DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF E-VOTING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background of the Study

E-Voting is an election system that allows a voter to record his or her secure and secret ballot electronically. In 2004; it's estimated that approximately 30 percent of the voting population in the United State used some form of e-voting technology, including direct electronic recording (DER) touch screen or optical scanners, to record their vote for president. (Vihti, 2006).  Electronic votes are stored digitally in a storage medium such as a tape cartridge, diskette, or smart card before being sent to a centralized location where tabulation programs compile and tabulate results. Advocates of e-voting point out that electronic voting can reduce election costs and increase civic participation by making the voting process more convenient. Critics maintain that without a paper trail, recounts are more difficult and electronic ballot manipulation, or even poorly-written programme code, could affect election results. (Wahlstift, 2000)

There is an ongoing discussion in many countries about e-voting via Internet or electronic distance voting. While some kind of e-voting is already widely used by society, organizations and private industry voting needs as well as non professional/ non-official polling, the situation is quite different when it comes to national elections and referendums. Several countries are considering the introduction of e-voting and are running a variety of pilot projects. Because of security concerns there is, in some countries, a strong opposition to any kind of e-voting, but especially when it comes to the use of the Internet for voting at national elections or referendums.

 1.2      Meaning of E-voting

E-voting 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 (Direct electronic recording) 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 the voting over the Internet that uses a Personal Computer (PC) with an Internet-connection to cast the vote and send it to be stored in another remote computer. Personal Digital Assistants (PDA"s), telephones or mobile phones can also be used to cast a vote electronically.

There are a wide variety of e-voting set ups, ranging from the casting of the vote with the aid of an electronic device (voting machines) inside computer intelligence polling station to casting a vote anywhere outside the polling station at a PC and transmitting the vote via the Internet.

1.3       Statement of the Problem

The basic problem of this study is to examine the Design and Implementation of

Electronic Voting System in Curbing Election Rigging. Case study of a Student Union

Government in particular FCE, Abeokuta and how:

i.                    E- Voting enhances qualitative and quantitative Election in Student Union Government

ii.                  E- Voting encourages fair and reliable elections

iii.                E-Voting can be used to curb election rigging in Student Union Government

 1.4      Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to model a critical analysis on Design and Implementation of Electronic Voting System in Curbing Election Rigging.

Moreover E-Voting has substantial roles to play in other to ensure effective, fair, and reliable election in the Student Union Government.

1.5       Significance of the Study

When this work is completed using all the information and data at hand, with the retrieved one in respect of this research, it is expected to give an account of the Design and

Implementation of Electronic Voting System in Curbing Election Rigging.

1.6       Scope / Delimitation of the Study

This study is restricted to Design and implementation of Electronic Voting System in

Curbing Election Rigging. However, the scope of this research work would be restricted to only

Student Union Government, Federal College of Education, Osiele Abeokuta.

 1.7      Research Questions

This study will make use of these various research questions below:

i.                    Does E-Voting provide solution to specific problems in election?

ii.                  Does E-Voting enhance qualitative and quantitative accurate achievement election?

iii.                Does E- Voting encourage the voter the vote at their own comfort?

iv.                Does E- Voting guarantees effective election in curbing election rigging in Student Union Government?

v.                  Does E-Voting has capacity to handle difficult elections in Student Union Government'?

 1.8      Research Hypotheses

Ho1:     There is significant relationship between E-Voting and the election.

Ho2:     There is significant relationship between E-Voting and achievement of election.

Ho3:     There is significant relationship between E- Voting and Student Union Government.

Ho4:     There is no significant relationship between effective, reliable, and fair election and

E-Voting

Ho5:     There is no significant relationship between E-Voting and difficult elections in Student Union Government.

1.9       OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS

DIRECT-RECORDING ELECTRONIC (DRE) VOTING SYSTEM: records votes by means of a ballot display provided with mechanical or electro-optical components that can be activated by the voter (typically buttons or a touch screen); that processes data with computer software; and that records voting data and ballot images in memory components

PAPER-BASED ELECTRONIC VOTING SYSTEM: paper-based voting systems originated as a system where votes are cast and counted by hand, using paper ballots.

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY: This is referred to those technologies that determine the efficiency and effectiveness with which we communicate and the devices that allow us handle information.