Preserving Transparency and Integrity of Elections Utilising Blockchain Technology
Main Article Content
Keywords
e-Voting System, Blockchain Technology, Ethereum Platform, Digital Applications
Abstract
Digital voting is increasingly important in both established and emerging democracies. Some of the advantages of digital voting are faster vote count and tabulation; accurate results; increased voters’ participation and convenience; and effective handling of complex electoral system formats that require laborious counting procedures. However, transparency, credibility, and integrity concerns, as well as the limited possibility of recount, usually make traditional digital voting systems unpopular. Digital voting using blockchain technology, however, is safe, transparent, and immutable, which makes it a suitable choice for future decentralized voting systems. In particular, the Ethereum blockchain is proposed as an appropriate platform for the backbone of an e-voting system due to its widespread use, transparency, consistency and provision of smart contracts. Initial piloting on the implementation of a blockchain-based voting framework in Jordan shows promising results on its transparency and integrity by incorporating a space for representatives and observers to monitor the election procedure and results as an additional measure to ensure its efficiency and reliability. The uptake of the proposed system calls for further debate and dialogue amongst governments and people, especially in developing countries where democracy is still in its infancy.
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References
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Abdallah Al-Zoubi, Princess Sumaya University for Technology
Abdallah Al-Zoubi is member of the Institute of Data Science and Artificial Intel-ligence, International Journal of Data Science and Big Data Analytics, fellow of the International Engineering and Technology Institute, Associate Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Instruction, Technology and Social Sciences, Member of ICT Committee of the Arab Engineering Association. He acted as Vice President of the International Association of Online Engineering, Vice President of the International e-Learning Association, and Co-Editor of the International Journal of Emerging Tech-nologies in Learning, International Mobile Learning Association, and International Journal for Online Engineering, European Association for International Education, International Association of Universities, Mediterranean Universities Union, Higher Education Reform Expert, European Commission, and IEEE.
Mamoun Aldmour, Computing Department School of Digital, Technologies and Arts Staffordshire University Stoke-on-Trent, UK
Mamoun Dmour received his MSc degree in computer information systems from Arab Academy for Banking and Financial Sciences, Jordan in 2004, and BSc degree in computer science from Mutah University, in 2000. He is an experienced Web developer and designer as well as a certified trainer in many technologies, and is currently with the computer science department at Staffordshire University, UK
Rakan Aldmour , Department of Computing and Digital Technologies and Arts, Staffordshire University
Rakan Aldmour is a senior lecturer in the Department of Computing and Digital Technologies and Arts at Staffordshire University. He supervises PhD and MSc students, and teaches undergraduate and postgraduate courses in digital technologies such as enterprise systems, managing emerging technologies, digital technologies, and research methods. He works as an academic lead for SDIPs project. His research interests are in mobile cloud computing, information systems, and internet of things systems, and industrial IoT, and he has been involved in a variety of different projects and research, including research in association with the PETRAS National Centre of Excellence for IoT Systems Cybersecurity.
