mairie d'Issy-les-Moulineaux of France, Kista Stadsdelsnmnd of

Sweden.

The CyberVote project involved the development of an e-voting system that was tested in different

elections in 2002-2003. The first test was held on 11 December 2002 in the French town of Issy-les-

Moulineaux. 860 voters have elected their representatives to the city boroughs' counsels

electronically. The second test took place in Germany on 13-15 January 2003 at the Bremen

University. The trial covered the elections of the three University's representative bodies: the

university council, the councils of the different university departments and the student council with a

total of 47 voters casting their votes electronically. The last test took place in the Swedish Kista with

the participation of the elderly citizens in Kista. Much work was needed to attract voters aged over

55. The trial was open all day during the week of 27-31 January 2003. At the end of that period, 226

voters had participated in the electronic voting.

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Other countries that have employed mobile voting systems in some of their referenda and elections

include; Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Norway,

Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, The Netherlands, UK and USA [3].

2.5 Comparison between the Existing Voting Systems and the Proposed

Mobile Voting System

The table below illustrates the comparison between the existing voting systems in use and the

proposed mobile voting system.

Table 1: Comparison between the existing systems and the proposed MVS

Identifying attributes MVS MUK e-Voting Estonias Mobile Voting

Web support Yes Yes No

Area applied University level School/Hall level Country-wide

Languages used Java, HTML,

PHP, AJAX and

MySQL

HTML, PHP and

MySQL

PKI, Python, C, HTML

and PHP

Technology Used Web application Web based GSM chip and Software

Customizable Yes No No

Hardware dependent No No Yes

Security More secure Secure Most secure

2.6 Conclusion

A socioeconomic and technological look into the future predicts that most business transactions,

client support services will be mobile-aided. The imminent response from mobile users through the

use of mobile phones will provide the inexpensive voting option as this technology will promote mass

participation and it will ensure secure voting. Therefore the need to ensure democracy and to support

voting process through the relevant mobile technologies is paramount now than ever before.

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Chapter 3

Methodology

3.1 Data Collection Techniques

3.1.1 Interviews

Interviews are a forum for talking to people and they may be structured, unstructured or semi-

structured. We conducted interviews with the stakeholders; the School cabinet ministers to identify

and specify functional and non-functional requirements to determine requirement specification. Our

interviews were both semi-guided and unguided and also contained both closed and open ended

questions as we obtained the data mainly about the operation of the existing system; its problems,

strength, information flow and processing of the current system.

3.1.2 Documentation Review

We reviewed the relevant documents, guides and laws governing the voting system in use for the past

years. We also studied the processing methods used to come up with the accurate records. The most

preferred sources of our documents reviews were in the form of the Constitution of Uganda, other

books of literature, internet resources and journals. We were able to gather information on concepts

and challenges of the current voting system. We also examined reports from the manual system

which helped us to identify the inputs, processes and outputs of the system.

3.2 System Analysis and Design

3.2.1 System Analysis

Systems analysis is the process of identifying and summarizing data with the intent to extract useful

information and develop conclusions.

In system analysis requirements were determined. The requirements included functional and non-

functional base on the system study.

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3.2.2 System Design

1. Process Modeling: This was achieved by use of Data Flow Diagrams to show processes and

external entities in the system and the end product was a detailed description of processes

involved (process models). The information used in building the Data Flow Diagram was

obtained from the Data Dictionary.

2. Data Modeling: This was achieved using Entity-Relationship Diagrams to show the data

requirements and model. This yielded the structure of relations in the relational schema

(database).

3.3 System Implementation Tools

This is whereby the physical realization of the database and the application design was done. This

involved the implementation of both the database and the application programs. It was achieved using

the Data Definition Language (DDL) of the selected Database Management System (DBMS).

3.3.1 Implementation Tools

In the implementation stage, the following tools were used; WAMP/Apache server, MySQL, PHP,

AJAX, JavaScript, Notepad++, Windows operating system, and NetBeans (as the development

environment).

3.3.1.1 WampServer/Apache Server

WampServer is a free server bundle that uses Apache server. When installed on the system, it

includes Apache, MySQL, and PHP. Apache is a popular web server that many ISPs and individuals

use to host web pages. We installed Apache on our system as a web server. Pages were stored in the

systems special folder which was accessible on the network via the machines IP address. In order

for pages to be viewed on the Internet, the files were stored in the www directory.

3.3.1.2 PHP

Hypertext Preprocessor is an open source server side programming language extensively used for

web scripts. It is a popular server-side scripting language designed specifically for integration with

HTML, and is used (often in conjunction with MySQL) in Content Management Systems and other

web applications. It is available on many platforms, including Windows, Unix/Linux and Mac OS X,

and any open source software. We built our content management system using this tool.

14

3.3.1.3 MySQL

MySQL is an open source Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) that uses Structured

Query Language (SQL), the most popular language for adding, accessing, and processing data in a

database. Because it is open source, anyone can download MySQL and tailor it to their needs in

accordance with general public license. MySQL is noted mainly for its speed, reliability, and

flexibility.

We used MySQL because it is designed as a multi-tasking/ multi-user database, which is one of the

main requirements for a database.

3.3.1.4 HTML

HTML, referring to Hypertext Markup Language, is the predominant markup language for web

pages. It provides a means to describe the structure of text-based information in a document by

denoting certain text as links, headings, paragraphs, lists, among others and to supplement that text

with interactive forms, embedded images, and other objects. HTML is written in the form of tags,

surrounded by angle brackets. HTML can also describe, to some degree, the appearance and

semantics of a document, and include embedded scripting language code which can affect the

behavior of Web browsers and other HTML processor.

We used Notepad++ environment to construct both HTML and PHP pages that served on the content

management system.

3.3.1.5 Java

Java is a programming language and computing platform first released by Sun Microsystems in 1995.

It is the underlying technology that powers state-of-the-art programs including utilities, games, and

business applications. The use of technology to support business processes and policies in place

attracts the innovations of embedded systems. We wrote java applications (MIDlets) that were to be

embedded in mobile phones or simulated to support the voting processes of mobile voting system.

3.3.1.6 AJAX

Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (AJAX) is of late the most dynamic approach to real-time

running of web applications. This tool enabled us to display in real-time the votes each candidate

scored during the election process along with the respective chart to graphically represent the voting

results.

15

3.4 Systems Testing and Validation

3.4.1 Testing

This is the process of executing application programs with the intent of finding errors, using careful

planned test strategies and realistic data the system will be methodically and rigorously tested to

uncover faults in the application programs and the database structure. The faults were corrected and

the process was repeated until the system was proven to be working according to users specification

and performance requirements.

This was achieved by:

i. Testing the system performance, efficiency, disk space and its throughput to ensure proper

functioning of the system.

ii. Checking the compatibility of the system with different operating systems for example

Windows XP, Linux and Windows 7.

iii. Testing for security issues like resistance to remote attacks and authentication procedures.

3.4.2 Validation

The validation process for the Mobile Voting System provided a high degree of assurance that

specific processes consistently provide products which met predetermined specifications and quality

attributes. It involved identifying compliance to quality management procedures, life cycle definition,

specifications, for example; user requirements specification and functional specification,

documentation controls and various items of documentation for example user manuals and

administrator documentation and testing procedures.

16

Chapter 4

System Study, Analysis and Design

4.1 System Study

From the data gathered about the existing systems through interviews and review of existing

documents (documentation review), we found that manual voting systems are widely used in

Makerere University elections.

Further analysis of the manual voting system yielded a flow chart that shows the manual voting

process right from registration of candidates and voters to declaration of the winning candidate.

Figure 4.1 below shows manual voting process

4.1.1 Workflow for the Voting Process

Figure 4.1: Flowchart for the manual voting process

17

4.1.2 Weaknesses of the Existing Systems

The existing manual and electronic voting processes have disadvantages or weaknesses as described

below;

1. No option for voters who may not be readily available for poll-site voting since they may be

sick, busy at their work places or their homes are far from the polling stations.

2. Manual voting, counting and tallying of votes may take a long time to accomplish. Official

results are not declared until after 48 hours of vote counting and tallying.

3. Auditing of manual votes is also a burden since it may require critical analysis of ballot papers,

boxes, votes and other voting material used in the voting process.

4. Miscalculations in the counting and tallying process may arise since humans are prone to

making errors in such manual processes.

5. The existing electronic system was weak and prone to attacks hence hackers could manipulate

the voting processes due to poor encryption of voting data.

4.2 System Analysis

Data collected was analyzed in order to identify user, functional, non-functional, software and

hardware requirements that guided the design and implementation of the Mobile Voting system to

automate the manual voting process.

4.2.1 User Requirements

These are statements, in a natural language, of what services the system is expected to provide and

the constraints under which it must operate. Below are the user requirements for the system;

1. Allow mobile users to cast their votes efficiently and effectively

2. Process users tasks as fast as possible

3. Provide a user friendly interface with interface metaphors, mapping, affordances, constraints,

visibility, feedback and other user friendly qualities of an interface.

4. Be able to provide error control and recovery process to a user in case errors are committed in

data entry; so as to allow for error-free and accurate data input.

5. The user shall expect predictable results/information from the system after a given request. This

information shall also be consistent.

18

6. Users shall be able to access the system at any time during the voting period, that is, the system

shall provide high reliability during the voting period.

4.2.2 Functional Requirements

These are statements of services the MVS should provide, how the system should react to particular

inputs and how the system should behave in particular situations.

1. The system shall authenticate all users provided correct credentials are supplied.

2. The registrar shall be able to register voters and candidates using the system.

3. The system shall generate a voters register after all voters and candidates are registered.

4. The system shall send e-ballots to mobile voters on request.

5. The system shall dynamically count and tally votes during the voting process.

6. The returning officer and the voters shall be provided with a view of the vote results on a web

page.

4.2.3 Non-Functional Requirements

These are requirements that are not directly concerned with the specific functions delivered by the

system. They relate to emergent system properties such as reliability, response time and storage

capabilities of the system.

1. The system shall provide fast processing to all user requests.

2. The system shall provide platform independence. It shall be developed using platform

independent programming languages like JAVA, scripting languages like AJAX, PHP and the

markup language HTML.

3. The system shall be built on the principle of the 3-tier (Model-View-Controller) architecture. In

this architecture, the modification of any layer shall not affect the consequent layers of the

system.

4. The system shall conform to all the voting etiquette and standards ratified in the constitution of

Uganda and the Electoral Commission Act.

4.3 System Design

The MVS system design defines the architecture, components/subsystems, modules, interfaces and

data for the system to satisfy specified requirements. It defines a physical/diagrammatical

representation of the system and what processes are involved. However, it does not show how the

19

processing takes place. In system design the following tools and techniques were used; process

modeling and data modeling.

4.3.1 Process Modeling

In process modeling a Context Diagram (Figure 4.2) and the Level 1 DFD (Figure 4.3) were modeled.

The context diagram shows the overall context of the system and how it interacts with the external

entities while the Level 1 DFD shows the major sub processes identified in the MVS. Data obtained

from the DFD and context diagram are collectively used to yield the data dictionary.

4.3.1.1 Context Diagram for the Mobile Voting System

Figure 4.2: Context Diagram for the Mobile Voting System

Voting System

Login

details

Login

details

Cast vote

Ack of vote

Mobile

Voter

Registrar

Returning

Officer

Login

details

Login

Ack

/Fee

dbac

k

and b

allo

t

Login feedback

Vote count/tally

and Results

Login feedback

Voter + candidate

registration

20

Key Symbols

Symbol Name

Process

Data flow

Data Report

Data Store

External Entity

D

21

4.3.1.2 Level1 DFD for the Mobile Voting System

Figure 4.3: Level1 DFD for the Mobile Voting System

22

4.3.2 Description for the level1 DFD

The tables below give a description of all design objects used in developing the system. They include

Processes, Data flows, Data stores, Data reports and the External entities involved in the system.

4.3.2.1 Description for Processes

Table 2: Description of Processes

Process Description

Authentication Validates authentic users to access the system, and blocks

unauthorized access

Candidate Registration Registration of participating candidates

Voter Registration Registration of voters

Process Voters Register Generates the voters register

Voting Formats voters choice for storage and tallying

Vote Tallying Tallies the votes counted

4.3.2.2 Description for Data Stores

Table 3: Description of Data Stores

Data store Description

User data Users credentials eg username, password, etc

Candidate data Details about a candidate eg name, position etc

Voter data Details about a voter eg voter ID

Votes Stores the votes cast

4.3.2.3 Description for Data Reports

Table 4: Description of Data Reports

Data report Description

Voters Register Shows all valid (registered) voters

Tally Report Shows the vote tally results

23

4.3.2.4 Description for External Entities

Table 5: Description of External Entities

Entity Description

Voter Mobile user who uses a mobile interface to login, requests

for ballots and cast his/her vote

Registrar Registers voters and candidates and generates the voters

register

Returning Officer Announces results (The outcome of voting). Also audits

the voting outcome, and generates an audit report.

24

4.3.3 Architectural Design for the System

The architectural design shows how the MVS is comprised of the different subsystems namely

Data Collection, Data Processing, Data Storage and Data Display. The figure below shows an

architectural diagram of the mobile voting system.

Figure 4.4: Architectural Design for the System

4.4 Data Modeling

From the information obtained from the data dictionary, a data model was built. This was done by

identifying data requirements for the MVS database, identification of entities and their attributes

making up the system and relationships between these entities. From this an Entity Relationship

Diagram (ERD) was obtained.

25

4.4.1 Data Requirements

Below are the data requirements that were based on to obtain entities for the MVS database;

1. Candidate

Data to be stored by the candidate (aspirant for one of the positions being elected for) entity

include; voter ID (student number), candidate Name, position ID, election ID, Number of Votes

and photo.

2. Voter

Students and candidates are both voters. Information about voters include; voter ID, First Name,

Last Name, Course ID, Gender, Hall ID, Password and Status.

3. Position

Each candidate aspires to be elected for one position. The Position entity stores the Position ID

and Position Name.

4. Course

A voter at Makerere University can pursue only one course. Information to be obtained from the

course entity is Course ID and Course Name.

5. Hall

Besides the courses, students also are attached or reside in halls. The Hall entity stores the Hall

ID and Hall Name.

6. Vote

A voter casts vote to candidate, which is later tallied. The Vote entity stores the voter ID,

candidates voter ID and position ID.

26

4.4.2 Identification of Entities and the Associated Attributes

Table 6: Identification of Entities and Associated Attributes

Entity Attributes

Voter

voterID

firstName

lastName

courseID

hallID

gender

password

status

Candidate

voterID

candidateName

positionID

noOfVotes

photo

Position positionID

positionName

Course courseID

courseName

Hall hallID

hallName

Vote

voteID

voterID

positionID

candidateID

27

4.4.3 Modeling Relationships between Entities

Relationships between entities identify all possible associations between the entities. It also gives the

corresponding multiplicities (participation and cardinality). The result is an ERD.

Figure 4.5: Relationship between Voter and Course

Each course is offered by 1 or more voters and each voter can offer 1 and only 1 course.

Figure 4.6: Relationship between Voter and Hall

Each voter resides in 1 and only 1 hall, but each hall can accommodate 1 or more voters.

Figure 4.7: Relationship between Candidate and Position

Each position is contested by 1 or more candidates and each candidate contests for 1 and only 1

position.

Figure 4.8: Relationship between Voter and Vote.

A voter can cast only one vote and a vote is casted by 1 and only 1 voter.

Figure 4.9: Relationship between Candidate and Vote

A candidate can get 0 or many votes and each vote is cast to 1 and only 1 candidate.

28

Figure 4.10: Relationship between Vote and Position

A vote is made for 1 and only 1 position and each position can have 0 or more votes.

4.4.4 The Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD)

The ERD below shows the entities, their attributes and the relationships between these entities. The

relationships further indicate the multiplicities between these entities.

Figure 4.11: The ERD for Mobile Voting System

29

4.4.6 Mapping ERD to Relational Schema

4.4.6.1 Candidate

Table 7: The Candidate table

Field Name Data Type Constraint

candidateID int(10) Primary Key, Not null

candidateName varchar(50) Not null

positionID int(10) Foreign Key, Not null

noOf Votes int(10) Null

photo text Null

4.4.6.2 Voter

Table 8: The Voter table


voterID int(10) Primary Key, Not null

first Name varchar(20) Not null

last Name varchar(20) Not null

hallID varchar(5) Foreign Key, Not null

course ID varchar(5) Foreign Key, Not null

gender char(1) Null

password varchar(40) Not null

status int(1) Null

4.4.6.3 Course

Table 9: The Course table


courseID varchar(5) Primary Key, Not null

courseName varchar(30) Not null

30

4.4.6.4 Position

Table 10: The Position table


positionID int(10) Primary Key

positionName varchar(50) Not null

4.4.6.5 Hall

Table 11: The Hall table


hallID varchar(8) Primary Key, Not null

hallName varchar(20) Not null

4.4.6.6 Vote

Table 12: The Vote table


voteID int(10) Primary Key, Not null

voterID int(10) Not null

positionID int(10) Not null

candidateID int(10) Not null

31

Chapter 5

System Implementation

5.1 Introduction

This section describes the implementation of the design models in of the system and also shows the

different results generated by the system. Therefore screenshots of the system will be displayed to

show how the system displays results given a command.

5.2 System Functions

This section specifies the functions the system provides to all its users and external entities. It gives

functions the system provides to the mobile user, registrar, and the returning officer.

5.2.1 Functions provided to all Users.

The system allows for authentication of users and security by prompting for usernames and

passwords and also having an option of password recovery.

5.2.2 Functions provided to the Voter.

The system enables the mobile voter to request for an e-ballot, cast his/her vote during the voting

period, log the voter out in case of a network failure or in the occasion of a voter receiving phone

call, and provide feedback to the user after each request.

5.2.3 Functions provided to the Registrar.

The system allows the registrar to register voters and candidates and later generate a report the

voters register.

5.2.4 Functions provided to the Returning Officer.

The system will count and tally votes being cast, and provide a view of the candidates progress and

the entire voting process on web display. These are done in real time and enable the returning officer

to view the progress.

32

The system also provides the returning officer with a report depicting the final outcome of the voting

process.

5.3 System Map

Figure 5.1: System Map showing functions provided by the system to each user

Login

Mobile User

1. Authenticate the user

2. Send the user an e-ballot as a feedback of a successful

login

3. Provide feedback on login failure

4. Enable the voter to cast vote using the e-ballot

5. Provide feedback on a successful or failed voting attempt

6. Logout the user incase of network failure or receives a

call during voting

1. Authenticate the registrar

2. Provide a web interface for the registrar to add voters to

edit voter register and to manage candidates and the

respective

3. Provide a voters register report to the registrar

4. Provide feedback on all action performed by the registrar

Registrar

Returning

Officer

1. Authenticate the returning officer

2. Count and tally votes in real time

3. Provide a real time view of the voting progress on a web

interface

4. Print a report on the voting outcome

5. Provide feedback to the returning officer on success and

failure of any tasks he/she performs

33

5.4 System Requirements

System requirements include hardware and software requirements that will be sufficient for the

smooth operation of the system.

5.4.1 Hardware Requirements

These are the minimum hardware requirements of hardware resources required for the system. To

ensure faster processing of data, a system (server) with processor speed of at least 1GHz, 512MB

RAM and storage space of at least 20GB to handle all cast votes, ballots and registered candidates

and voters.

The mobile phone on the other hand has to be java enabled to support the application developed that

presents the voter with an electronic ballot. The mobile phone should have a minimum storage space

of 320 kilobytes either on the phones memory or the phones memory card.

The table below summarizes the hardware requirements;

Table 13: Hardware Requirements

Hardware Minimum requirements Reason

CPU Speed 1GHz Moderate

RAM 512MB Moderate

Disk Space 20GB Enough

FSB 32bit Moderate

Bandwidth 100Mbps Enough

Phone Memory 320kB Moderate

A 3G capable mobile phone 3G, GSM - capable Essential

5.4.2 Software Requirements

The system will require supporting software on which it will run. The software requirements range

from operating systems to some utility software. The system runs on predominantly Windows

Operating Systems including Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7. Since the system was

built using platform independent languages, it can be configured to run of some Linux distributions.

34

MySQL will be required to interpret SQL queries/commands that were used in the implementation of

the database and data retrieval form the database. WampServer will be used on windows Operating

Systems to process all requests and display results on web pages.

A number of web browsers can be used for this system which include; Mozilla Firefox, Netscape

Navigator, Internet Explorer, Opera Browser and Google Chrome.

The Phone should be java-enabled and should implement at least CLDC 1.0 and MIDP 2.0.

These can be summarized in the table below;

Table 14: Software Requirements

Software Minimum requirements Reason

Web server WampServer Freeware

Database Management System MySQL Freeware

Web browser Firefox, Internet Explorer, Opera

Mini, Google Chrome

Free and available

Operating System Windows XP, Windows Vista,

Windows 7

Available

Mobile Phone (JTWI platform) MIDP 2.0

CLDC Version 1.0

Required

Required

35

5.5 Sample Screenshots

5.5.1 The Election Administration Pages

Figure 5.2: The Mobile Voting Systems login page and Homepage.

Figure 5.2 shows the homepage that allows all election officials to login into the system in order to

access their pages and perform their tasks. For the samples below, we will use the registrars options

when he/she logs in. The Login page also has some interesting components like enabling one to

recover their passwords in case they have forgotten. Alert messages are displayed in case of wrong

username or password supplied during login. The homepage is also provides a link for the voter to

check the voter register to verify their details and also a link to view the election results when

elections are in progress.

36

Figure 5.3: The Edit Voter Register Page.

Figure 5.3 shows a page where the registrar can select the voter he/she wants to edit, and also allows

the registrar to delete unauthentic or invalid registered voters.

5.5.2 The Election Results Page

Figure 5.4: The Election Results Page.

37

Figure 5.4 shows the results page. This page dynamically displays results as the voting progresses.

The user navigates through the various positions to see the result per position by clicking the links of

each position on the left-side panel.

5.5.3 The Mobile Voters Interfaces

Figures 5.5 5.8: The Mobile Voters Login & Authentication Interfaces.

Figure 5.5 illustrates the mobile interface for which a voter is prompted to login with his/her correct

voter ID and password.

Figure 5.6 shows an error message a voter gets when he/she tries to login without supplying either

detail of his/her voter ID or password.

Figure 5.7 shows an error message prompted to an unregistered user when he/she tries to login as a

voter.

Figure 5.8 shows a confirmation interface for correct voter login upon the voter supplying the correct

voter ID and password.

Figures 5.9 5.12: The Mobile Voters Electronic Ballot Interfaces.

Figure 5.9 shows an electronic ballot from which a voter chooses a candidate to vote for.

38

Figure 5.10 shows a confirmation message to a voter to confirm his/her choice of voting a candidate.

The voter can change his/her mind to vote for another candidate by selecting cancel or proceed by

selecting yes to accept the selected choice of candidate.

Figure 5.11 shows an acknowledgment to voter upon successfully voting for all candidates of his/her

choice. Upon which the voter will click finish to end the voting process and automatically logout.

Figure 5.12 shows an alert message denying a voter who has voted from re-logging into the system

to vote again.

5.6 System Testing and Validation Results

We carried out system testing with an aim of finding out errors that were in the system. We also

performed system Validation to ensure that the system conformed to the then defined user needs and

requirements. We presented the system to some of the users so as to get feedback about the system

performance in relation to their requirements.

5.6.1 System Testing Results

The test results were got from the different testing phases that were conducted during system

implementation. The system was tested in the unit level and integration level. During unit test, unit

modules were tested to ascertain that they functioned as individual units. During integration test, the

unit modules were linked together and tested to ascertain that they worked together as a system.

The authentication of the system could only allow administrative users to access the system

information and make the necessary changes. We created one administrative account called Election

Officer, in which case was used for testing all administrative tasks. All administrative options were

tested exhaustively. Hence the system was declared satisfactory to the user needs.

We also tested the system to see whether it was capturing valid data, this was done by putting wrong

data and then the system responded by alert messages displaying the type of error. Testing and

validation was done successfully.

39

5.6.2 Validation Results

We used some experts in the area of database systems to check whether the system conformed to the

standards of similar systems under defined operating conditions. Further tests on validation were

carried out on the system to verify that it met the specified user requirements. We presented the

system to the users so as to get feedback about the system performance as to whether the system met

their needs or requirements.

The users were satisfied with the system and concluded that the system was simple to use allowing

users to navigate through the system with ease. The system was fast in responding to the different

calls.

The authentication procedure that we implemented in this system could only allow the approved users

to access the system else an alert message was prompted to the unauthorized users.

40

Chapter 6

Summary, Recommendations and Conclusion

6.1 Summary

This project was aimed at improving on the speed, ease and transparency of the electoral process.

There was need to guarantee improved quality of service, reduced election malpractices, increased

efficiency in tallying, increased voter participation, decreased invalid votes and voting errors;

prevent a digital divide, and allow for better voter registration management.

We looked at other systems alike and compared them with our system and realized some services

were not offered by those systems. So this system is generally a mobile based with a web-based

application that allows for voting over a mobile device and tallying of results displayed over the web.

Many people both the voters and election officials will benefit from further development in this area

since there is need to influence the progress of electronic voting, mass voter participation and ensure

the transparency, freedom and fairness of the whole election process.

6.2 Recommendations

We recommend that this system should be used by the electoral bodies such as Makerere University

Guild Election Commission, the Electoral Commission of Uganda because we believe that the system

can administer the election processes fairly, effectively and efficiently.

6.3 Conclusion

This project was rewarding as it enabled us have a better insight of real world problems and how to

go about with solving them. We are also happy that the goals we set at the beginning have been met

as the system is fully functional as proposed.

41

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1.

Appendices

Appendix I:

Interview Guide

Questions asked during the interview:

Voter Registration

Who is in charge of registering voters?

How do you keep voter records?

Where do you keep the voter register?

What are the requirements a voter should meet in order to be registered?

What criteria do you use to annul an ineligible registered voter?

Voting Process

Who are officials involved the voting process?

What are the procedures followed in the voting process?

What are the possible irregularities that may emerge during the voting process?

How are these irregularities handled?

Votes Tallying and Declaration of Results

Who tallies votes?

How is vote tallying done?

How are the results recorded and stored?

What is the procedure for declaring the winner?

How are results complaints handled?

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Appendix II:

Pseudo code

Pseudo code for Registrars login

Initialize Parameters to access data (username and password)

If Parameters are equal to null

Alert box, please enter a username and password

Else

Go to registrars page

Pseudo code for Registering Candidates

Initialize Parameters to user data

If Parameters are equal to null

Alert box, Please fill in all the required fields

Else

Select position from the side panel

Click add new candidate

Enter candidates voter ID.

Click on add candidate.

Then its added to the database

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Appendix III:

Other Screenshots

The Register Voter page

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The Edit Position Page.

The Edit Candidate Page.

The Returning Officers election results page

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Election results exported to Microsoft Excel

The Voter Register exported to Microsoft Excel

Mobile Voting System

Documents

Transcript of Mobile Voting System