Blockchain based electronic voting system

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Blockchain based electronic voting system
Goutam Hukeri
Modern elections are conducted using electronic
voting machines (EVMs), which record each voter's
ballot in a single database. And then, looking into
numerous various voting systems, it was discovered
that the majority of them utilize centralized data
storage as their database. Since the entire data is
stored in one place, these centralized databases are
easily hackable and susceptible to manipulation. As a
result, the data used to count the votes may be
inconsistent and hence give us the wrong outcome.
Therefore, by utilizing blockchain technology, we are
able to construct a decentralized application where
data tampering is virtually impossible because
blockchain technology employs a decentralized
mechanism to store data at a single location.
Using blockchain technology, the primary goal of the e-
voting system is to provide a foundation for an e-
voting system.
Similar to a traditional voting system, this one allows
voters to cast their ballots using a mobile device and a
web browser, exactly as they would have done with a
paper ballot in the past. In order to better understand
how blockchain technology will be employed in the E-
voting system, this paper will provide an overview of
the technology.
Keywords: Bitcoin, Distributed ledger technology
(DLT), Distributed application, Digital signature,
hashing, Merkle tree, Time stamp, Data tampering
Building safe E-voting system is a challenging task.
Online voting was presented by the US Pentagon in
2005, but it did not work effectively because the votes
were not legitimate. Therefore, we can integrate
blockchain technology used in an electronic voting
system to create a system that is less hackable and in
which data cannot be tampered with. Blockchain is a
new method of decentralized data storage that will
have many uses in the future.
1.1 Blockchain
In all sectors, blockchain technology is becoming
crucial. Blockchain is a distributed, decentralized
ledger technology that keeps track of a digital asset's
provenance. Distributed ledger technology (DLT),
often known as blockchain, employs cryptographic
hashing and decentralization to make any digital asset.
transparent.
Google Doc is a simple way to teach blockchain
technology. A document will be distributed when it is
made and made available to numerous as opposed to
being copied, persons and transferred. As a result, a
decentralized distributed chain is created that may
give everyone access simultaneously. Everyone will be
able to see all modifications that are made because
they are all recorded in real time and no one will have
to wait for the other party to make changes. A Google
Doc is simpler than blockchain, yet the idea is the
same.
As it eliminates fraud, lowers risk, and increases
transparency in a scalable manner, blockchain is seen
as a promising technology. Blockchain features an
extensive database that keeps track of an expanding
number of records of data that are protected from
manipulation. Decentralization prevents a solitary
point of failure, which can happen. within centralized
systems. Like the name suggests, a blockchain is a
chain of interconnected blocks, each of which is
connected to the next via encryption. Two keys for
cryptography a private key and a public key make up a
blockchain.
These secrets enable two parties to conduct successful
transactions. The two keys are assigned hey serve as a
secure identity reference specific to each person. This
identity is used to control transactions and is known as
a digital signature. Each block includes transaction
information, a timestamp, and the previous block's
cryptographic hash value. Blockchain controls a peer-
to-peer network that facilitates node communication
and fresh block validation in order to use distributed
ledger.
International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056
Volume: 10 Issue: 10 | Oct 2023 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072
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Abstract
1. Introduction

The arrangement of blockchain is shown in
Figure 1: Blockchain Arrangement
Blocks: Every chain, as depicted in figure 1, is made up
of several blocks. A transaction is stored in each block
and is encoded into a Markle tree after being hashed.
Every block has a cryptographic hash of the one before
it, and the links between the blocks resemble a chain.
Each block contains a time stamp, a digital signature,
as well as other relevant information. It should be
noted that the block does not include any information
regarding the identities of specific users.
This block is sent over the network, and the
transaction is successful when the right user uses his
private key to match the block with the key in the
block. The three basic parts of a block are the data in it,
the hash, which is a 32-bit whole number. Blockchain
technology uses hash encryption, namely the SHA256
algorithm, to secure data. When a block is constructed,
a random nonce will be produced. The hash must
begin with a large number of zeroes because it is quite
tiny. When the initial block is created, a nonce
generates the cryptographic hash.
Miners: Miners carry out the mining process by
adding new blocks to the chain. Each block in the
blockchain contains a distinct nonce and hash. but it
also makes reference to the chain's prior block's hash.
As a result, mining a block might be difficult, especially
on long chains. Finding nonce that generate hash is a
challenging arithmetic problem that requires
specialized software to accomplish. Since the nonce is
just 32 bits long and the hash is 256 bits, it takes
almost 4 billion iterations to find the proper
combination. All network nodes accept a change when
a block is successfully mined.
Nodes: With blockchain technology, the chain cannot
be owned by a single computer. Instead, it is dispersed
with the aid of chain-connected nodes. Nodes can be of
any type, such as a computer or other electrical device
that keeps copies and maintains network functionality.
1.2 Challenges in Voting system
 Voter privacy: Only the voter's information
and the people they voted for are visible. The
number of votes cast in the entire election is
the only information that has been made
public.
 Absence of evidence: There is no proof that
bribery or other forms of fraud are being used
to influence the votes being cast.
 Scalable: Voting processes must be adaptable
enough to operate on a big scale as well.
 Speed: The election result must be announced
within a few hours of the procedure's
conclusion.
 Low cost: When designing a system, cost is
one of the main considerations. The system
needs to be economical.
1.3 E-Voting using blockchain
Almost every industry has embraced blockchain but
voting is one of the most relevant. Blockchain-based
electronic voting has the following benefits.
 Open and distributed ledgers' increased
transparency.
 Transparency of distributed and open ledgers.
 Security and dependability (particularly in the
face of Denial-of-Service assaults)
 Strong integrity for both the voting process and
individual votes, or immutability
Voting data is disseminated via blockchain to hundreds
of computers, making it difficult to change or annul votes
after they have been cast. By safeguarding personal
information, this technique encourages increased
confidence between citizens and governments.[8]
Blockchain will make it possible for everyone to vote by
smartphone or computer via apps, eliminating the need
for lines at polling places. A government's current
platform can be remodeled rather than changed in order
to implement blockchain technology. The primary
drawback a balance transfer between two parties can be
recorded in a short text string, and blockchain can
process this. The majority of the infrastructure required
for the storing of blockchain material, however, is
provided by the Interplanetary File System (IPFS), which
offers a persistent decentralized web.

This section introduces research conducted by a few
researchers. A review article on blockchain technology
for the advancement of the future was proposed by Quoc
Khanh Nguyen and Quang Vang Dang. By outlining many
areas for more research,
This article provides an overview of Blockchain the
potential of technology to advance the Three distinct
things are referred to by the term "bitcoin," including the
blockchain platform, the digital currency, and the
protocol that governs how transactions are carried out.
The distributed ledger is organized into two primary
network types in this paper's description of blockchain,
including permission-less networks like bitcoin, which
anyone may join without prior authorization. The
permissioned network, which is a private network only
accessible to a select group of trusted entities that
obtained permission to join the network in to ensure
that transactions are genuine, is where participants the
transaction can be validated by this type, and may
participate in consensus and block building. Ethereum
consortium blockchain is a blockchain service that
Microsoft has launched. Development of the future. This
essay examined how the fourth industrial revolution, in
which robots totally replace people in the workforce, will
affect society. This paper discusses how blockchain
technology works in general. Blockchain technology is a
peer-to-peer decentralized ledger that offers a way to
store and share information publicly on peer-to-peer
computer systems through crypto protocol.
This research paper also discusses the benefits of
blockchain, including its decentralization, which makes it
less vulnerable to assault, and its ability to execute short
insurance requests that can be evaluated quickly
utilizing AI. It outlines the relevance of blockchain for the
fourth industrial revolution and for society. Blockchain
can speed up insurance and payment processes, ease
travel by enabling travel insurance providers to
automate payments, which saves a ton of time, and
safeguard corporate identities in the banking and
internet sectors. Supply chain management, security, less
bureaucracy, improved safety and openness in
government operations, and many more. A review paper
titled "Blockchain Technology: Overview of Bitcoin and
Future Insights" was proposed by Hussein Hellani, Abed
Ellatif Samhat, Maroun Chamoun, Hussein El Ghor, and
Ahmed Serhrouchni. This essay examines the blockchain
technology that makes it possible for digital currencies
like bitcoin to exist. The requirements and advantages
for security, databases, and networks are also
highlighted in this study. This research paper explains
how Bitcoin works as an electronic and cash peer-to-
peer system
Three distinct things are referred to by the term
"bitcoin," including the blockchain platform, the digital
currency, and the protocol that governs how
transactions are carried out. The distributed ledger is
organized into two primary network types in this
paper's description of blockchain, including permission-
less networks like bitcoin, which anyone may join
without prior authorization. Participants of this kind can
validate transactions and take part in consensus and
block building on the permissioned network, a private
network that is only open to a small number of reliable
organizations that have been granted access to join the
network in order to validate transactions. Ethereum
consortium blockchain is a blockchain service that
Microsoft has launched.
Figure 2: Distributed Ledger Technology
Figure 2. depicts the topology of a distributed ledger,
where distributed ledgers are used to increase security
and productivity in enterprises, particularly those that
deal with unidentified or new clients. An example of a
distributed ledger is a blockchain, which consists of
immutable Records are timestamped by hashing them
into a continuous chain of hash-based proof-of-work,
digitally storing data in blocks of transactions, and
validating them using a consensus method based on the
distributed ledger's live data. review article on the
design of an electronic voting recording system based on
blockchain by Rifa Hanifatunnisa and Budi Rahardjo. The
blockchain technology that is utilized to record the
results of every election is discussed in this study. This
paper makes the case that using blockchain technology is
one way to lessen voting-related issues. Because
blockchain is timestamped, programmable, and highly
available, this article demonstrates its uses. In this study,
a blockchain-based database recording method for
electronic voting was proposed.
2. LITERATURE SURVEY

Figure 3: Flow Chart Design
Figure 3 shows they presented a technique in which the
process begins after each node's vote is over in their
recommended flow chart for blockchain technology. A
public key and a private key are generated by each node
before voting starts. Each node's public key was
distributed to all other nodes, enabling each node to
have a list of all the other nodes' public keys. The data
will be uploaded to the block's database as soon as it is
determined to be authentic. To verify whether the node
ID that was brought as a token has actually been
updated, the node will query the database. A review
paper was suggested by Ahmed Ben Ayed. A
hypothetical computerized voting system built on the
blockchain. They proposed an electronic voting system
with four key requirements: authentication, which
allows voters who have already registered to do so;
anonymity, which forbids any connection between voter
identities and ballots; accuracy, which requires that each
vote be distinct and counted; and verifiability, which
calls for system verification to ensure that all votes are
correctly counted. Along with providing for all of these
essential demands, it also provides options that boost
productivity, adaptability, and mobility. In the proposed
approach, a unique transaction that replaces the
candidate will be the first to be added to the block.
The base node, in contrast to the other transactions, will
only include the name of the candidate and will not be
tallied as a vote. Every time a vote is cast, the blockchain
is updated with the results. The voter's data from before
you will be added to the block in order to verify that the
system is operating correctly. Since each block is
connected to the others, it would be easy to identify
which block is malfunctioning. The user sends their vote
to the candidate's node, which then logs it on the
Blockchain. To achieve decentralization, the voting
system will feature a node in every electoral district.
This method's assumption that voters will cast their
ballots through a secure device is its main flaw. Despite
the safety of this procedure, malicious software that has
already been placed on a voter's device could allow
hackers to cast or alter ballots. The inability to reverse a
vote in the event of an error is one of the system's
shortcomings. A single vote may be cast by the user.
3. DISPLAY OF THE E-VOTING SYSTEM
Because the decentralized process used by blockchain
technology prevents data from being kept in a single
location, we may design decentralized applications
where data manipulation is virtually impossible.
Consequently, to create an application that is We
employed blockchain technology in the voting
application to create a system that is less hackable and in
which data cannot be altered. The operation of the e-
voting system is shown in
Figure 4. Creating the environment for blockchain
technology: Due to the wide variety of blockchain
frameworks, creating the environment requires
research.
 Ethereum, Multichain, Hyperledger, and other
frameworks are among them. The blockchain
environment in this project will be built using the
Ethereum foundation. Ethereum offers a
comprehensive blockchain implementation
removing the need for the laborious process of
setting up a whole blockchain and freeing
developers to focus more on developing
applications. Install NodeJS on the PC by
downloading the setup file from the website.
 The Ethereum framework's development
environment is provided by NodeJS, a JavaScript
framework. Install the fundamental packages and
files now.
 Creating a smart contract for a blockchain-based
ledger that stores data blocks for an electronic
voting system. Multiple transactions are contained
in each block of data. Before these transactions are
put to the blockchain ledger's blocks, the smart
contract first verifies them. Transactions cannot be
added to the block if they have not been verified.
Solidity was used to write the smart contract. A
method to determine if a smart contract is error-
free is offered by the Remix platform. The remix
smart contract is being tested.
 Using ReactJS and Firebase for authentication, the
interface for the two modules manager and voter
was created.
 Creating a user interface (UI) for the management,
where elections may be formed by adding new
parties and their members, as well as a UI to
display the election's outcomes. The UI for both
modules' authentication is made using ReactJS.
The voter and manager databases are stored on
Firebase, a NoSQL database.

 An interface has been developed for the voter
and manager modules. The management module
will have features for including members' names
and parties’ total vote count in order to display
results in app
The voter module's UI just includes the names of the
parties and a voting option because it is used for voting.
Every time a voter casts a ballot, a transaction is created
that requires confirmation. After confirmation, the vote
is added and tallied.
Figure 4: How to implement an electronic voting
system:
3.1 Technology used for E-voting
 Metamask: With the help of Metamask users can
view the scattered web of the present in their
browser. Additionally, it lets you operate
Ethereum in your browser without the need to
run an entire Ethereum node. It provides a
secure identification block and an interface for
managing identities across several websites and
signing blockchain transactions.
 NodeJS: For networking and server-side
applications, NodeJS is an open-source, cross-
platform environment. JavaScript is used to
develop NodeJS applications, which may be used
with Linux, OS X, and Windows. It also provides
several JavaScript modules, which simplifies the
process of building web apps with NodeJS.
 ReactJS: An array of reusable user interface
components is made possible by a JavaScript
package known as ReactJS. It generates UI
components.
This may display data that evolves with time. The V in
MVC is usually represented by React. React offers a
faster and easier-to-understand programming model.
React may be built on the server using Node, and native
apps can be charged using React Native. React
implements one-way reactive data flow, which is easier
to grasp and requires less boilerplate than traditional
data binding.
4. IMPLEMENTATION & RESULTS
(i) Setting up:
Launching Ganache is the first step towards running
local blockchain.
Figure 5: Configuring Ganache
(ii) No Transaction:
Since we haven't completed any transactions yet, there
won't be any after putting up Ganache. The image below
shows that there isn't a transaction.
Figure 6: No Transaction

Currently, we are using the truffle framework to issue a
command on the command line that transfers the smart
contract to the blockchain. Also, we have used the NPM
directory with a command. For this, the following
commands are being used:
Figure 7: Run the Truffle Framework Command Line.
Using the NPM directory and a cmd, we launch the
project after moving the smart contract.
Figure 8: Using the NPM Directory Command Line
(iii) User Interface:
Users communicate with the electronic voting system
through the user interface. The user interface appears as
shown in the photo below. The screen that loads will
stay up until the electorate logs in using Metamask.
Figure 9: Loading Screen
Figure 10: Constituency Registering Through Metamask.
The user cannot vote until they import their account by
supplying their private key. The main screen appears
blank when the user logs in.
Figure 11: Main Screen

The user receives the private key ahead of time, which
will resemble Figure 12.
Figure 12. Private Key
The voter enters the private key above to import their
account.
Figure 13. Importing Account
After confirmation, the voter is taken to the main page,
where they are unable to vote and can only view the
results. Those who import their accounts can also cast a
vote in a similar way.
Figure 14. Confirming Transaction
(iv) Checking the transactions
To make it convenient for the user to total their votes,
the transaction list will be made public. By examining the
transaction list, users can verify the votes they cast. A
complete transaction list will like the one shown in
Figure 16.
Figure 15. Results on Main Page
Figure 16. Transaction list
5. CONCLUSION
A hybrid system that allows for cases where whitelisted
access is necessary but all transactions are public is a
permissioned, public, shared blockchain. Transparency
is going to be present, which is important in
democracies. Even though there are solutions, electronic
voting might bring forth new problems, such as
protecting anonymity, especially when using public
permission-less blockchains. One of the major problems
is the potential speed at which the transactions might be
validated. The electronic voting system is one area
where blockchain technology may eventually make
sense, despite the fact that it is regularly hailed as the
answer to many problems.
REFERENCES
[1] Quang Vang Dang and Quoc Khanh Nguyen. Fourth
International Conference on Green Technology and
Sustainable Development (GTSD), January 2018,
"Blockchain Technology for the Advancement of the
Future"

[2] Ahmed Serhrouchni, Maroun Chamoun, Hussein El
Ghor, Hussein Hellani, and Abed Ellatif Samhat. The 2018
IEEE International Multidisciplinary Conference on
Engineering Technology (IMCET) featured a paper titled
"On Blockchain Technology: Overview of Bitcoin and
Future Insights."
[3] Budi Rahardjo and Rifa Hanifatunnisa. A review
article on the design of an electronic voting system
based on blockchain was presented at the 2017 11th
International Conference on Telecommunication
Systems, Services, and Applications (TSSA).
[4] Sahil K. Aggarwal, Sai Krishna Kothuri, Sahil Gupta,
Kanika Garg, Pavi Saraswat, and Sachin Bisht. 4th
International Conference on Internet of Things: Smart
Innovation and Usages, 2019. A Comparative Analysis
on E-Voting System Using Blockchain.
[5] Ahmed Ben Ayed. International Journal of Network
Security & Its Applications (IJNSA), Vol. 9, No. 3, May
2017. A CONCEPTUAL SECURE BLOCKCHAIN- BASED
ELECTRONIC VOTING SYSTEM.
[6] S. Nakamoto 2008, www.Bitcoin.Org, p. 9, "Bitcoin: A
Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System."
[7] B. Witzoee and A. G. Malvik. Bitcoin Applications of
the Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm in
Bitcoin, pp. 1–5, 2016.
[8] Zibin Zheng1, Shaoan Xie1, Hongning Dai2, Xiangping
Chen4, and Huaimin Wang3. An Overview of
Blockchain Technology: Architecture, Consensus,
and Future Trends, IEEE 6th International Congress on
Big Data, 2018
[9] Gunnlaugur K. Hreidarsson and Fridrik P.
Hjalmarsson. E-Voting System Based on Blockchain,
2018.
[10] David Khoury, Ali Kassem, Elie F. Kfoury, and
Hamza Harb. IEEE International Multidisciplinary
Conference on Engineering Technology (IMCET), 2018.
Decentralized Voting Platform Based on Ethereum
Blockchain.
[11] Julija Golosova and Andrejs Romanovs. The
Benefits and Drawbacks of Blockchain Technology,
DOI 978-1-7281-1999-1/18, 2018.
[12] C. Brake, T. Perry, and A. Barnes. Using blockchain
technology for digital voting, Team Plymouth Pioneers
at Plymouth University, 2

Blockchain based electronic voting system

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