UNIVERSTIY OF LIVINGSTONIA

LAWS CAMPUS

FACULTY OF APPLIED SCIENCES

DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER ENGINEERING

LACASU ONLINE VOTING SYSTEM

BY

Towera Mwenelupembe (CEN/01/10/20, cen-01-10-20@unilia.ac.mw , 0999948628)

A Research Topic Document submitted to the Department of Computer Engineering

Date: 13th September 2023

Table of Contents
1.0 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................1

2.0 THE PROBLEM STATEMENT..........................................................................................1

3.0 THE OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT.............................................................................1

4.0 SCOPE (FEATURES) OF THE PROJECT.........................................................................2

5.0 CONCLUSION....................................................................................................................2
1.0 INTRODUCTION
The need for a good voting system for students is necessary because for a year, the elected
leaders act as a bridge that connects the student body and the management or the
administration of a particular school whereby, they communicate to the management on
behalf of their fellow students and they communicate to the students on behalf of the
management at times. In an age where technology permeates every aspect of our lives, the
need for efficient and secure processes extends to our educational institutions. As stated by
Miller and Zeng, “Digital voting systems enhance student participation by providing a
convenient and accessible platform for students to cast their votes. The LACASU(Laws
Campus Student Union) online voting system is a system that will empower students to
exercise their right to vote conveniently and securely from anywhere. Studies have shown
that individuals who vote in their first election are more likely to continue voting throughout
their lives (Campbell, Green, and Monson, 2010).

2.0 THE PROBLEM STATEMENT

To develop a secure and accessible online voting system for student elections within laws
campus. The system should provide a user-friendly interface for students to cast their votes
electronically without having to stand in long queues and the students should be able to cast
their votes anywhere not restricted in terms of geographical locations. The goal is to
modernize the election process, increase participation, and enhance the transparency and
integrity of student elections while adhering to data security and privacy standards.

3.0 THE OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT

GENERAL OBJECTIVE

The main objective of the project is to develop an online voting system that will be more
accessible, efficient, and secure allowing students to cast votes online and ensuring students
that their opinions are heard and counted accurately.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

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  Ensuring that all eligible students have easy access to the voting system, regardless of
their physical location, through an online platform.
 Offering a user-friendly interface that simplifies the voting process, making it easy for
students to cast their votes without complications
 Providing transparency in the election process by ensuring that the results are accurate
and reliable.

4.0 SCOPE (FEATURES) OF THE PROJECT

 User authentication

This feature verifies voter eligibility by allowing students to register using their registration
number or school email address.

 Candidate Profile

This includes the candidate's details like a photo, full name, year of study, program of study,
and the position competing.

 Voting period

Sets specific start and end times for voting.

 Results tallying

Automatically tally and display results at the end of the election period

5.0 CONCLUSION
The implementation of an online student voting system offers numerous advantages,
including increased accessibility, efficiency, and accuracy in the voting process. This system
can empower students to participate in campus democracy because they do not have to stay in
long queues to cast a vote and they are not restricted by a given location.

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REFERENCES

Campbell, A. L., Green, D.P., & Monson, J.Q.(2010). The Sequential Logic of Institutional
Change and The Contemporary American Politics of Voter Access.

Miller, J., & Zeng, L.(2018) Digital Democracy: The Role of Online Voting Systems in
Higher Education. Journal Of Student Affairs, 42(3), 1-14)