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This guide covers all administrative functions in the Consensus platform, from managing voters to overseeing elections and viewing results.

Admin Dashboard Overview

The admin dashboard provides a central overview of your e-voting system at /admin/dashboard.

Dashboard Statistics

Your dashboard displays key metrics:
  • Total Elections: All elections in the system (draft, active, and closed)
  • Active Elections: Currently open elections accepting votes
  • Total Voters: All registered voters
  • Total Votes: Sum of all votes cast across all elections

Admin Navigation

The admin sidebar provides quick access to:
  • Dashboard: Overview and statistics
  • Elections: Manage all elections
  • Voters: Review and approve voter registrations
  • Results: View election outcomes
  • Settings: Configure platform settings
  • Admin Users: Manage administrator accounts

Managing Voters

Access voter management at /admin/voters.

Viewing Registered Voters

The voters page shows all registered users with:
  • Name and email
  • Registration status (Pending, Approved, Rejected)
  • Registration date
  • Quick action buttons

Filtering Voters

Use the filter tabs to view:
  • All: Every registered voter
  • Pending: Registrations awaiting approval
  • Approved: Voters who can participate in elections
  • Rejected: Registrations that were declined

Search Functionality

Use the search bar to find voters by:
  • Name
  • Email address
  • Any text in their profile

Approving Voter Registrations

1

Navigate to Voters

Go to /admin/voters from the admin sidebar.
2

Filter Pending Voters

Click the “Pending” tab to see registrations awaiting approval.
3

Review Voter Details

Click the eye icon to view detailed information about a voter:
  • Full name
  • Email address
  • Registration date
  • Voter ID
4

Approve or Reject

From the voters list or detail page:
  • Click the green check icon to approve
  • Click the red X icon to reject
The action takes effect immediately.
Approved voters can immediately participate in any active elections. Rejected voters cannot vote and will see a notice on their dashboard.
If auto-approval is enabled in settings, new registrations are automatically approved and won’t appear in the pending list.

Viewing Voter Details

Click on any voter to access their detail page (/admin/voters/:id) showing:
  • Complete registration information
  • Current status
  • Registration timestamp
  • Voter ID
  • Action buttons to approve/reject

Managing Elections

For detailed information on creating and managing elections, see the Creating Elections Guide. Quick access: /admin/elections

Election Overview

The elections management page displays:
  • All elections in your system
  • Filter tabs: All, Draft, Active, Closed
  • Search functionality
  • Create election button

Election Statuses

DRAFT
  • Newly created election
  • Not visible to voters
  • Can add/remove candidates
  • Can be activated when ready
ACTIVE
  • Election is open for voting
  • Visible to approved voters
  • Automatically opens at start date
  • Automatically closes at end date
  • Cannot modify candidates
CLOSED
  • Voting has ended
  • Results are calculated
  • Results visible to all users
  • Cannot be reopened

Quick Election Actions

From the elections list, you can:
  • View Details: Eye icon - see full election information
  • Public View: External link icon - preview what voters see

Viewing Results

Access election results at /admin/results.

Results Dashboard

The results page shows:
  • All elections with their status
  • Vote counts for each election
  • Winners (for closed elections)
  • Tie indicators
  • Top 3 candidates per election

Election Results Details

Click on any closed election to view:
  • Full candidate rankings
  • Vote totals and percentages
  • Winner determination
  • Tie resolution information (if applicable)

Understanding Results by Election Type

First Past The Post (FPTP)
  • Shows vote count per candidate
  • Candidate with most votes wins
  • Displays percentage of total votes
STV/AV/Preferential
  • Shows preference distribution
  • Round-by-round elimination process
  • Transfer of votes between candidates
  • Final winner after all transfers

Handling Tied Elections

When an election results in a tie:
1

Identify the Tie

The election detail page will show a “Tie” indicator and list tied candidates.
2

Choose Resolution Method

Three options are available:Random Selection
  • System randomly selects winner from tied candidates
  • Fair and unbiased
  • Immediate resolution
Manual Selection
  • Administrator manually chooses winner
  • Requires selecting from tied candidates only
  • Include notes to document decision
Recall Election
  • Declares no winner
  • Indicates need for a new election
  • No winner assigned
3

Execute Resolution

Submit your chosen resolution method. The decision is recorded with:
  • Resolution type
  • Winner (if applicable)
  • Administrator who made the decision
  • Timestamp
  • Optional notes
Tie resolutions are permanent and cannot be changed once submitted.

Administrative Settings

Access platform settings at /admin/management.

Available Settings

Voter Registration
  • Signup Enabled: Allow new voter registrations
  • Login Enabled: Allow voters to log in
  • Auto-Approval: Automatically approve new registrations
Guest Voting
  • Guest Voting Enabled: Allow anonymous voting by IP address
  • Requires public IP addresses
  • Auto-creates guest accounts
Security
  • Turnstile (CAPTCHA): Enable bot protection
  • Site Key: Cloudflare Turnstile site key
  • Secret Key: Cloudflare Turnstile secret key
Turnstile is automatically disabled in development and test environments.

Updating Settings

1

Navigate to Settings

Go to /admin/management from the admin sidebar.
2

Modify Desired Settings

Toggle switches or enter configuration values.
3

Save Changes

Click “Save Settings” to apply changes immediately.
Disabling login or signup will prevent voters from accessing the platform. Use these features carefully during maintenance or between election periods.

Managing Administrator Accounts

Access at /admin/admins.

Viewing Administrators

See all administrator accounts with:
  • Username
  • Email
  • Creation date
  • Last login

Creating New Administrators

1

Click Create Admin

Click the “Create Administrator” button.
2

Enter Details

Provide:
  • Username
  • Email address
  • Initial password
3

Save Admin Account

Submit the form to create the new administrator.
4

Share Credentials Securely

Provide the username and password to the new administrator through a secure channel.

Changing Your Password

Navigate to /admin/change-password to update your admin password.
1

Go to Change Password

Access from the admin sidebar or user menu.
2

Enter Passwords

Provide:
  • Current password
  • New password
  • Confirm new password
3

Submit Change

Click “Update Password” to save.

Best Practices

Security
  • Use strong, unique passwords for admin accounts
  • Don’t share admin credentials
  • Regularly review administrator accounts
  • Enable Turnstile CAPTCHA to prevent bot registrations
  • Log out after each admin session
Voter Management
  • Review pending registrations promptly
  • Verify voter identities before approval if required
  • Consider enabling auto-approval for trusted communities
  • Monitor rejected voters for patterns
Election Management
  • Test elections in DRAFT status before activating
  • Verify all candidates are added before activation
  • Set appropriate start and end dates
  • Monitor active elections for vote counts
  • Resolve ties promptly after elections close
Communication
  • Inform voters when elections are created
  • Remind voters of upcoming election deadlines
  • Notify voters when registrations are approved
  • Announce results after tie resolution

Troubleshooting

Can’t access admin panel

  • Verify you’re using the correct admin login at /admin/login
  • Check your admin credentials
  • Ensure your admin account hasn’t been removed
  • Voters cannot access admin functions

Voter approvals not working

  • Refresh the page after clicking approve/reject
  • Check the voter’s status in their detail page
  • Verify you’re logged in as an administrator

Election won’t activate

  • Ensure at least one candidate is added
  • Check that start/end dates are valid
  • Verify election is in DRAFT status
  • Start date must be before end date

Results not showing

  • Election must be CLOSED status
  • Wait for end date to pass (or close manually)
  • Verify votes were cast in the election
  • Check for calculation errors in system logs

Data & Privacy

As an administrator, you have access to:
  • Voter registration information (name, email, status)
  • Election metadata (names, dates, candidates)
  • Vote counts and results
You cannot see:
  • Who individual voters voted for
  • Specific ballot choices
  • Vote-to-voter mappings
The system maintains ballot secrecy while providing vote confirmations.
Handle voter data responsibly and in accordance with GDPR and local privacy regulations.

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