LivePoll Realtime Voting App

LivePoll is a real-time voting application where users log in with email OTP, create polls, and vote instantly. Registered users receive email alerts when new polls go live.

Features

• Email OTP authentication (JWT-based)
• Automatic email notifications when a new poll is created
• One-time voting with live results via Socket.IO
• Polls auto-close after 12 hours
• Create polls with 2 to 6 options
• Responsive React UI with GSAP animations

Tech Stack

• Frontend: React, React Router, Socket.IO Client, GSAP
• Backend: Express.js, Socket.IO, Mongoose, Nodemailer, JWT
• Database: MongoDB

Getting Started

1. Install dependencies

npm run install-all

2. Configure environment

Copy server/.env.example to server/.env and fill in your values:

cp server/.env.example server/.env

Required:

• MONGO_URI — MongoDB connection string
• JWT_SECRET — secret key for auth tokens

Required for real emails (OTP + poll notifications):

• EMAIL_HOST, EMAIL_USER, EMAIL_PASS — SMTP credentials

Gmail setup: Create an App Password and use:

EMAIL_HOST=smtp.gmail.com
EMAIL_PORT=587
EMAIL_USER=your@gmail.com
EMAIL_PASS=your_16_char_app_password

3. Start the app

npm start

• Frontend: http://localhost:3000
• Backend API: http://localhost:5000

How Authentication & Notifications Work

1. User enters email on /login → receives a 6-digit OTP at that email
2. After OTP verification, their email is stored in MongoDB as a verified user
3. When any logged-in user creates a poll, all verified users receive an email like:

Subject: 📢 New Poll is Live!

Hello John,

Devansh has just started a new poll.

Poll: Who is the greatest football player?

Cast your vote before the poll closes in 12 hours.

Vote Now: http://localhost:3000/poll/12345

Available Scripts

• npm start — start both frontend and backend
• npm run server — backend only
• npm run client — frontend only
• npm run build — build React client