DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF ONLINE VOTING SYSTEM INCORPORATING FINGER VEIN SENSING

ABSTRACT
Voting is a very important process in the Nigerian political system.  It is one of the means and most effective method of ensuring a legitimate government through popular participation.  To enthrone sound democracy and stability in the political system in Nigeria, a system of rig-free voting has to be put in place. Online voter registration systems supplement the traditional paper-based process, by which new voters fill out a paper form that is submitted to election officials, who confirm the registration is valid, and enter the information from the paper application into the registration system. The system would among others discourage double voting, forgery or hoarding of electoral materials massive transfer of ballot papers destruction of ballot boxes, inflation of electron figures and unnecessary delay in pronouncement of election result.  This could be achieved by an on-line voting system incorporating finger vein sensing to remove the difficult administrative tasks of the electoral body which regulated the conduct of election in Nigeria.  This basically forms the goal set to achieve in this study. Therefore this project aims at alleviating the incidence of rigging and introduction of an organized procedure of voting which is the bana of socio-economic and political progress in Nigeria. The software is equipped with much security that will allow voters to vote only with a valid voting pin number, which is generated by the computer upon registration.  The system uses these numbers to prevent users from performing double vote or registration.  It is also anticipated that the thumb vein print will be used as pass codes which is connected to the voter’s account on the system, it will improve on the security.  During registration, the system checks the voter’s age to prevent under aged voters from registering. 

TABLE OF CONTENT
Title page         --------------------------------------------------------------    i
Certification Page    --------------------------------------------------------------    ii
Dedication         --------------------------------------------------------------    iii
Acknowledgement     -----------------------------------------------------    iv
Abstract         --------------------------------------------------------------    v
Table of content
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background Of The Study    ----------------------------------------------    3   
1.2 Statement Of The Problem     ----------------------------------------------    5
1.3 Aims and Objectives Of The Study    -------------------------------------    5
1.4 Research Methodology --------------------------------------------------    5
1.5 Scope Of The Study--------------------------------------            7
1.6 Limitation Of The Study--------------------------------------            8
1.7Assumptions    --------------------------------------------------------        8
1.8 Organization of Work        ----------------------------------------        9
1.9 Definition of Terms     -----------------------------------------------------    10

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1     Introduction        ----------------------------------------------------    12
2.2    Overview of Voting Systems in Nigeria    ------------------    15
2.3    Overview of Electronic Voting System    ---------------------------    17
2.4    Domain Research     ----------------------------------------------------    21
2.4.1 Findings by Others and Similar Projects    ---------------------    21
2.4.2 Gaps and Limitations of Previous Researches    --------------------    26
2.4.3    Conclusion to the Domain Research     ----------------------------    27
2.5    Technical Research    ---------------------------------------------    28
2.5.2     Programming Language    ---------------------------------------------    28
2.6    Finger Vein Recognition     ---------------------------------------------    29
2.6.1    Finger Vein Image Acquisition    ------------------------------------    30
2.6.2    Finger Vein Pattern Imaging    ----------------------------------    31
2.6.3    Finger Vein Authentication Process    --------------------------    32
2.7    Finger Vein Recognition Method    --------------------------    33
2.7.1    The Device for Image Acquisition    --------------------------    37
2.8    Approach to Biometrics System        --------------------------    39
2.9    Commonly Used Biometrics        --------------------------    42
CHAPTER THREE: SYSTEM ANALYSIS AND DESIGN
3.1     Introduction        -----------------------------------------------------    45
3.2     Research Approach    --------------------------------------------    45
3.3      Reasoning of Design    --------------------------------------------    46
3.4    Problem Identification and Specification of Research Objective     47
3.5     Analysis of the Existing System ------------------------------------    48
3.6    Objectives of the Existing System    --------------------------    49
3.7     Weakness Of The Existing System ----------------------------------    49
3.8     Data Collection Techniques      ------------------------------------    50
3.9     Analysis Of The Proposed System ----------------------------------    51
3.9.1    Algorithm    -------------------------------------------------------------    52
3.9.2    System Flowchart    -----------------------------------------------------    53
3.10    Database Design     -----------------------------------------------------    54
CHAPTER FOUR: SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION
4.1      Program Development    ------------------------------------------------    59
4.2      System Requirement      ------------------------------------------------    59
4.2.1    Software Requirement     ------------------------------------------------    59
4.2.2     Hardware Requirement    ------------------------------------------------    59
4.3    System Design and Development    -------------------------------    60
4.3.1   System Design    --------------------------------------------------------    60
4.3.2     System development    -----------------------------------------------    61
4.3.4    Ballot and Control Units Block Diagram    ---------------------    62
4.3.5     Software User Interface Block Diagram    --------------------    63
4.4     System Structure    -----------------------------------------------------    64
4.4.1     Project Tools      -----------------------------------------------------    64
4.5     Hardware and software system cost    ----------------------------    66
4.6     System Interface    ---------------------------------------------------------    66
4.6.1     Input Interface    ---------------------------------------------------------    66
4.6.2    Output Interface    ---------------------------------------------------------    69
4.7      System Performance    ------------------------------------------------    70
4.7.1     System Training    ---------------------------------------------------------    71
4.7.2     Conversion To The Proposed System    --------------------------------    71
4.7.3    System Documentation     -------------------------------------------------    73
4.7.4    Operational Manual    -------------------------------------------------    73
4.7.5    User’s Manual    ---------------------------------------------------------    74
4.8    System Architecture    -------------------------------------------    74
4.8.1 Data Flow Diagram and Flowchart    --------------------------    75
4.8.2    Voter Registration Sub system Design    --------------------------    76
4.8.3     Database Design -----------------------------------------------------    80
4.8.4    Test Run    ------------------------------------------------------------    81
4.9 System Maintenance    ---------------------------------------------------------    82
CHAPTER FIVE:    SUMMARY, RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION
5.1 Summary    -----------------------------------------------------------------    83
5.2 Limitations    --------------------------------------------------------------------    84
5.3 Conclusion  ---------------------------------------------------------------------    85
5.4 Recommendation     ---------------------------------------------------------    86
Reference     ---------------------------------------------------------------------------