HASHVOTE

What are the current problems in voting?

Government elections around the world are facing increasing security threats and concerns over election integrity. Although we have moved from paper ballot voting to electronic voting machines (EVMs), they are vulnerable to cyberattacks due to outdated, poorly designed or implemented technology.

Getting people to vote is another significant election challenge. Voter turnout has been declining around the world since the 1990s. There are many reasons for this, including the lack of identification and access to voting booths for voters as well as apathy and mistrust of the political system.

How can blockchain help? Transparency

The first benefit that blockchain can bring about is transparency. We know that without transparency, people can become discouraged about the legitimacy of their votes and can lead to questions about tampering and falsified results. This is why it is important that all records are accurate and kept safely. Blockchain and its decentralised ledger can bring about trust at every stage of the voting process.

By using blockchain, votes can be tallied and stored on an immutable public ledger. This means that they can be tracked and counted while being visible to everyone.

Security

One of the most important factors of voting is security. Currently, voting systems are very open to hacks. Without substantial security mechanisms in place, malicious actors can enter the system and alter the outcome. This is where blockchain comes in. All votes could be verified as soon as voting is finished to ensure they are all counted correctly.

Anonymity

People want privacy when voting and don’t always want others to know who or what they voted for. Blockchain allows for anonymity when voting. As with transactions on the blockchain, voters can use their private keys to keep themselves anonymous.

Processing Time

Current voting systems often take time to collate and process answers. Often when voting stations are in different areas and offices are not all together, it can be difficult to gather all the information quickly and efficiently. This then leads to time and cost issues.Results can be gathered and processed quickly and straight after the voting has finished.

Future Scope

Authentication using biometric linked to aadhaar number.

BigChain DB for more secure data querying and other database transactions.

Hyperledger instead of ethereum because its more secure.