🗳️ Online Voting System

A secure and modern online voting app built using PHP and MySQL, running on XAMPP. It allows users to vote online with real-time results. Admins can easily manage elections, candidates, and voters.

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⚙️ Requirements

Before you start, make sure you’ve got:

• ✅ XAMPP (PHP 7.4+ & MySQL)
• ✅ Any modern web browser
• ✅ Git (optional, for cloning)

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🚀 Setup Guide (Localhost using XAMPP)

1️⃣ Clone the Project

git clone https://github.com/Ayushkumar418/VotingSystem.git
cd VotingSystem

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2️⃣ Move It to XAMPP's htdocs Folder

# For Windows users
xcopy /E /I VotingSystem C:\xampp\htdocs\VotingSystem

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3️⃣ Set Up Database Config File

🔹 For Git Bash / Linux / macOS:

cp config/database.example.php config/database.php

🔸 For Windows CMD:

copy config\database.example.php config\database.php

Then edit config/database.php with your MySQL DB details:

$host = 'localhost';
$dbname = 'voting_system';
$username = 'root';
$password = ''; // Default is blank in XAMPP

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4️⃣ Set Up the Database

1. Open http://localhost/phpmyadmin

2. Create a new database: voting_system

3. Import the following SQL files:

   • sql/setup.sql
   • sql/update.sql (updates, if any)

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5️⃣ Run the Project

• Main Site: 👉 http://localhost/VotingSystem

• Admin Panel: 👉 http://localhost/VotingSystem/admin

🧑‍💼 Default Admin Login:

Email:    admin@system.com  
Password: admin123

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6️⃣ Verify Installation

To check if everything is set up correctly:

1. Visit http://localhost/VotingSystem/install.php
2. This will show you:
   • ✅ PHP Version compatibility
   • ✅ MySQL connection status
   • ✅ Required directory permissions
   • ✅ Required PHP extensions

If you see any ❌ errors, fix them before using the system.

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🔥 Key Features

• 👥 Voter Registration & Login
• 🗳️ Secure One-Time Voting
• 📈 Real-Time Result Display
• 💠 Admin Panel (Manage Elections, Candidates, Voters)
• 📄 Export Results (Excel)
• 📜 Activity Logs

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🛡️ Security Features

• Password Hashing
• Session Management
• Input Validation
• XSS Protection
• CSRF Tokens

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📁 Folder Structure

VotingSystem/
├── admin/           # Admin dashboard
├── config/          # DB config files
├── includes/        # Reusable PHP functions
├── sql/             # DB setup scripts
├── uploads/         # Candidate images
└── vendor/          # Third-party dependencies

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🤝 Wanna Contribute?

Cool! Here's how:

1. 🍝 Fork this repo
2. 🛠️ Create a new branch
3. ✨ Add your changes
4. 🚀 Push the branch
5. 📬 Open a pull request

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Made with ❤️ by Ayush Kumar