Design and Implementation of a Cost-Effective Electronic Voting Machine Using Arduino Microcontroller

Abstract

Electronic voting systems are a form of technological advancement in the democratic process, but in developing countries, their use is limited by their prohibitive prices and safety issues. This paper proposes the design, fabrication and testing of a low-cost Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) based on the Arduino Uno microcontroller technology in electoral situations of resource scarcity. The study deals with inherent inefficiencies of the traditional paper-based voting, such as long processing time, vulnerability to electoral fraud, high expenses, and long compilation of voting results. Features incorporated in the prototype include a 16×2 LCD, eight push buttons to select a candidate, authenticate with a password and control power, 5V DC 5V DC. Circuit simulation was performed with Proteus Professional 8.2 and board development was performed with Arduino IDE with C/C++ programming. Testing showed immediate registration of votes, one-second of tallying, less than three minutes of voter processing and another absolute over-voting protection with software-enforced single-access control. Cost analysis showed total expenditure of GH140.00 (US$31.60) total hardware expense which is a considerable affordability as compared to commercial systems of EVM. The standalone structure also reduces the vulnerability of cybersecurity by removing the network connectivity. The results provide technical and economic viability of Arduino-based electronic voting towards electoral modernization in developing economies, which assist to boost democratic processes through better efficiency, transparency and fiscal sustainability.