Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to VoteSea ("the Platform"). We are committed to maintaining the trust and confidence of our users. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, and protect information when institutions, administrators, and voters access our digital voting services.

2. Information We Collect

We collect different categories of information depending on your interaction with the Platform:

• Administrator Account Info: Full names, institutional email addresses, passwords (which are hashed using secure cryptographic keys), and administrative actions recorded in system logs.
• Voter Registry Lists: Student IDs or Voter IDs, full names, and telephone numbers provided by election administrators.
• Electoral Data: Election definitions, offices/positions, candidates, voter turnout markers, and anonymous cast ballots.

3. Voter and Ballot Privacy

Ballot anonymity is a core feature of VoteSea. When a voter submits a ballot:

• The link between the individual voter's registration record and the final cast ballot is broken.
• We record that a specific voter has cast their vote (to prevent double voting) and log the timestamp of submission, but we do not store any identifier on the ballot choices.
• Voters are issued a secure, verifiable receipt hash. This allows independent confirmation that their vote was recorded without exposing who they voted for.

4. Cookies and Analytics

We use essential cookies strictly to maintain user sessions and authentication for administrator accounts. We do not place third-party advertising trackers or behavioral targeting cookies on our platform.

5. How Information Is Used

We process data solely to execute the election workflow:

• To verify voter credentials before granting ballot access.
• To transmit single-use voting links via configured SMS gateways (e.g. Arkesel).
• To generate statistical turnout matrices and final tallies.
• To record audit logs for administrator activities.

6. How Information Is Protected

We adopt industry-standard security practices to guard data:

• All web connections are encrypted using Transport Layer Security (TLS/HTTPS).
• Passwords and access credentials are hashed on the backend using industry-recognized secure hashing algorithms (PBKDF2/argon2).
• Database configurations utilize access controls to block external unauthorized connections.

Please note that while we employ rigorous security practices, no digital system can be described as entirely secure. We make no absolute legal guarantees against malicious cyber intrusions but pledge prompt response in case of any identified threat.

7. Data Retention

Voter registry records, candidate data, and election configuration details are retained in the active database for the duration of the election and any subsequent audit windows configured by the organizer. Election administrators have full capability to clear or purge voter registry lists directly from the admin dashboard once results are verified.

8. Third-Party Service Providers

To deliver transactional SMS containing voter links, we transmit the voter's phone number to authorized gateway providers (such as Arkesel in Ghana). These providers are contractually prohibited from using these numbers for any marketing or advertising purposes.

9. User Rights

Organizers and voters may contact their respective institutional administrators to inspect, update, or request deletion of their voter registry records. For platform-wide inquiries or security concerns, you may contact our support desk at support@votesea.com.

10. Children's Privacy

Our services are intended for institutions, universities, and schools where voting is supervised by administrators. We do not knowingly collect personal data directly from children under 13 years of age without parental or school supervisor consent.

11. Changes to This Policy

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time. Any changes will be published directly on this page with an updated revision date.