Voting DApp — Installation Guide

This guide will walk you through setting up and running the Voting DApp on your local machine, even if you’re new to blockchain development.

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Prerequisites

Before starting, make sure you have the following installed:

1. Node.js (Download from https://nodejs.org)

   • After installation, check with:

     node -v
     npm -v

2. MetaMask Wallet

   • Install the MetaMask browser extension: https://metamask.io/download

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Step 1: Install Ganache CLI

Ganache provides a personal Ethereum blockchain for testing smart contracts.

Run this command in your terminal:

npm install -g ganache-cli

To start Ganache:

ganache-cli

Keep this terminal open — it will display several Ethereum accounts with private keys.
You’ll use one of these accounts later.

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Step 2: Compile and Deploy the Smart Contract

1. Open another terminal window (keep Ganache running).
2. Navigate to the project directory (after unzipping the project):

   cd voting-contract

3. Install Truffle, the development framework for Ethereum:

   npm install -g truffle

4. Compile the smart contracts:

   truffle compile

5. Deploy the contracts to your local blockchain (Ganache):

   truffle migrate

When deployment finishes, you’ll see an output that includes a contract address.
Copy this address — you’ll need it for the frontend setup.

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Step 3: Update the Contract Address in the Frontend

1. Open the file:

   voting-system/src/hooks/useVotingContract.js
   

2. On line 8, find the placeholder address:

   "0xC1465a3908566d19A5aDBFd6549BcE1ec3dB783B"
   

3. Replace it with the new contract address you copied from the Truffle migration output.
4. Save the file.

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Step 4: Run the Frontend (React App)

1. From the voting-contract folder, move back to the main project directory:

   cd ..

2. Navigate to the frontend folder:

   cd voting-system

3. Install the required dependencies:

   npm install

4. Start the development server:

   npm run dev

Once it starts, open your browser and visit the local URL shown (usually http://localhost:5173 or http://localhost:3000).

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Step 5: Connect MetaMask

1. Open MetaMask in your browser.
2. Click your profile icon → Networks → Add Network → Localhost 8545
3. Import one of the private keys from Ganache to get test ETH.
4. Refresh the DApp page and connect MetaMask when prompted.

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You’re All Set!

You now have:

• A local Ethereum blockchain running via Ganache
• Smart contracts deployed with Truffle
• A frontend connected to your contract via MetaMask

You can start testing your decentralized voting system right away 🎉