Why Automated Voting System Essay Example

Why Automated Voting System? Essay CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION In this chapter we are going to deal with the major points behind choosing a simple automated voting system as a baby thesis and why visual basic 6. 0 is the programming language we choose, with a general overview about the project and how it works. So turn this page quickly and get yourself ready to find how it is working. WHY AUTOMATED VOTING SYSTEM ? We we’re thinking that the school needs an automated voting system to have a faster and hustle free voting. WHY VISUAL BASIC ? The main reason is that Visual Basic 6 is one of the Microsoft’s greatest language for Visual programming. Although writing programs can be a tedious chore at times, Visual Basic reduces the effort required on your part and makes programming enjoyable. Visual Basic makes many aspects of programming as simple as dragging graphic objects onto the screen with your mouse. Another reason is that Visual Basic is more easy to learn in small period of time than other programming languages, it was chosen to be the programming language for our system. GENERAL OVERVIEW A-VOTING SYSTEM With a paper-based system, the electronic component is usually a tabulation device. This means that votes are counted on an electronic system, which is much faster than a manual count. One of the advantages of a paper-based system is that the ballot is physically represented by a piece of paper. This tangibility reassures voters that their choices are being counted. Still, a physical ballot does not ensure a vote will be correctly counted. Many factors can contribute to a misapplied vote. Holes in punch cards may not be properly aligned or fully punched, resulting in a â€Å"hanging chad,† made infamous in the 2000 election in Florida. We will write a custom essay sample on Why Automated Voting System? specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Why Automated Voting System? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Why Automated Voting System? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer On optical scan cards, stray marks or incomplete markings may be misinterpreted when tabulated. Printers that mark optical scan cards can run low on toner, resulting in cards with incomplete or unreadable marks. It may also be possible for a voter to vote for two or more candidates for a single position, known as overvoting; these selections are not counted by tabulation devices. Physical ballots can be lost or destroyed before tabulation. Still, it is far more difficult to lose paper ballots than it is to lose an intangible electronic record. Since votes are recorded on a memory device, tabulation takes less time. There are no paper ballots to scan, so there’s less risk of mechanical error. While human error is still a factor and there is always a concern about software bugs; in an ideal system, tabulation is instantaneous with no need for recounts. CHAPTER 2 WHAT IS ELECTRONIC VOTING? ANALYSIS OF ELECTRONIC VOTING Electronic voting systems may offer advantages compared to other voting techniques. An electronic voting system can be involved in any one of a number of steps in the setup, distributing, voting, collecting, and counting of ballots, and thus may or may not introduce advantages into any of these steps. Potential disadvantages exist as well including the potential for flaws or weakness in any electronic component. In May 2004 the U. S. Government Accountability Office released a report titled Electronic Voting Offers Opportunities and Presents Challenges,[10] analyzing both the benefits and concerns created by electronic voting. A second report was released in September 2005 detailing some of the concerns with electronic voting, and ongoing improvements, titled Federal Efforts to Improve Security and Reliability of Electronic Voting Systems Are Under Way, but Key Activities Need to Be Completed. It has been demonstrated that as voting systems become more complex and include software, different methods of election fraud become possible. Others also challenge the use of electronic voting from a theoretical point of view, arguing that humans are not equipped for verifying operations occurring within an electronic machine and that because people cannot verify these operations, the operations cannot be trusted. Furthermore, some computing experts have argued for the broader notion that people cannot trust any programming they did not author. Critics of electronic voting, including security analyst Bruce Schneier, note that computer security experts are unanimous on what to do (some voting experts disagree, but it is the computer security experts who need to be listened to; the problems here are with the computer, not with the fact that the computer is being used in a voting application). Voter intent Electronic voting machines are able to provide immediate feedback to the voter detecting such possible problems as undervoting and overvoting which may result in a spoiled ballot. This immediate feedback can be helpful in successfully determining voter intent. CHAPTER 3 HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS: This is Automated Voting System created in Visual Basic 6. 0. It can generate reports like canvassing report and voters report(tracking of which year and section has the most and least number that participate). The system is alsocapable of generating unique Student ID and password. An automated voting system that integrates the stages of registering and certifying voters and collecting their votes. A computer-based voter registration administrator accesses a database to verify that the voter is eligible to vote. The admin mode provide a computer-based interactive graphic interface for permitting the voter to enter votes. Administrator activates and monitors the vote entry stations to prevent unauthorized voting. An automated voting system comprising single or multiple voting stations for controlling and being a voting station simultaneously. The voting system includes an integrated pointing device with graphical user interface for displaying the ballots. The voting stations may or may not be interconnected and indeed may operate as a single unit as a complete polling station. The voting system will track the number of votes and continuously display the number of votes cast on a counter system as it clearly displays the voter intent. The automated voting system also provides security for the voter and the system both internal and external. The external security system may be controlled by the polling authorities while the internal security system operates independently. The automated voting system will also print on separate printers the tally results at the polling place and/or transmit the tally to a central collection position. The automated voting system also allows the voter to void the ballot prior to casting of the vote and then permit re-establishment of the voting unit. TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE SYSTEM This invention relates to Automated Voting Systems and more particularly to a system for verifying registered voters and collecting and tabulating votes from a single or a plurality of voting mechanisms.