Blockchain-Based Distributed Electronic Voting System Ensuring Privacy and Integrity through Smart Contracts

Abstract

Traditionalvoting systemsfacesignificantchallenges, including susceptibility to fraud, lack of transparency, and privacy concerns. Centralized electronic voting systems, while improving accessibility, often suffer fromvulnerabilitiessuchastampering,singlepointsof failure, and insufficient auditability. This project proposes a blockchain-based distributed electronic voting system that leverages smart contracts to ensure voter privacy, ballot integrity, and decentralized verification. The system employs cryptographic techniques such as zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) to anonymize voter identities while maintaining a verifiable audit trail on an immutable blockchain ledger.Smartcontractsautomatevotetallying,enforce voting rules (e.g., eligibility checks, one-vote-per- voter), and ensure tamper-proof execution of electoral processes. A permissioned blockchain network enhances scalability and reduces energy consumption compared to public blockchains. The system also incorporatesmulti-factorvoterauthenticationandend- to-end encryption to safeguard against unauthorized access.Bydecentralizingcontrolandenablingreal-time transparency, this solution addresses critical flaws in existing systems, reduces electoral fraud, and strengthens public trust in democratic processes. The proposed architecture is implemented using Hyperledger Fabric for blockchain operations and Ethereum-based smart contracts, ensuring high performance, security, and compliance with electoral regulations.

Introduction

Electoral integrity is vital for democracy, but traditional voting methods—paper ballots and electronic voting machines—face issues like inefficiency, human error, tampering, and lack of transparency. Blockchain technology offers a promising solution by providing a decentralized, immutable ledger that enhances security, transparency, and trust. Using smart contracts automates processes like voter authentication and vote tallying, reducing human bias. However, blockchain voting must balance voter privacy and auditability, which remains challenging.

This project proposes a blockchain-based online voting system using privacy-enhancing technologies (like zero-knowledge proofs and ring signatures) on a permissioned blockchain for scalability and compliance. It aims to ensure secure, fair, and transparent elections accessible to all.

The paper also discusses the flaws of current online voting systems used in social media and contests, highlighting risks of manipulation, fake IDs, and bot interference. It stresses the need for a secure online voting system before national elections can be conducted digitally.

The proposed system includes features such as unique ID generation, multi-factor authentication (including OTP and fingerprint verification), and an admin-controlled verification process. Users vote via Aadhaar card authentication, with votes securely recorded and results instantly available. This system reduces manual effort, increases efficiency, and improves voter accessibility.

The architecture includes modules for admins (managing candidates, parties, and results) and users (registration, authentication, voting, and verification), with security and usability prioritized.

Conclusion

This paper describes the proposedmodel for online voting system for India. The proposed system is much secure and efficient than the traditionalvotingsystem.Manipulationofvotesand delay of results can be avoided easily. A unique AADHAAR identity is the center point of our proposed model. It leads to the easier verification of both voters and candidates. In the proposed framework, we have tried to build a secure online voting system that is free from unauthorized access while casting votes by the voters. The server aspects of the proposed system have such distribution of authority that server does not enable to manipulate the votes. It is expected that the proposed online votingsystem will increase the transparency and reliability of the existing electoral system. The challenge of developing electronic voting systems is not only security but also protecting the secrecy of the ballot, a bedrock principle of free and fair elections. Currently thereis “no known technology that can guarantee the secrecy, security, and verifiability of a markedballot transmitted over the Internet.” Online voting presents numerous vulnerabilities and is fundamentally insecure. There is potential for unobserved vote manipulation as well additional security vulnerabilities including potential denial of service attacks, malware intrusions, and privacy concerns

References

[1] Aakash Suryavanshi, “Online Voting system”,IEEE,2020. [2] DavidEvansandNathanaelPaul,“Election security: Perceptio and reality”, IEEE Security&Privacy,vol.2(1),Jan.2004,pp.24-31. [3] David Jefferson, Aviel D. Rubin, Barbara Simons, and DavidWagner, “Analyzing Internet voting security”, Communications of the ACM, vol. 47(10), Oct. 2004, pp. [4] David L. Dill, BruceSchneier,and Barbara Simons, “Voting and technology: Who getsto count your vote?”, Communications of the ACM, vol. 46(8), Aug. 2003, pp. 2931. [5] ExecutiveSummaryof\"Genesisand Spread of Maoist Violenc and Appropriate StateStrategytoHandleit\",Bureauof Police ResearchandDevelopment, MinistryofHomeAffairs,NewDelhi http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_ voting. [6] Himanshu Agarwal, “Online voting system for India based on AADHAAR ID”,IEEE,2017. [7] http://newindianexpress.com/states/ Andhra Pradesh/Maoists- strike-fear-make-off-with- poll-papers-in-agency/2013/07/15/ article1684243. Ece. [8] MD. Shamsur Rahim , “Analyzing Online Voting SystemsforFlaw Detection”,IEEE,2015. [9] Rebecca Mercuri “Statement on electronic voting”http://www.notablesoftware.com/RMstatement.html,2007. [10] Tadayoshi Kohno, Adam Stubblefield, Aviel D.Rubin, Dan S. Wallach, “Analysis of an Electronic Voting System”, Johns Hopkins University Information Security Institute Technical Report,TR-2003-19,July23,2003.

Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Mr. C. Gokul, Mr. D. Gokul, Mr. S. Jeeva, Mr. SS. Girikarthikeyan, Mrs. S. Dhanalakshmi, Mr. A. Gopi. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.