Affiliated to Pokhara University

UNITED TECHNICAL COLLEGE

A Minor Project Proposal on

Online Voting System
[Course Code: CMP-290]
(For partial fulfillment of Fourth Semester in Computer Engineering)

Submitted By
KISMAT DUWADI [ROLL NO: 11]
JAY SINGH [ROLL NO: 8]
PRIYASHI JAISWAL [ROLL NO: 18]
SIMRAN PANTHI [ROLL NO: 27]

Submitted to
Department of Computer Engineering
December 10, 2023
Abstract
The Online Voting System we are developing utilizes a centralized database and web
interface, providing a secure and innovative platform for remote voting. This system
streamlines the electoral process, enhancing accessibility, efficiency, and
transparency. Through advanced technologies, eligible voters can securely cast their
votes online, supported by robust security measures, user authentication, and privacy
protection. The system addresses the contemporary demand for secure and convenient
voting methods while acknowledging the associated security concerns. By placing
control in the hands of the computer, it prevents manipulation and ensures a high
level of security, including protection against false voting. This solution is versatile,
applicable to Corporate Board Elections, Club and Organization Elections, Reality
Show Voting, Union Elections, and Nonprofit Organizations, aiming for a fair,
transparent, and inclusive voting experience.

Keywords: Centralized database, Web interface, Robust security measures, Inclusive

voting experience

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Abstract .......................................................................................................................... i
List of Table ................................................................................................................. iii
List of Figures .............................................................................................................. iv
Acronyms and Abbreviation ......................................................................................... v
Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................. 1
1.1 Background .................................................................................................... 1
1.2 Objectives ....................................................................................................... 2
1.3 Motivation and Significance .......................................................................... 2
1.4 Scope of work...................................................................................................... 3
Chapter 2: Related Works ............................................................................................. 4
2.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 4
Chapter 3: Feasibility Study.......................................................................................... 7
3.1. Market Analysis ................................................................................................. 7
3.2. Technical Feasibility .......................................................................................... 7
3.3. Financial Feasibility ........................................................................................... 7
3.4. Operational Feasibility ....................................................................................... 8
3.5 Legal and Regulatory Feasibility ........................................................................ 9
3.6. Organizational Feasibility .................................................................................. 9
3.7. Risk Analysis.................................................................................................... 10
Chapter 4: Design and Implementation ...................................................................... 10
4.1. System Requirement Specification ................................................................. 11
4.1.1. Software Specification ................................................................................. 12
4.1.2. Software and Hardware Requirement .......................................................... 14
Chapter 5: Expected Outcome .................................................................................... 15
5.1 Time Estimation ........................................................................................... 15
Chapter 6: Conclusion................................................................................................. 16
References ............................................................................................................... 17
APPENDICES ............................................................................................................ 19
Cost Estimation: ...................................................................................................... 19

ii
List of Table
Table 1: Comparative Analysis of the existing methods.............................................. 6
Table 2: Cost Estimation ........................................................................................... 19

iii
List of Figures
Figure 1: Basic Website Layout ......................................................................................... 11

iv
 Acronyms and Abbreviation

CSS Cascading Style Sheets

ER Entity Relation

GB GigaByte

OVS Online Voting System

HDD Hard Disk Drive

HTML HyperText Markup Language

GUI Graphical User Interface

MS-Word Microsoft Word

MySQL My Structured Query Language

PC Personal Computer

PHP Hypertext Preprocessor

ROI Return on investment

RDBMS Relational DataBase Management System

CAGR Compound annual growth rate

SQL Structured Query Language

SSD Solid State Drive

TB TeraByte

VS Code Visual Studio Code

XAMPP Cross-Platform Apache MySQL PHP Perl

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Chapter 1: Introduction

1.1 Background

The traditional voting system, prone to manipulation and corruption, raises concerns
about potential wrong leaders taking power, risking failure. Candidates exploit
vulnerabilities through intimidation and corruption, threatening democracy and
overall well-being. Online voting, utilizing blockchain and verifiable systems,
addresses these challenges. It ensures security and transparency, mitigating
manipulation risks. A transformative solution, online voting ensures leaders are
elected based on genuine public will, fostering a robust foundation for the success and
prosperity of nations, businesses, communities, and societies.

The Online voting system (OVS) also known as e-voting is a term encompassing
several different types of voting embracing both electronic means of counting votes.
Electronic voting technology can include punched cards, optical scan voting systems
and specialized voting kiosks (including self-contained direct-recording electronic
voting systems or DRE). It can also involve transmission of ballots and votes via
telephones, private computer networks, or the internet.

Online voting is an electronic way of choosing leaders via a web driven application.
The advantage of online voting over the common "queue method" is that the voters
have the choice of voting at their own free time and there is reduced congestion. It
also minimizes an errors of vote counting. The individual votes are submitted in a
database which can be queried to find out who of the aspirants for a given post has
the highest number of votes. With system in place also, if high security is applied,
cases of false votes shall be reduced.

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1.2 Objectives

The specific objectives of the project include:

• Increasing number of voters as individuals will find it easier and more
convenient to vote.
• Less effort and less labor intensive, as the primary cost and focus primary on
creating, managing, and running a secure web voting portal.
• The system can be used anytime and from anywhere by the Voters.
• No one can cast votes on behalf of others and multiple times.

1.3 Motivation and Significance

This project addresses critical issues in traditional voting systems, marked by

susceptibility to manipulation and corruption. The inherent risk of wrong leaders
assuming power poses threats to nations, businesses, communities, and societies.
Focusing on online voting, the project offers increased convenience, reduced costs,
enhanced security, and improved efficiency. Enabling 24/7 ballot access from any
location, online voting boosts voter turnout and saves resources by eliminating
physical polling stations.[15] Secure encryption ensures vote integrity, and
automated counting delivers faster, more accurate results, revolutionizing the
electoral process. This endeavor strives to mitigate risks associated with traditional
systems while advancing democracy through technological innovation.

Traditional Voting System

• Inefficient
• Takes time and human resources
• Does not give an instant poll result
• Hard to track who voted and who don’t

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Online Voting system
• Instant poll result
• Easy to keep track of voters and time saving
• Use of Internet
• Enhanced credibility

1.4 Scope of work

The online voting system is a web based system that provides an electronic way to
vote casting.
Main features of this program can be listed as follows.
• An administrative dashboard (Admin Login)
• Register voters
• Registered voter login
• Update/Delete Voters
• Register Candidate
• Update/Delete Candidate
• Voting process
• Check/Display Results

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 Chapter 2: Related Works

2.1 Introduction

Although there are many research works on online voting systems, here we have
critically analyzed and summarized some research works and projects which are more
relevant, recent and pertinent. It is observed that most the recent works address the
issue of online voting and use of various information technologies. A lot of research
has been done for this project by our team on online voting system and here are some
of the study's results:

Case Study

In the year 2020, Shaikh Mohammad Bilal, Prince Ramesh Maurya developed Voting
System utilizing Android Application is progressively effective that the great
technique to do a political decision. The task has build up an intuitive GUI board for
casting a ballot framework. In addition, Apps Inventor 2 had been utilized to structure
the whole task. The database that made additionally does the computation of the
information before moving the information to the official site. This framework has
better exactness contrasted with the conventional strategy for tallying. The
technology/platform used were Android applications.[2]

In the year 2020, Ramya Govindaraj, Kumaresan P, K.Sree harshitha developed an

online voting system with features like the schemes that the specific party has
implemented, based on the features we are going to vote. The main reason we need to
shift from normal voting system to online voting system is that we can consume our
time and can vote from anywhere through online. The technology/platform used were
C# as a programming language, Microsoft SQL server 2012 and Microsoft azure as a
cloud.[3]

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In the year 2003, Robert Kofler, Robert Krimmer, Alexander Prosser developed a
system which can assure the a anonymity of the voter. This makes sure that there is
little to no risk of tampering or manipulation of votes. The issue of security and
application choices for security was also addressed in this paper. The
technology/platform used were Electronic Voting, Electronic Democracy, Internet
Applications.[4]

The systematic representation of above online voting related work is given in Table 1.
The existing approaches are categorized based on the basic concepts involved in the
mechanisms. The emphasis is on the concepts used by the concerned authors, the
proposed methodology, issues addressed and the technology or platform used. Their
claims are also highlighted.

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 Table 1: Comparative Analysis of the existing methods

Ref Name of Authors, Proposed Methodology Issue Addressed Technology/

No Paper, Title, Year Platform Used
[1] Shaikh Mohammad The Voting System utilizing Android This framework has Android
Bilal, Prince Ramesh Application is progressively effective better exactness application.
Maurya, “Online that the great technique to do a contrasted with the
Voting System via political decision. The task has build conventional strategy
Smartphone”, 2020 up an intuitive GUI board for casting for tallying.
a ballot framework. In addition, Apps
Inventor 2 had been utilized to
structure the whole task. The
database that made additionally does
the computation of the information
before move the information to the
official site.
[2] Ramya Govindaraj, In this specific research mentioned The main reason we C# as a
Kumaresan P, K.Sree idea is to implement online voting need to shift from programming
harshitha, “Online system with features like the schemes normal voting system language,
Voting System using
that the specific party has to online voting Microsoft SQL
Cloud”, 2020
implemented, based on the features system is that we server 2012 and
we are going to vote. can consume our time Microsoft azure
and can vote from as a cloud.
anywhere through
online.
[3] Robert Kofler, et.al. The paper developed a system which The issue of security Electronic
“Electronic Voting: can assure the anonymity of the and application Voting,
Algorithmic and voter. This makes sure that there is choices for security Electronic
Implementation little to no risk of tampering or was addressed in this Democracy,
Issues” 2003 manipulation of votes. paper. Applications

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Chapter 3: Feasibility Study

3.1. Market Analysis

The online voting system market in Nepal is still in its early stages of development.
However, the global market is projected to grow significantly, reaching a projected
value of USD 770 million by 2030, with a CAGR of 7.5%.[16] This positive trend is
expected to translate to Nepal as well, driven by factors such as:

• Increasing internet and smartphone penetration: Nepal has seen a rapid

increase in internet access and smartphone usage in recent years. This
provides a strong foundation for the adoption of online voting systems.

• Government initiatives: The government has expressed interest in exploring

online voting as a way to improve voter turnout and election efficiency.

• Growing demand for transparency and security: Online voting systems can
offer a more transparent and secure voting process compared to traditional
methods.

• Potential cost savings: Online voting can potentially save costs associated
with printing ballots, staffing polling stations, and transporting materials

3.2. Technical Feasibility

While developing this online voting system, it is needed to consider technical aspect.
Some of the technical tools and technologies are listed below.

• PHP
• My Sql
• HTML
• CSS
• Bootstrap

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Most of the tools and technologies mentioned above are freely available. Initially this
web application runs on the local host. So it is clear that this online voting system
technically feasible.

3.3. Financial Feasibility

When designing web application, it is needed to consider web hosting cost. Since the
system should access the voters in given period of time (may be within 8 hours 2
million population, the system required high bandwidth for the operations of the
application. This system is critical system so the cost for security and maintenance
will be high. At the initial stage the system build only for presidential election and the
system further developed for other elections. Besides associated cost there will be
many benefits for all citizens of our country. Because using this system, election cost
can be reduced greatly. So it is clear that this online voting system financially
feasible.

3.4. Operational Feasibility

Impact on day-to-day operations:

• Reduced need for physical polling stations: Frees up space and resources for
other activities, potentially reducing costs.
• Increased convenience for students: Vote from any location with internet
access, enhancing accessibility.
• Faster vote counting and results: Potentially leading to quicker election
results.

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3.5 Legal and Regulatory Feasibility

• Data Privacy: Comply with Nepal's Data Protection Act 2018 regarding data
collection, storage, and access.
• Security: Implement robust security measures to protect voter data and
prevent cyberattacks.
• Transparency: Ensure transparency in voting processes and auditability of
election results.
• Election Laws: Amend existing election laws to accommodate online voting
procedures and ensure fairness.
• Regulation: Establish regulatory bodies to oversee and ensure the integrity of
online elections.

Compliance:

• Independent audit and verification of system security and data privacy

practices.
• Regular review and updates of policies and procedures.
• Transparency and communication about data handling practices.
• Public consultation and feedback mechanisms.

3.6. Organizational Feasibility

Willingness to adopt:

• Benefits for administration: Reduced costs, improved efficiency, faster results.

• Benefits for staff: Easier to manage elections, reduced workload.
• Challenges: Learning new technology, adapting to change.
• Potential resistance: Fear of technology, concerns about security and
reliability.

Training and change management:

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 • Comprehensive training for staff on system usage and best practices.
• Communication and engagement with stakeholders to address concerns.
• Ongoing support and technical assistance.

3.7. Risk Analysis

It is necessary to identify all the requirements in the early stages. The requirements
change only if new functions added to the system. The system designed for all voters
so this system design while maintaining low complexity. Usability highly improved
by help documents and making GUI easy to use.

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Chapter 4: Design and Implementation
The Online Voting System is designed to facilitate secure and efficient electronic
voting processes. The system will include functionalities for voter registration, ballot
creation, the casting of votes, and result tabulation.
Online voting is a portal through which a voter can cast his vote by registering
themselves on the online voting platform. All the information about users is entered in
database by which admin can verify the user. There are different tables in database for
users, candidates, result, admin. Each voter has to enter his all-basic information like
name, gender, contact, email-id. This is the first page of the website known as the
welcome page. It has all the page options like Home, Result, Register, Login, about us.

Sitemap

Figure 1: Basic Website Layout

4.1. System Requirement Specification

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4.1.1. Software Specification

• HTML is the fundamental language used to structure and define the content of
web pages. It focuses on organizing and giving meaning to the information
presented. Hypertext refers to the interconnectedness of web pages through
links, allowing users to navigate between different pages and websites. By
contributing and linking content online, individuals actively participate in the
vast network of the World Wide Web [5].

• CSS is a language specifically designed to control the presentation and

appearance of documents written in HTML or XML. It provides instructions
on how elements should be displayed on various media, including screens,
paper, and even speech. By using CSS, developers can define the visual
styling of a web page or document, ensuring consistent and aesthetically
pleasing rendering across different platforms [6].

• JS is a dynamic programming language that enhances web pages by adding

interactivity and functionality. It enables developers to manipulate HTML and
CSS elements, handle user interactions, perform calculations, and
communicate with servers for data updates. With JavaScript, web applications
can respond in real-time, validate input, and create interactive features. JS
plays a crucial role in enhancing user experience and creating engaging web
experiences [7].

• Tailwind CSS is a utility-first CSS framework that streamlines web

development by providing ready-to-use classes for styling HTML elements.
Developers can quickly design and customize web pages by composing utility
classes, promoting consistency and efficiency in the styling process. With

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 Tailwind CSS, creating visually appealing and responsive web applications
becomes easier and more efficient [8].

• PHP is a popular server-side scripting language used for web development. It

enables the creation of dynamic web pages by embedding PHP code within
HTML. PHP allows developers to interact with databases, handle form data,
and perform various server-side operations. With its rich set of built-in
functions and libraries, PHP simplifies the development process and enables
the creation of dynamic and interactive web applications [9].

• MySQL is a widely used relational database management system (RDBMS)

known for its scalability and efficiency. It seamlessly integrates with
programming languages like PHP and provides robust data management
capabilities. MySQL enables developers to perform data operations through
SQL queries, ensuring reliable performance and data security for web
applications [10].

• XAMPP is a cross-platform software package that provides a local web server

environment for developers. It includes Apache, MySQL, PHP, and Perl,
which are essential components for web development. XAMPP simplifies the
setup and configuration of a web server on a local machine, allowing
developers to test and debug their websites or applications offline. It provides
a convenient and all-in-one solution for creating a local development
environment [11].

• VS Code is a popular and lightweight source code editor created by Microsoft.

It offers a wide range of features and extensions to enhance the coding
experience. With its intuitive interface, customizable settings, and support for
multiple programming languages, developers can efficiently write, edit, and

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 debug code. VS Code includes built-in Git integration, intelligent code
completion, debugging tools, and a rich ecosystem of extensions. It is highly
regarded for its user-friendly interface and powerful capabilities [12].

• MS-Word is a popular word processing software with a user-friendly interface

and extensive features. It allows users to create, edit, format, and collaborate
on documents easily. MS-Word offers tools for text formatting, image and
table insertion, and document customization. It also provides functionalities
like spell-checking and grammar checking. Overall, MS-Word is a versatile
and widely used software for document creation and editing [13].

• Adobe Photoshop is a powerful and industry-leading image editing software

that offers a wide range of tools and features. It allows users to manipulate
and enhance digital images, create stunning graphics, and design visually
appealing artwork. Photoshop offers extensive capabilities for adjusting
colors, retouching photos, removing objects, and applying various effects and
filters. With its intuitive interface and advanced editing capabilities, Adobe
Photoshop is a go-to software for professional photographers, graphic
designers, and digital artists [14].

4.1.2. Software and Hardware Requirement

The hardware required for the development of the project is:
• Processor: Intel ® 11th Gen Intel Core ™ i3-1115G4 up to 4.1 GHz
• RAM: 8GB
• Storage: 256 GB SSD/ 1TB HDD
The software required for the development of the project is:
• Operating System: Windows Operating System
• Environment: Visual Studio Code
• Language: Visual Basic
• NET Backend: SQL Server 2000

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Chapter 5: Expected Outcome
The implementation of an online voting system in Nepal is anticipated to yield
several positive outcomes. This includes increased accessibility for citizens to
exercise their voting rights, fostering higher voter turnout and civic engagement. The
system is expected to enhance the efficiency and accuracy of the electoral process,
leading to quicker and more transparent results. Additionally, the adoption of
technology in voting can potentially result in cost savings associated with traditional
methods and offer a more environmentally friendly approach. Ultimately, the
successful deployment of an online voting system in Nepal aims to contribute to a
more inclusive, efficient, and trustworthy democratic process

5.1 Time Estimation

Before getting started with any project, we must prepare a working schedule
consisting of several topics that we would be working on throughout the project
development phase. For the same reason, the following is the Gantt chart representing
our work schedule in a total span of 3 months, i.e., 10 weeks ranging from the phase
after proposal defense to final report submission and defense.
• 10th Oct- 25th Oct: At the very beginning of our project, we took some time
for deciding the topic of our project. After deciding what topic, we are
going to work on, we then started reviewing the various literature (project
report, articles, books, journals etc.) related to our topic. We also started
writing the proposal for our project.
• 12th Nov – 21st Nov: After deciding on topic of our project, we will be
spending 7-8 days for preparing the documentation of the proposal.
• 10th Dec: After submitting our project proposal we will start coding for
our project.
• 11 th Dec: On this day we will be defending our proposal

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Chapter 6: Conclusion
Our online portal gives voter a chance to cast his vote via internet without going to
voting booth. This system gives fast access, more security levels, high flexibility and
efficiency. It also eliminates the chances fake person casting vote or bogus voting. It
also reduces manpower and unwanted human errors. It provides quick results of
elections which are completely accurate. Our system focuses on reducing the time
and paperwork. Hence the online voting system make all the voting process fast and
give security to the votes.

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References

1. R. Govindaraj, P. Kumaresan, and K. Sree Harshitha, "Online Voting System

using Cloud," Feb. 2020, DOI: 10.1109/ic-ETITE47903.2020.245.
2. Shaikh Mohammad Bilal, Prince Ramesh Maurya, “Online Voting System via
Smartphone”, 2020
3. Ramya Govindaraj, Kumaresan P, K.Sree harshitha, “Online Voting System
using Cloud”, 2020
4. Robert Kofler, et.al.“Electronic Voting: Algorithmic and Implementation
Issues” ,2003
5. MozDevNet, “HTML: HyperText Markup Language,” mdnwebdocs, 1993.
[Online] https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML [Accessed
May 22 2023].
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Available: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS
7. MozDevNet, “JavaScript,” mdnwebdocs, 1995. [Online]. Available:
https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript
8. TailwindCSS “Rapidly build modern websites without ever leaving your
HTML,” TailWind CSS, Nov 2017. [Online]. Available:
https://tailwindcss.com
9. MozDevNet, “PHP - MDN Web Docs Glossary: Definitions of Web-related
terms: MDN,” PHP, 1995. [Online]. Available:
https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Glossary/PHP
10. MozDevNet, “SQL - MDN Web Docs Glossary: Definitions of Web-related
terms: MDN,” SQL, 1970s. [Online]. Available:
https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Glossary/SQL
11. A. Friends, “Apache Friends,” XAMPP Apache + MariaDB + PHP + Perl,
2002. [Online]. Available: https://www.apachefriends.org/index.html

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12. Microsoft, “Documentation for Visual Studio Code,” Visual Studio Code,
April 2015. [Online]. Available: https://code.visualstudio.com/docs
13. BYJU’S, “What is MS Word? - Basics, Uses, Features & Questions,” An
Introduction to MS Word, Oct 2020. [Online]. Available:
https://byjus.com/govt-exams/microsoft-word/
14. GCF GLOBAL, “Photoshop Basics: Getting to Know the Photoshop
Interface,” Photoshop Basics, 2018. [Online]. Available:
https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/photoshopbasics/getting-to-know-the-photoshop-
interface/1/
15. Electronic Elections in Nepal: Understanding the Past, Present and the Future.
(2022, May 30). Electronic Elections in Nepal: Understanding the Past,
Present and the Future – Nepal Economic Forum.
https://nepaleconomicforum.org/electronic-elections-in-nepal-understanding-
the-past-present-and-the-future/
16. Global online voting system market size hit $770 million 2030 (2023) Custom
Market Insights. Available at: https://www.custommarketinsights.com/press-
releases/global-online-voting-system-market/ (Accessed: 09 December 2023).

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APPENDICES

Cost Estimation:

The budget estimation of our Online Voting System (OVS) is considered by various
factors such as the scope of the project, the desired features and functionalities, the
complexity of implementation, and any specific customization or integration
requirements. Here’s the table with the estimated cost range for our Online Voting
System (OVS) project:

Table 2: Cost Estimation

Cost Element Estimated Cost Range (NPR)

Infrastructure and Hosting NPR 5,000 – NPR 10,000

Testing and Quality Assurance NPR 5,000 – NPR 10,000
Training and Documentation NPR 5,000 – NPR 10,000
Maintenance and Support NPR 10,000 – NPR 25,000

19