Blockchain and E-Voting Systems: A Review of Progress and Research Opportunities

Abstract-In modern society, electronic and online voting systems are emerging as significant advancements in electoral technology, offering the potential to reduce organizational costs and increase voter turnout. Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) have already revolutionized the electoral process by improving voter participation and enhancing the speed and accuracy of elections compared to traditional methods like paper ballots, punch card voting, and optical scan systems. These conventional approaches often face challenges such as fraud, voter manipulation, inaccuracies, and inefficiencies. Similarly, online voting systems promise to further streamline elections by eliminating the need for physical infrastructure, enabling voters to cast their votes from any location with internet access. However, despite their advantages, online voting solutions are met with caution due to vulnerabilities to cybersecurity threats. Risks such as Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attacks, Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks, and malware injection jeopardize the integrity and reliability of elections, highlighting the need for more secure and robust solutions. Blockchain technology offers a transformative approach to modernizing voting systems by providing a decentralized, transparent, and tamper-proof framework. Its decentralized architecture eliminates single points of failure, ensuring higher levels of security and reliability. This paper explores how blockchain technology addresses the limitations of conventional voting systems, including EVMs and online voting systems, by leveraging its inherent characteristics—speed, accuracy, immutability, and transparency. By distributing control across a network of nodes, blockchain-based voting systems enhance the integrity, accessibility, and trustworthiness of elections. Furthermore, the paper examines the potential of blockchain to modernize the existing voting framework, significantly improving the efficiency and trust in electoral processes while safeguarding democratic values in the digital age.