By Titus Oyinloye Oluwaseun
It is essential to note that the use of ballots is becoming outdated and paving the way to the use of technologies that enable seamless voting in emerging societies. Voting through cyberspace has been argued to be more credible than the use of ballots. Unfortunately, the cyberspace is not entirely secure enough to ensure absolute transparency in the electoral process.
Many organizations, countries, and universities across the globe now utilize online portals to conduct their elections, aiming to streamline the electioneering process. Whether through traditional ballots or digital portals, the core objective of any election is to uphold fairness and transparency in the electoral process. This ensures legitimate participation from voters, a reduction in voter apathy, and accountability of the electoral umpires. For this writing, the recent election held at the University of Kalakuta shall be our reference point.
This writing aims to highlight the electoral fraud associated with the use of portals in the University. It is essential to provide a brief overview of the electioneering processes of the University.
A CASE STUDY
As a 300-level law student at the “Best by Distance” University, I have actively participated in two Student Union elections at the University and two elections at my faculty. These include the elections that brought in Olokunfunfun Adeleke and Azeghi Praise, the 4th and 5th President of the Student Union. Similarly, at my faculty, the elections saw the rise of Rasheed Ahmad and Oyeniyi Isaac, the current President. Before proceeding, I must extend my congratulations to both Azeghi Praise and Oyeniyi Isaac.
The Student Union elections have been conducted via the portal since my 100-level days, while faculty elections only recently transitioned to the portal-based system. In the 2021/2022 session, a one-time password (OTP) was required to vote on the portal. However, in the just-concluded election, this feature was removed. The possible reason for this change could be the significant difficulties encountered during the 2021/2022 election that brought in Olokunfunfun Adeleke. Many students did not receive the OTP, and the portal was severely congested on election day. I was unable to vote in the 2021/2022 election, and only a few students could. According to the election results released by the Independent Student Electoral Commission (ISEC), only 6,923 students were able to cast their votes in the presidential election.
In contrast, the just-concluded election that brought in Azeghi Praise saw broader participation and easier access, with 25,120 votes cast in the presidential election. Although there were some minor delays, they were eventually resolved. Despite the improvements, allegations of electoral fraud persisted, with claims of malpractice in both elections. In the 2021/2022 election, it was difficult to access someone’s portal due to the OTP requirement, but the major issue was that a large number of students couldn’t vote because they didn’t receive the OTP, and those who did couldn’t log in due to heavy portal traffic.
In the 2022/2023 election, the OTP feature was removed, which led to allegations of electoral malpractice. Students reported that others were logging into their portals, particularly if their passwords were weak or hadn’t been changed despite the school management’s instructions. A memo was issued by the Student Union management days before the election, advising students to secure their portal login details by changing their default passwords (if they hadn’t done so previously) to prevent impersonation. The memo also recommended that any student who had compromised their password by sharing it with a third party should reset it, and emphasized that passwords should be handled with strict confidentiality.
Despite this, some students still reported that even after changing their passwords and securing their portals, they were unable to vote because their votes had already been cast by the time they logged in. This issue was particularly prominent in the Faculty of Law election, where many students complained bitterly that their portals had been compromised, and upon logging in, they discovered that a vote had been cast in their place. Fortunately for me, my portal wasn’t compromised and I voted for my preferred candidate.
Regarding the Faculty of Law elections, the 2021/2022 election that brought Rasheed Ahmad into office was conducted using a ballot system, whereas this year’s election, which saw Oyeniyi Isaac elected, was carried out via the portal. As anticipated, the portal-based system led to higher participation, with 744 individuals casting their votes in the presidential election as students could vote from the comfort of their room, and even students who reside off campus could vote without coming to school. However, there were numerous complaints about unauthorized access, with some students reporting that others had entered their portals and voted on their behalf.
POSSIBLE REMEDIES TO THE PROBLEMS FACED ON VOTING PORTALS.
The University of Kalakuta is known for its leadership in scholarship and research. However, despite its academic excellence, the University is not immune to global cyber threats. The challenge of securing voting portals against potential breaches by hackers or cyber criminals must be prioritized to preserve both the integrity of the election process and the institution’s reputation. While it boasts one of the best portals among universities, its user-friendly, fast, and easily accessible qualities make it all the more crucial to safeguard against vulnerabilities.
Let’s look at the possible solutions:
- THE USE OF STRONG PASSWORDS AND REGULAR UPDATES FOR ENHANCED PORTAL SECURITY: To enhance the security of your online accounts, it’s crucial to create strong passwords and update them regularly. Many students, however, tend to use weak passwords that are easy to guess or bypass. Common examples include using surnames with simple additions like “01” or the last three digits of their matriculation numbers. Alarmingly, about 80% of hacking-related breaches are due to weak passwords. By creating stronger, more complex passwords and updating them frequently, you can significantly improve your account security. Forbes recently released a list of the world’s 20 worst passwords, which includes examples like “12345,” “password,” and “abc123.” While these may seem humorous, it’s unfortunate that many students use similar passwords for their portals, email accounts, and social media profiles. I once combined words, numbers, and symbols for my portal password. Remember, the responsibility to safeguard your portal and accounts lies with you, and it’s critical to take this seriously. Moreover, avoid using obvious passwords like “incorrect passwords” as such tricks have long been exposed.
Another significant way students’ portals become vulnerable is when they access their accounts at cyber cafes within the school, whether for printing, adding or dropping courses, or other services. While logging into your portal on these public systems is not inherently wrong, the problem arises when students forget to log out after using these services. Additionally, when prompted to save your password on the computer, it’s essential to click “No.”
To protect your account, it’s crucial to request that the service provider logs out of your portal once they’re done. Even better, you should consider updating your password immediately after using a public or shared computer. This simple step can help prevent unauthorized access and safeguard your information from potential intruders. - IMPLEMENTING TWO-STEP VERIFICATION AND OTP FOR ENHANCED PORTAL SECURITY DURING ELECTIONS: To enhance portal security during elections and ensure fairness, it is crucial to reintroduce the use of One-Time Passwords (OTPs) and implement a two-step verification process. The use of OTPs should be more effective and transparent, addressing past challenges. Although the 2021/2022 elections, which utilized OTPs, were marked by difficulties—such as many students not receiving their OTPs and experiencing challenges in casting their votes—this time around, the system should be improved. The goal is to ensure that all students receive their OTPs promptly, allowing them to participate in the voting process without hindrance. Even if someone gains unauthorized access to another person’s password, the portal should still require an additional layer of verification. By sending an OTP to the registered phone number or email associated with the account, only the legitimate account owner can access the portal, thereby warding off intruders and maintaining the integrity of the election process. This method is similar to the security features used by platforms like Gmail, where if someone attempts to log in from an unfamiliar device, a verification code is sent to the account holder for confirmation. Without this code, the intruder cannot access the account. By implementing such a system, we can create a “cyber gatekeeper” that significantly reduces the risk of electoral fraud and protects the integrity of the voting process.
- ENHANCING ELECTION SECURITY THROUGH BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY: Adopting a blockchain system in the election process would significantly enhance transparency and resistance to hacking. Blockchain technology makes it nearly impossible for a single entity to manipulate data without detection. Once a vote is recorded on the blockchain, it cannot be altered, deleted, or tampered with, ensuring the integrity of the election process. Blockchain technology records each vote in a way that is visible to all, while keeping the votes secure and anonymous, helping to build trust in the election process. Additionally, it eliminates the need for central authorities to manage the election process, reducing the chances of fraud, errors, and corruption. By introducing blockchain technology for elections, the process would be more transparent and resistant to hacking, ensuring that the true will of the students is accurately reflected.
- ESTABLISHING AN ELECTION TRIBUNAL FOR ACCOUNTABILITY: It’s quite concerning that there are currently no tribunals where dissatisfied candidates can seek redress after elections. To ensure fairness and uphold the integrity of the electoral process, there should be an electoral tribunal composed of unbiased, ethical, and reputable members of staff, as well as non-partisan students. This tribunal would serve as a platform for hearing petitions related to electoral malpractice, allowing candidates to present evidence of any substantial breaches of the electoral process.
The tribunal should be empowered to thoroughly investigate claims and deliver judgments that maintain the integrity of the election. Members of this tribunal must be selected based on their proven track record of fairness, honesty, and integrity, ensuring that decisions are free from bias and favoritism. The tribunal’s proceedings should be transparent, with clear guidelines on the submission and evaluation of petitions, ensuring that all candidates feel their concerns are taken seriously. Additionally, the tribunal could also provide recommendations to improve the electoral process in future elections, helping to address any systemic issues and reinforcing the importance of fair play in democratic processes. - VOTER EDUCATION: The Independent Student Electoral Commission (ISEC) made commendable efforts in voter education by disseminating a series of memos and broadcast messages leading up to the Election Day. These communications were designed to inform students about the election process and the importance of safeguarding their accounts. Despite these efforts, some students experienced unauthorized access to their portals and found that votes had been cast on their behalf without their consent. It’s crucial to remember that while ISEC provided substantial guidance, the ultimate responsibility for protecting your portal lies with you. There were instances where students, including myself, did not experience such default, which underscores the effectiveness of following the provided security guidelines. Students are urged to read and adhere to all communications from the commission, particularly those related to updating and securing passwords to prevent potential compromises. By taking proactive steps to secure your portal, such as regularly updating passwords and staying informed through official messages, you can help safeguard the integrity of the election process and protect your personal information.
The essence of an election is to reflect the will of the students. While it is often said that an election cannot be completely free and fair, it should at least reflect the will of the people. In conclusion, while portal-based elections have their flaws, their advantages—such as being stress-free, fast, and less time-consuming—far outweigh these issues. Although there have been calls to revert to traditional ballot voting, it is clear that online voting is here to stay. To ensure its continued success, we must take personal responsibility for safeguarding our passwords and portals. The security of our accounts relies more on our diligence than on any external measures. By being proactive in protecting our login credentials and adhering to best practices, we can help maintain the integrity and efficiency of the online voting process.
