CAMeSM Secure Voting (WordPress Plugin)

Custom-built WordPress plugin used for managing live voting during CAMeSM 2026 (Cyprus Annual Medical Students Meeting).

Designed for controlled, time-restricted voting across roundtables and free-paper sessions, with a focus on integrity, auditability, and ease of use during a live event.

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Overview

This plugin replaces generic voting tools with a system tailored to how CAMeSM operates:

• ID-based voter authentication (no accounts required)
• Voting only allowed during scheduled session windows
• Strict vote limits per event and globally (for roundtables)
• Full audit trail for every action

It is built to handle real-world constraints of a live conference environment.

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Core Features

Authentication

• Login using registration ID only
• Session-based access with token validation
• Login/logout and failure tracking (auth logs)

Voting System

• Supports:
  • free_paper sessions
  • roundtable sessions
• Voting is:
  • Time-gated (based on event schedule)
  • Limit-controlled (per event + global caps)
• Duplicate voting for the same candidate is blocked

Event & Candidate Management

• Create events with:
  • Start/end times
  • Vote limits
  • Event type
• Assign candidates per event
• Manual override:
  • Force live
  • Force closed

Admin Panel

• Dedicated WordPress admin interface
• Manage:
  • Voters
  • Events
  • Candidates
• Bulk voter import via CSV
• Full control over active/inactive states

Audit & Security

• Every vote records:
  • Voter ID
  • IP address
  • User agent
  • Timestamp
• Auth logs include:
  • Login attempts
  • Failures
  • Logout events
• Tools to:
  • Delete votes (by event, voter, candidate, or individually)
  • Reset test data

Data Export

• CSV export for:
  • Votes
  • Audit logs
• Suitable for post-event validation and reporting

Frontend Integration

• Shortcode-based rendering:
• Clean UI styled via custom CSS

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Architecture

• Plugin bootstrap: :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}
• Database layer: :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
• Frontend logic: :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

The system is split into:

• Database management (custom tables for voters, sessions, votes, etc.)
• Admin interface (WordPress dashboard)
• Frontend voting portal (shortcode-rendered)

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Database Design

Custom tables include:

• voters – imported participants
• sessions – login sessions with token hashing
• events – voting sessions (roundtables / free papers)
• candidates – nominees per event
• votes – all submitted votes
• auth_logs – login and authentication activity

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Installation

1. Upload the plugin folder or ZIP to WordPress
2. Activate CAMeSM Secure Voting
3. Navigate to the admin panel:

• Events
• Voters
• Import

4. Import your registration CSV
5. Create events and assign candidates
6. Add the shortcode to a page:

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CSV Import

The importer attempts to map common fields automatically, including:

• Unique ID
• Name (First / Last)
• Email
• Institution
• Payment status
• IP / entry data

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Usage Notes

• Voting is only available while a session is live
• Roundtables enforce:
• Per-event limits
• Global vote cap
• Free-paper sessions enforce:
• Per-block limits only

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Limitations

• Built specifically for CAMeSM workflows
• Not intended as a general-purpose voting plugin
• Assumes controlled environment (event-based deployment)

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Author

Alexandros Kordatzakis
CAMeSM 2026 Workshops Coordinator / I.T. Specialist / Full-Stack Website Developer