DIY BEGINNER PROJECT NO.07 (VOTING SYSTEM – LIGHT UP YOUR VOTE !)

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Voting System – Light Up Your Vote!

Design and build a simple Voting System model using LEDs, resistors, pushbuttons, and a 9V battery, where pressing a button lights up the corresponding LED to represent a vote.

Note: Please read the full instructions before making the product.

Level

Beginner

Aim
Objective
Materials Required
Circuit Design Concept
Procedure
Circuit Diagram
Working Principle
Final Result
Sample Output
Maker’s Lab Video
Additional Notes
Safety
Creativity Extension

AIM

To design and build a simple Voting System model using LEDs, resistors, pushbuttons, and a 9V battery, where pressing a button lights up the corresponding LED to represent a vote.

OBJECTIVE

This project introduces students to the basics of switch-controlled circuits, LED polarity, and parallel connections using a fun voting activity. Each button represents a candidate or option, and the LED glows only when the button is pressed—simulating a voting machine.

The project enhances understanding of:

Current flow
Role of resistors
Switch operation
Practical wiring on cardboard
Creativity in making functional mini-projects

MATERIALS REQUIRED

Material	Quantity
LEDs	3
Resistors	3
Pushbuttons	3
9V Battery	1
Battery Connector	1
Insulation Tape	As Needed
Glue / Fevicol / Glue Gun	As Needed
Paper or Cardboard	For base
Scissors / Cutter	1
Colours / Sketch Pens	For decoration
Base / Stand	Cardboard or Thermocol

CIRCUIT DESIGN CONCEPT

Each LED and button forms a separate branch in a parallel circuit.

The positive terminal of the battery connects to one side of all pushbuttons.

The other side of each pushbutton connects to the LED through a resistor.

The negative terminal of all LEDs merge into a common ground and return to the battery (–).

When a pushbutton is pressed:

Battery (+) → Button → Resistor → LED → Battery (–)

This allows only the selected LED to glow.

PROCEDURE

Follow the steps below carefully to assemble the Voting System.

STEP 1

PREPARE THE BASE

Take a cardboard sheet.
Mark 3 LED positions in a row.
Mark pushbuttons beside each LED, either on the right side or left side.

Example layout:

[LED 1] [Button 1]
[LED 2] [Button 2]
[LED 3] [Button 3]

💡 TIP

Keep at least 2–3 cm gap for clean wiring.

🔄 ALTERNATIVE

Use thick thermocol if you want a neater, raised design.

Step 1. Prepare the Base

STEP 2

FIX THE LEDs ON THE BOARD

Insert each LED into the cardboard.
Label them as Candidate 1.
Label them as Candidate 2.
Label them as Candidate 3.

💡 TIP

Identify polarity before fixing.
Long leg = Anode (+).
Short leg = Cathode (–).

🔄 ALTERNATIVE

If the hole becomes big, tape around the LED base.

Step 2. Fix the LEDs on the Board

STEP 3

MOUNT THE PUSHBUTTONS BESIDE THE LEDs

Fix each pushbutton next to its corresponding LED.
Glue them so they do not move.

💡 TIP

Make sure all buttons face the same direction for easy wiring.

🔄 ALTERNATIVE

Use small tactile switches if pushbuttons are unavailable.

Step 3. Mount the Pushbuttons Beside the LEDs

STEP 4

CONNECT THE POSITIVE SIDE

Take a single red wire and connect the first terminal of all pushbuttons.
Join this wire to the battery’s + (positive) terminal.
This acts as the common positive rail.

💡 TIP

Use one long red wire to keep the positive line clean.

🔄 ALTERNATIVE

Use short connected wire sections if a single long wire is not available.

Step 4. Connect the Positive Side

STEP 5

CONNECT EACH BUTTON TO ITS LED

From the free terminal of each pushbutton, connect a resistor.
Connect the other end of the resistor to the anode (+) of its LED.
This completes the individual branch connection.

💡 TIP

Keep the resistor and wires arranged neatly so that each button can be easily traced to its corresponding LED.

🔄 ALTERNATIVE

A resistor between 470Ω and 1kΩ can be used depending on the LED and battery arrangement.

Step 5. Connect Each Button to Its LED

STEP 6

CONNECT ALL LED NEGATIVE TERMINALS

Join all cathodes (–) of the LEDs together.
Connect this common point to the battery – (negative) wire.
This forms the ground line.

💡 TIP

Use one common black wire as the ground line.

🔄 ALTERNATIVE

If the wires are short, extend them using additional insulated wire pieces.

Step 6. Connect All LED Negative Terminals

STEP 7

ATTACH THE BATTERY

Connect your battery connector to the 9V battery.
Check that all connections are tight.

💡 TIP

Tape the battery on the side or behind the board for a cleaner look.

🔄 ALTERNATIVE

Create a small battery pocket using cardboard to hold the battery securely.

Step 7. Attach the Battery

STEP 8

TESTING THE VOTING SYSTEM

Press the buttons beside each LED.
Press Button 1 → LED 1 must glow.
Press Button 2 → LED 2 must glow.
Press Button 3 → LED 3 must glow.

If an LED does not glow, check:

LED polarity.
Loose connections.
Resistor placement.
Battery connection.
Pushbutton connections.

💡 TIP

Test each button individually to identify the correct LED branch.
Make sure the battery connector is firmly attached.

🔄 ALTERNATIVE

Different LED colours can be used to represent different candidates.

Step 8. Testing the Voting System

CIRCUIT DIAGRAM

Figure 1. Circuit Diagram of the Voting System

WORKING PRINCIPLE

When a pushbutton is pressed, it completes the circuit for its specific branch.

Current flows through:

Battery (+) → Pushbutton → Resistor → LED → Battery (–)

The LED glows only during pressing—indicating a vote.

This teaches:

Switch operation
Parallel circuits
Controlled current flow
Real-world voting machine concept

FINAL RESULT

A functional Voting System Board is created where each candidate has a dedicated button and LED. Pressing a button lights that LED, showing a “vote” has been cast. Kids can count votes by noting how many times each LED glows.

SAMPLE OUTPUT

(i) LED OFF – No vote

All buttons released → No LED glowing.

Sample Output – LED OFF / No Vote

(ii) LED ON – Vote registered

When a button is pressed → Corresponding LED lights up.

Sample Output – LED ON / Vote Registered

🎥 MAKER’S LAB VIDEO

Watch the Maker’s Lab video to understand the Voting System project and its working.

▶️ Watch the Voting System Project Video

ADDITIONAL NOTES

Test the complete circuit before using the Voting System.
Always disconnect the battery when the project is not in use.
Make sure all wire connections are secure and properly insulated.
Keep the pushbuttons firmly fixed to the board.
Keep the battery accessible for easy removal or replacement.

SAFETY

Always disconnect the battery when not in use.
Tape all wire joints to avoid short circuits.
Avoid touching bare wires while pressing the buttons.
Keep pushbuttons glued strongly so they don’t pop out.
Handle scissors and cutters carefully.
Use a glue gun under proper supervision.

CREATIVITY EXTENSION

Add a decorated title like “VOTING SYSTEM”.
Write candidate names creatively.
Add borders, stickers, or coloured themes.
Use colored markers to match each LED.
Create a scoreboard area to note vote counts.
Design it like a mini EVM (Electronic Voting Machine).

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Blog Details

DIY BEGINNER PROJECT NO.07 (VOTING SYSTEM – LIGHT UP YOUR VOTE !)

Category

Level

TABLE OF CONTENTS

AIM

OBJECTIVE

MATERIALS REQUIRED

CIRCUIT DESIGN CONCEPT

PROCEDURE

PREPARE THE BASE

💡 TIP

🔄 ALTERNATIVE

FIX THE LEDs ON THE BOARD

💡 TIP

🔄 ALTERNATIVE

MOUNT THE PUSHBUTTONS BESIDE THE LEDs

💡 TIP

🔄 ALTERNATIVE

CONNECT THE POSITIVE SIDE

💡 TIP

🔄 ALTERNATIVE

CONNECT EACH BUTTON TO ITS LED

💡 TIP

🔄 ALTERNATIVE

CONNECT ALL LED NEGATIVE TERMINALS

💡 TIP

🔄 ALTERNATIVE

ATTACH THE BATTERY

💡 TIP

🔄 ALTERNATIVE

TESTING THE VOTING SYSTEM

💡 TIP

🔄 ALTERNATIVE

CIRCUIT DIAGRAM

WORKING PRINCIPLE

FINAL RESULT

SAMPLE OUTPUT

🎥 MAKER’S LAB VIDEO

ADDITIONAL NOTES

SAFETY

CREATIVITY EXTENSION

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