This involves all the procedure used to ensure an effective collection of
information in the process of study from the current trend of electoral system,
so as to identify lapses and present the role of online voting system towards
efficient electoral process. Facts were collected on the conduct and process of
voting results at Independent Electoral commission.
Having achieved the software
requirements, the next step was to source for information relative to the
subject. This process of information gathering was achieved through so many
sources including:
3.2.1 Interview Method
This is face-to-face interaction
between people designed to extract knowledge. This method was preferable to
other method like questionnaires, because one could ask questions from what is
being said by the person being interviewed (interviewer) unlike questionnaire
that is limited. I interviewed principal officer of Ebonyi state Independent Electoral
commission and political aspirants to obtain first hand information of how
elections and voting are conducted, how results are processed and the
commission usage of information technology. In addition, I interviewed known
party officials, web managers, and discussion groups on how they conduct
elections.
3.2.2 Evaluation of forms and Manuals
This is a method used in obtaining
information by studying old and current document or books with the aim of
extracting some vital information that are relevant to election management,
political structure and policies. Among the manual evaluated was the “Ward
councilor on Local Government and Development Areas in Ebonyi state”, voting
form and sample of election Result Sheet.
Other techniques I used to obtain resource facts are:
·
File
downloads from the Internet
·
Textbooks
·
Newspaper,
Journals and articles
·
Personal
observations of the Electoral system in Ebonyi local government.
3.3 ANALYSIS OF EXISTING SYSTEM
System analysis is a problem solving
technique that decomposes a system into its component pieces for the purpose of
studying how well those component parts work and interact to achieve their
purpose. This is a complete resolution from the present system to a more
advanced one. From the information gathered and the investigation conducted by
reviewing of the existing systems. It shows that the existing system of voting
in Nigeria is highly manual; the INEC has a laid out data capture form that is
used to register residents in their area. A period of registration is set to
start and end on a particular day, such a period is announced to the public
using various mass communication means including radios and newspaper
publications. During such periods, intending voters are expected to report to
these officers to be registered using a paper and a pen. Every potential voter
fills a form with details such as location, date of birth among others also
individuals must be verified to be residents of an area.
The INEC officers collects the filled
data forms from officials at the end of the registration process to be the
forms are then submitted to the INEC adhoc to input entries into the central
database from which a voter register is produced. At the end of this process,
voter registration cards are produced and issued to voters.
The use of punch card was also
introduced that serves as accreditation for voters, which is not serving us
better, in the previous election statistics record of numbers that were
accredited are smaller than the numbers that were not accredited.
The Nigerian Electoral Commission
administers Nigeria's federal electoral roll. Each state also has its own
electoral commission or office, but voters need only register with the INEC,
which passes the registration details to relevant state commissions. Voter
Registration is mandatory for all citizens 18 years of age or above.
Periodically the Electoral Commission conducts door-to-door and postal
campaigns to try to ensure that all eligible persons are registered for voting.
The one registration covers Federal,
State and Local voter registration.
3.3.1 OBJECTIVES OF THE EXISTING SYSTEM
The current system of voting and
result processing by INEC has the following objectives:
v To ensure accountability for vote
cast at polling station and
v To reduce the incidence of errors in
adding individual candidates votes.
In the system, data collection,
processing retrieval and result generation were done manually. The existing
system is grouped into the following:
v INPUT----------VOTING
v PROCESS------COUNTING OF VOTES
v OUTPUT-------RESULT DECLARATION
3.4 LIMITATIONS OF THE EXISTING SYSTEM
Several problems tend to exist within
the use of the system and as such include:
·
Stepping down of elected officials: In this regard all elected officers
ranging from the presidency, the Governors to the local Government Chairman
should step down before the general elections is conducted, this is due to the
fact that such officials have influence over the election in their respective
domain, they have the power to hijack the electioneering materials thereby
dictating the area where ballot boxes would be sent to and not to be sent.
·
Invalid
votes: A vote is considered to be invalid
if the thumbprint has not been placed at the right spot. Also, a ballot paper
which is improperly folded can be the cause of an invalid vote.
·
Long voting process: The manual voting exercise involves a
number of steps that result in long queues. This is because each voter takes a
considerable amount of time to vote.
·
Delays in result publication: It has been gathered that it takes the
INEC about three days to eventually publish a presidential election result.
·
High cost of election organizing: The procurement of materials that ensure
the validity of the voter’s registration, as well as the complete success of
the electoral process makes election costs very high. Indelible ink, ballot
boxes and papers as well as other logistics, despite being expensive, are indispensable
in a manual voting system.
·
Unauthorized
announcement of election results
·
Harassment
of candidates, agents and voters
·
Box-switching
and inflation of figures.
3.5 DATA ANALYSIS
Data analysis is a body of method
that helps to describe facts, detect patterns. It is the process of looking at
and summarizing data with the intent to extract useful information and develop
conclusion. Data analysis in case of INEC involves the physical analysis of
both the input forms and output forms and output forms as used by the
commission. The details are provided in subsequent sections.
3.5.1 Input Analysis
The registration of candidates and
voters is first process of preparation for any voting system. Voting means the
position of voters with regard to the candidate to any of the election. This
may involve queuing behind the candidate or any symbol that represent the same.
Thumb printing on symbol that represents the candidate. The existing system in
manual form has specification for input data. They include details of the
voters and the electoral officials, voters register, voting form, and result
compilation sheet. The electoral officer before casting of vote must confirm
the eligibility and validity of the voter.
3.5.2 Process Analysis
In the existing system, counting of
vote involved the sorting out of voters card marked with the thumb print
according to party symbols and count bundle member of votes score by the first
candidate in the space provided in both figure and words and thereafter proceed
to the same process to the next candidate. INEC stipulate that before a
candidate is considered to have won an election if he/she is able to secure the
favor of two third of the vote cast in the particular electoral constituency.
The system implement the total vote cast well, a condition for a win otherwise,
bye-election will be conducted. This specification will serve as input to the
resident electoral commissioner or processing input. The process could be
represented in a system flowchart as shown in NO
YES
Fig 3.5.2(i): System flowchart of the existing system
3.5.3 Output Analysis
The output from the system designed
is generated from the system inputs. More of the output generated is on voters
register.
3.7 JUSTIFICATION
FOR THE NEW SYSTEM
The new system will help to solve all
the problems inherent in the existing system. The justification for the new
system includes:
v Direct capture of Voters register
v Error free processing of data
v Early display of voters registers before
election
v Checks double voting
v Detects double registration
v Transparency
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