Design and Implementation of a Secure Blockchain-based E-Voting Architecture with Zero-Knowledge Proofs and Smart Contracts

Abstract

This paper presents a new decentralized e-voting architecture designed to create tamper-proof, transparent, and secure election systems using the blockchain and smart contracts. The solution uses a permissioned blockchain structure that is private and Hyperledger Fabric-based in an effort to improve scalability and privacy while retaining the inherent features of decentralization. A zero-knowledge proof (ZKPs) based novel authentication method is implemented to provide eligibility checking and safeguard the privacy of the voter. The smart contracts are aimed at automating ballot tallying, publishing results, and checking their validity. The system is also resistant to traditional channels of attack such as denial-of-service, vote tampering, and voting redundancies based on its distributed ledger and consensus algorithms. A light-weight online interface has been implemented in an effort to promote usability and accessibility, thereby showing an unproblematic voter experience. Experimental results have now made it feasible to deploy the system in organizational and government voting applications, thereby testing its effectiveness within these settings. This method represents a tangible step towards an entirely reliable digital democracy.