Design of a Digital Voting System for Student Union Elections at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka

Student union elections in Nigerian universities are frequently marred by ballot manipulation, logistical errors, and low participation rates. This study designs a digital voting system for student union elections at Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU), Awka, Anambra State, South East Nigeria. The system was developed using React.js for the user interface and a Node.js-Express backend, with RSA encryption and two-factor authentication to ensure ballot integrity. The prototyping development model was adopted, allowing successive refinement based on feedback from the NAU Student Union Government and 80 student pilot voters. Key features include biometric voter identification, real-time result tallying, audit trail logging, and post-election report generation. Security was tested through penetration testing using OWASP methodologies, identifying and resolving three medium-severity vulnerabilities before final deployment. System evaluation shows a 92 percent voter satisfaction rate and a 37 percent increase in student voter turnout compared to the preceding manual election. The study recommends that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) explore student-level digital voting pilots as a pathway to broader electoral digitalisation in Nigeria. This research contributes a security-conscious, student-centred model for digital governance in Nigerian higher education institutions. Keywords: digital voting, student union, biometric, encryption, Nnamdi Azikiwe University