Enhancing Election Security Through a Transparent and Tamper-Resistant eVoting System
Abstract
Online elections (e-voting) are fast and convenient. Still, there is growing concern that the democratic integrity of the election process is under threat due to problems such as cyberattacks, illegal intrusion, vote manipulation, and unclear verification of the results. Actual cases have demonstrated voter fraud, insecure data storage, and unreliable results, undermining the public's confidence in digital voting systems, particularly in primary national elections. Moreover, the traditional auditing system, which relies on paper ballots, manual logistics, and resource-intensive verification, results insignificant operational costs and a negative environmental impact. This paper proposes a solution to these capital challenges by introducing SECURE-VOTE_CHAIN, an open, secure e-voting platform that integrates a certified blockchain network, biometric verification checks, homomorphic encryption, and zero-knowledge public audit records. The blockchain nodes in this system, run by voting bodies and legitimate observers, consistently registered votes and facilitated decentralised consultation. Biometric authentication can exclude identity duplication and voter fraud, and only homomorphic encryption can ensure fair counting without knowing any votes provided by an individual. Zero-knowledge proofs also make public auditability achievable without reducing the anonymity of voters. The application of realistic election parameters in simulations yields an accuracy of 91.88, along with low confirmation latency and high attack resilience probabilities in the presence of insider attacks, replay attacks, and denial-of-service attempts. In addition to security and reliability, the system will eliminate paperwork and manual auditing, significantly reducing the carbon footprint of traditional elections. Altogether, SECURE-VOTE_CHAIN offers an environmentally friendly, secure, and scalable solution that is suitable for regaining voter confidence, ensuring electoral integrity, and creating a future-proof digital governance model. The model can be considered a reasonably helpful standard by which contemporary voting systems operate, as it combines technological benefits with the adequacy of achievements in terms of prospects, providing policymakers with dependable means of security and transparency in election procedures, applicable to both urban and rural settings.