International Journal of Computer Science Issues

More than a traditional journal...

The Independent National Electoral Commission, Nigeria is characterized for managing large volume of dispersed data making distributed data processing a necessity. When voter rolls are error-ridden and a quarter of eligible voters cannot vote, registration laws are not only failing their primary function of ensuring that voters are qualified to vote but also acting as barriers to citizens democratic participation. The traditional voter registration methods employed by many developing countries for periodic elections have many associated problems such as incomplete, inconsistent, unavailability and erroneous records. This article presents an application of distributed database system for a complete and continuing voter registration in Nigeria. The system has its component parts physically stored in a number of distinct real databases at a number of distinct sites. Each site has its own local real databases, its own local users, its own local DBMS and transaction management software including its own local locking, logging, recovery, replication, fragmentation, e.t.c. software and its own local data communication manager. Distributing data across sites within state and local government allow voters data to be resident where they are generated or most needed, but still accessible from other sites within the state and local government areas. Java and Oracle were the developmental platform of the system. Some important relations for the systems were presented and possible management transaction and operation models were presented. The system require a Unix/windows NT operation system in a network environment such as provided by communication networks in Nigeria and an internet connection.