BLOCKCHAIN-BASED SECURE VOTING SYSTEM FOR TRANSPARENT ELECTIONS

Abstract

The rapid advancements in technology have paved the way for an efficient and secure online voting system, addressing challenges faced in traditional voting mechanisms. Online voting systems aim to provide a convenient, accessible, and efficient alternative to manual voting processes. However, the history of online voting systems reveals persistent challenges related to security, transparency, and voter privacy. Traditional systems, such as paper ballots and early electronic voting systems, were prone to issues like ballot tampering, vote manipulation, and lack of trust due to opaque processes. Despite attempts to introduce digital voting platforms, concerns about hacking, data breaches, and lack of transparency hindered widespread adoption. The motivation behind developing a smart online voting system using blockchain technology stems from the pressing need for a secure, transparent, and tamper-proof voting mechanism. Events such as vote manipulation in elections, technical failures, and voter fraud highlight the inadequacies of traditional systems. Blockchain technology, with its decentralized, immutable, and transparent nature, offers a promising solution to these challenges. The proposed system leverages blockchain to ensure the integrity of votes, maintain voter privacy, and enable real-time verification. Smart contracts within the blockchain automate processes like voter authentication and result tallying, minimizing human intervention and errors. By integrating blockchain into the voting system, this research aims to eliminate issues like vote duplication, unauthorized access, and result tampering, ensuring trust among voters and authorities. The smart online voting system enhances accessibility, allowing eligible voters to cast their votes remotely using secure digital authentication methods. This approach addresses the limitations of traditional systems and sets a new standard for secure and reliable democratic processes, fostering trust and participation in elections globally.