E-VOTING IN NUEVA ECIJA HIGH SCHOOL:

EVALUATING THE IMPACT FOR STUDENT COUNCIL ELECTION

JACINTO, BIEN VENIDO A. II

SANTOS, JOMAR L.

SANTOS, RAILEY RAZZY D.C.

DACANAY, JASMINE T.

DELA CRUZ, CHARISSE FAYE V.

JOSE, KAREN S.

GRADE 10

NUEVA ECIJA HIGH SCHOOL

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page
Acknowledgment....................................................................................
Chapter 1: Introduction...................................................................................
Background of the Study .......................................................................
Statement of the Problem.......................................................................
Objectives...............................................................................................
Scope and Delimitation..........................................................................
Significance of the Study........................................................................
Conceptual Framework...........................................................................
Definition of Terms................................................................................
Chapter 2: Review of Related Literature.......................................................
Foreign....................................................................................................
Local.......................................................................................................
Chapter 3: Methodology and Sampling..........................................................
Research Design.....................................................................................
Methodology and Sampling Techniques................................................
Data Collection.......................................................................................
Units of Analysis....................................................................................
Data Gathering Procedure......................................................................
Chapter 4: Presentation and Analysis of Data...............................................
Chapter 5: Conclusions and Recommendations............................................
Conclusion..............................................................................................
Recommendation....................................................................................
References..............................................................................................

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 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

I. Background of the Study

Technology is becoming an integral part of today’s learning environments day

by day; and both researchers and practicing educators are constantly exploring new

ways in which technology can help facilitate learning as well as contribute to a higher

quality of education and higher levels of student satisfaction (Kozlova, D., and

Pikhart, M., 2021). Almost everyone uses technology in their daily activities and it

plays an important role in our lives.

In this digital age driven by electronic technologies and inventions, societies

were impacted and changed in many aspects of life. This includes how we interact

and communicate, conduct business, work, and even improve healthcare outcomes by

enabling faster diagnoses. One area where technological advances are making an

impact is the realm of voting and decision-making. As traditional paper-based voting

faces its own set of limitations, we needed an alternative way to solve the problems

we are facing.

Electronic voting, or e-voting, was introduced as an alternative to traditional

paper-based voting methods, potentially enhancing accessibility, efficiency, and

security in elections. E-voting is an electoral system where data is recorded, stored,

and processed in the form of digital information (Alvarez, et. al., 2013). E-voting is a

system for making ballots, giving, counting, showing votes, and generating and

maintaining audit tracks electronically and digitally. An understanding of e-voting

refers more to the process of utilizing electronic devices to better support the smooth

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process and to an automation model that allows minimal interference from individuals

in all processes (Garg, K., 2019).

The e-voting system was first introduced in the Philippines in the 2010

elections, and it was the only Southeast Asian country that adopted electronic voting

and used it in national elections. It was the most expensive election ever conducted by

the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) due to the new voting technology and

large voter education efforts.

According to studies, electronic voting gives students a positive attitude and

helps build trust in modern technology and the e-voting system. However, many

schools consider student e-voting systems inconsistent and expensive. This

perspective is made worse by the fact that a student e-voting system is sometimes

prohibitively expensive for technologically lacking schools.

The Nueva Ecija High School, or NEHS, is a national high school located on

Burgos Avenue in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija, Philippines. It was built in 1905 and

is considered one of the oldest schools in Nueva Ecija. For the past years, the student

and teacher communities of Nueva Ecija High School have organized the handling of

the election for the Student Supreme Council, or the SSG, the Barkada Konta Droga,

or BKD, and the Yes-O Club. The student council and club are managed by students

who are running for their chosen positions and get selected and voted on by their

fellow students and voters.

Traditionally, school elections have been conducted using manual methods

involving paper ballots and manual vote counting. However, the introduction of

electronic voting systems provides an interesting alternative to this traditional paper-

based election, promising faster and smoother processes, better accessibility, and

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possibly enhanced student engagement. By adopting electronic platforms, schools aim

to upgrade their election methods, match them with current technical standards, and

potentially increase student engagement in the political process.

During previous elections, many problems and errors were commonly

encountered, including the fact that many students who voted failed to sign the ballots

correctly and completely, which put their votes to waste and consumed materials and

papers that were used for the ballots. Additionally, the collection of ballot paper in an

election is probably highly complicated since ballots that have entered the ballot box

must be issued again before being counted in the vote to determine the results of the

votes collected by each pair of candidates. The process up to the vote-counting stage

is time-consuming and expensive, not to mention the number of people who are

counting the votes.

Student elections typically last a whole day and use regular voting systems. It

also requires a lot of people or committees to carry out the SSG, BKD, and Yes-O

club elections; it also lacks transparency, and some possible errors can occur in vote

counting in traditional paper-based elections. To elect the new student government

leaders of our school, we, the researchers, want to create an application program to

help our school choose a new elected school officer in a fast and convenient way for

the student voters and distributors of the election.

The introduction of electronic voting systems in schools raises important

considerations and inquiries about their effectiveness, security, and effects on student

participation in student government elections. In addition, questions of acceptance,

accessibility for all pupils, and the possibility of technological obstacles must be

thoroughly evaluated. The e-voting application that was built reduces the problem of

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the process of printing votes because the votes obtained in the form of data can be

directly given at the time of voting.

In this study, we aim to resolve and navigate these complications by providing

insights into the varied aspects of electronic voting implementation at Nueva Ecija

High School. We will also examine the broader implications of electronic voting in

schools, beyond the immediate electoral processes. We will investigate and explore

the numerous aspects of electronic voting in schools, including its possible benefits,

problems, and consequences when used for educational purposes. This study aims to

provide insights into the significance of e-voting in promoting electronic voting

purposes, increasing the participation of student voters, and the future of student

governance by conducting an assessment and analysis of existing literature, case

studies, and research. By shedding light on these complications, this study aims to

inform users of the implications of implementing electronic voting systems in schools

as well as contribute to ongoing discussions about the intersection of technology and

education.

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 II. Statement of the Problem:

This study aims to examine the sustainability, benefits, difficulties, and

consequences of using electronic voting systems in Nueva Ecija High School. It will

do this by addressing important concerns including security, usability, acceptance by

users, and general efficiency and effectiveness in guaranteeing free and fair elections.

Specifically, it aimed to answer the following questions:

1. Does this program help the school’s student council election be more

organized?

2. What is the objective of this study?

3. What factors influence voter behavior in the context of e-voting?

III. Objectives

The objective of this research is to develop an Automated Voting System that

is effective, efficient, of high quality, timely, and productive. The system will be

designed with the following criteria in mind:

1. Effectiveness: The system should be able to securely and accurately record and

count votes. There should be no third parties to access the results and only people

with authorized access should and should accurately record the votes of the voters.

2. Efficiency: The system should be able to process votes quickly and with minimal

errors. In addition, the vote counting should have a little delay and a fast-voting

process.

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3. Quality: The system should be reliable, user-friendly, and able to handle a large

volume of voters. It should be easy to understand and use, easily preparable, and

should have no problem handling a big crowd.

4. Timelessness: The system should be designed to operate continuously and without

interruption. Let’s take power interruption, although the electricity of the admin’s or

vote counters stopped, the counting of votes won’t be interrupted and would still be

processed.

5. Productivity: The system should be able to handle a high volume of voters and

provide real-time feedback. To achieve these objectives, the system will be designed

to be accessible through the Local Area Network/Wide Area Network and will

include a backup and archiving system. The system will also generate complete

reports of the election results, ensuring transparency and accountability. The

automated voting system will be a secure and reliable solution for conducting

elections, ultimately improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the electoral

process.

IV. Scope and Delimitations

The study covers all curricula of Nueva Ecija High School from grades 7-10

for the election of SSG and organizations officers of NEHS on selecting new student

leaders, however, the e-voting application only covers up to N.E.H.S. It also allows

the authorized personnel to print out the results of the election. The system runs in a

local server network.

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 The study was limited to 200 participants from first to fourth-year high school

students of Nueva Ecija High School. The sampling aims to test the program to

present and make our student election flow more efficient.

To elect SSG and organization officials of NEHS to choose new student

leaders, the study includes the entire curriculum of Nueva Ecija High School for

grades 7 through 10. Nevertheless, the online voting application only goes up to

NEHS. It also makes it possible for authorized staff to print up the election results. A

local server network powers the system.

V. Significance of the study

As traditional paper-based voting methods face their own set of limitations. E-

voting systems, which employ technology to well organize the casting and counting

of votes, have emerged as a promising avenue for enhancing the electoral experience.

As we delve deeper into this multifaceted realm, it is essential to recognize both the

opportunities and challenges it presents, to enhance the cornerstone of modern

societies, free and fair elections. With quicker delivery of election results and

counting, election confidence is boosted because a human mistake is prevented.

Higher voter turnout, particularly in cases where online voting is used lowers costs

when using electronic voting for several elections and decreases waste of ballots.

The fact that traditional voting takes a lot of time is one of its biggest

drawbacks. E-voting uses technology, which is significantly easier and less time-

consuming than utilizing paper ballots. With electronic voting, educators and students

can cast ballots using electronic devices. Voter integrity is increased by e-voting and

online voting, which decrease voter errors and fraud risks.

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 However, voting on paper does not prevent voter fraud and errors. Paper votes

have negative environmental effects due to their use in voting systems, while

electronic voting is more cost-effective. Advancements in technology have led to the

development of innovative gadgets that enhance people's lives.

Therefore, E-voting will help to prevent errors on paper ballots and also to

reduce the counting of papers. E-voting will be created for a fair election and assure

people that they are safe to vote on electronic voting, in addition, E-voting allows

students in all curricula to vote without error through the reason that traditional paper

voting usually encounters failed and incomplete votes.

The significance of electronic voting for schools is to make voting easier and

fair for students and teachers. E-voting makes voting convenient and accessible, it can

also boost efficiency and accessibility in school elections. Electronic voting makes

elections more organized and reduces errors making it more applicable in school

elections. The goal is to decrease the expenses linked to traditional paper-based

elections, including the printing and transportation of physical ballots.

VI. Conceptual Framework

The conceptual framework that was used in this study is the Input-Process-

Output Model as shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2 (IPO). The IPO Framework was

used to show the process of the implementation of electronic voting in Nueva Ecija

High School. The IPO model provided the general structure and guide for the

direction of the study. Substituting the variables of this study on the IPO model, the

researcher came up with the following model.

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 Input

Voter User and Pass

Select Candidates

Process

Log In

Submit
Output

Voter’s Dashboard

Vote Submitted and

Log Out

Figure 1.0 Conceptual Framework for Users

Input

Admin user and

Password
Process
Add Candidates

Add Voters Log In

Save Entry Output

Save Admin Dashboard

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Candidate Added

Voter Added
 Figure 2.0 Conceptual Framework for Admin Users

VII. Definitions and Terms

The following terms are defined for this study:

Technology - is the application of conceptual knowledge for achieving practical

goals, especially in a reproducible way.

E-voting - is an electoral system where data is recorded, stored, and processed in the

form of digital information (Alvarez, et. al., 2013)

Paper-based voting – also known as paper ballot voting, is a traditional method of

voting in which voters cast their votes on paper ballots. These paper ballots typically

contain the names of candidates or options for a given election or referendum.

Digital – refers to electronic technology that uses discrete values, generally zero and

one, to generate, store, and process data.

Student Government – it refers to a student-led organization within a school or

university that is responsible for representing the interests, concerns, and needs of the

student body to school administrations and other relevant stakeholders (Jafrin, S.,

2023)

Election – a formal and organized choice by a person's vote for a political office or

other position.

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Ballot – a process of voting, in writing and typically in secret; the action or system of

secret voting (Merriam-Webster).

Modern – relating to the present or recent times as opposed to the remote past.

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