Although elections are a representation of freedom and hope for people, it is exposed to fraud. Blockchain technology can play a vital role in contributing a solution to election security vulnerabilities.

The institution of a democratic country is laid by its voting mechanism. The electronic voting system is the current method used to administer elections. The e-voting systems are designed with the aid of software, which makes them exposed to cybersecurity issues. 

The misadventures of cybersecurity in prevailing voting systems have driven some people to assume that the practice of paper ballots is a highly credible way to contest elections. Elections now are under the menace of wicked actions like alteration of voter registration, infiltration of the voting machine, etc. 

Blockchain technology can help counter voting fraud. Fundamental features of blockchain are immutability, transparency, and accountability, which presents blockchain the comprehensive technology to aid election security vulnerabilities.

In its original form, blockchain is a decentralized digital ledger, which endures on the chain held by millions of nodes simultaneously. It indicates any hacker with access to a terminal will not be authorized to attack other nodes. 

Blockchain is one of the most secure technology as it is decentralized. There are several methods through which blockchain can address the issues of contemporary election systems.

Vulnerabilities of the Contemporary Voting System

Hackers can execute fraud in an election system even before the commencement of elections by hacking the voter registration database. Voter registration databases involve the list of voters’ information. 

By cutting a registration database, the hacker can exclude voters from the voting list and stop them from placing their valuable votes. From a cybersecurity viewpoint, every election process that includes electronic devices or software is exposed to hacking. Hackers can use security vulnerabilities to hack a voting machine during the election.

Voting machines are directed to class breaks, which means hacking a voting system will not only break one system but an entire class of systems. For instance, obtaining a common software vulnerability exposes hundreds of companies who use that software. Identity theft is also a big fraud during elections. People cast votes on others’ names to support their candidate win the election.

The prevailing election system is unprotected to post-election fraud as it depends on third parties such as centralized databases or humans to collect, count, and audit votes. A centralized database is vulnerable to hacking, and humans are susceptible to bribery.

Blockchain systems collect data on a peer-to-peer network, which makes it more reliable than traditional data management systems. Voter registration databases will be perpetual with the help of blockchain.

Blockchain could help store voter identity data, which is collected during voter registration in a secure database. The data can then be employed to recognize the voter with the aid of biometrics like fingerprint, iris, and face. 

Blockchain will make the third parties such as a centralized database and humans insignificant, as its transparency will enable voters to trace their votes in real-time. Blockchain’s transparency will stop the fraud that transpires during the post-election audit.

A blockchain-based voting system manages voter privacy and security, as it is a transparent and traceable system. Glancing at the advantages of blockchain for elections, many businesses are investing in developing blockchain software for voting. 

For instance, a blockchain software has been created that utilizes a webcam and government-issued ID to enable voters to log in before they vote. After casting their votes, voters can also see whether their vote is precisely inserted in the ballot box or not. The use of blockchain for elections will necessarily change the way we vote.