Survey on Security in Electronic Voting Systems Essay

Survey on Security in Electronic Voting Systems - Essay Example Due to this, the system provides uniqueness of votes ensuring that no voter can vote more than once. The receipt that the voter receives after casting a ballot cannot be used to prove to any third party that they cast a specific vote with the intention to coerce them. The system also allows for the verification of individual votes to assure the voters that their votes have been accurately recorded. This can be achieved by inspecting both sides of the ballot paper and checking to see if the unique random number on the voting receipt is on the bulletin board. It also provides accountability such that third parties can confirm that the voting process was valid. The results are only released after the official counting is complete to ensure fairness and to discourage malicious actions by observers. The end to end verification system which allows the detection of malicious behavior at various stages of the voting process also reduces chances of invalid votes. The disadvantages of the syst em: The main disadvantages of the system are the security issues involved in electronic voting. Data is susceptible to interruptions and alteration by the installation of viruses in online databases by operators with malicious intentions. There is also unequal access to the internet by voters due to unequal chances of acquiring equipment necessary for electronic voting. Due to the differences in salaries, some voters may be left out from the voting process. The system can be improved by several methods. The E-voting scheme is only applicable for general elections with several contending candidates which feature the majority and plurality style election styles. The scheme can be improved to function in proportional representation. The system is however vulnerable. Parties that are entrusted to execute the algorithm of scheme may compromise the system to work in an abnormal way. The installation of a virus onto the databases could also lead to discrepancies in the results of the votin g process. The article on a practical secret voting scheme for large scale elections proposes a secret voting system which involves voters, an administrator and a counter which can be replaced with a public board as the participants of the process. It is applicable for a large scale election where it protects the privacy of the voter and ensures the fairness of the voting process regardless of the actions of the administrator and counter. Every voter has a unique ordinary signature scheme while the administrator has a blind signature scheme. The counter is only tasked with the creation and publish of a list of ballots. The system has several advantages: It solves the fairness and privacy issues portrayed in the previous methods of the encryption of files and sending of ballots through secret means of communication. The security of the scheme is ensured by the correct counting of all valid votes. The process is clear, sound and accountable and promotes fairness to discourage dishones ty in voters that would affect the process. The votes are kept private. The voters have to provide their credentials which ensures that every voter is qualified and to prevent the casting