Development Principles for Electronic Voting System Using Distributed Ledger Technology

Abstract

the paper reveals the prospects of using electronic trust services, in particular electronic signature services, for building electronic (remote) voting systems. The advantages of such systems are described, as well as problematic issues related to the implementation of remote voting systems in practice. The most well-known existing electronic voting protocols based on classical principles are analyzed. Their shortcomings and difficulties in implementation are highlighted. We offer a new principle for building an electronic voting system. Unlike the analyzed protocols, the new approach is based on a decentralized public key infrastructure. The paper shows how, with the help of DLT technology, it is possible to ensure the fulfillment of the necessary requirements for system security without introducing significant redundancy into the interaction process of all stakeholders. The electronic voting algorithm is a modification of the Nurmi-Salom-Santin protocol which avoids the need to organize special bodies for the formation of voter lists. It also allows maintaining the anonymity of voters without the use of blind signatures.