Building Voting Systems for a Fairer Future: Exploring Blockchain based E-voting with Ethereum for National Elections

Abstract

The increasing adoption of Blockchain technology, spurred by the success of cryptocurrencies, has gained substantial traction across various sectors. A notable application of Blockchain technology is in electronic voting (e-voting), where decentralized nodes enhance the security and integrity of the voting process. Traditional voting methods suffer from shortcomings such as result delays, susceptibility to tampering, hijacking and destruction of voting machines. Given the scalability challenges of blockchains, a single blockchain network cannot feasibly cover all constituencies in a country. Therefore, a more effective approach is to implement multiple smaller independent blockchain networks, with each constituency having its own network and blockchain. This paper discusses the concept of one network and one blockchain for one constituency, which can be replicated for every other constituencies in the country to scale up. It explores a web3-based e-voting system utilizing private Ethereum blockchain technology, focusing on a network architecture and the design that features a DApp (Decentralized Application) application with a user-friendly interface for voting in polling booths and a governing Smart Contract. Voters can cast their votes using unique identifiers like Aadhaar or UID credentials. The outcomes of this proposed e-voting system demonstrate promising and viable performance for governmental elections. However, it is advisable to conduct trials in local elections or general body elections within institutions to validate its efficacy and reliability before wider adoption in larger democratic elections. © 2024 IEEE.