Electronic voting system

Electronic voting system without the need for encryption of ballots while respecting privacy

Abstract

Despite the different e-vote protocols available, no electronic voting system has been developed to guarantee the anonymity of the vote against whichever authority or partner, as well as distributing the scrutiny among the competing partners. A method which is not based on cryptographic methods, that distributes the tally responsibility, and that does not permit traceability of votes and electors. The method of the invention enables the user to generate a vote in an independent way, and divide it into a group of information portions, that, individually, do not reveal any sort of information, such as the direction of the vote, or the use who created the ballot. Usually, e-voting systems are based on well-known cryptographic primitives such as blind signatures, homomorphic cryptography, or ring signatures. Besides, blockchain recently also plays a role as a distributed ledger technology. These proposals use encryption methods, and, usually, are sensitive to post- quantum attacks. The invention here described does not need to encrypt the ballot to assure democracy, confidentiality, accuracy of the tally, and other desired properties of such a system. Furthermore, the invention distributes the responsibility of processing the ballots, and it is secure in a post- quantum scenario.

Technical specifications

Type of technology

PATENT

Inventors

Protection status

Nacional: P202131209 – 23/12/2021

Person in charge

López Rodríguez, Damián

Technology

The security of the vote is based on the partition of the ballot into different pieces, which, individually, do not reveal any information. The collaboration of each of parties implied is mandatory in order to recover the direction of the vote.

The procedure is based on the codification of the vote as the independent term of a secret polynomial generated by each sector.

Points of this polynomial constitute the portions in which the vote is fractioned (in a number fixed by the features of the election), and does not contain any kind of personal information able to reveal the user identity. Therefore, it is not possible to recover the polynomial (and therefore the vote) with a limited number of points, and also impossible to interpolate the polynomial which codes the vote (as long as the protocol is followed strictly).

Some possible applications of the results include general elections, private vote, decision-making within distributed systems (e.g. blockchain) or conducting anonymous studies.

One the user has generated the vote, this is divided into a set of pieces which individually does not reveal any other kind of information. Only the possession of all the portions permits the recovery of the original vote.

State of development

The protocol is completely designed, and the algorithm described. The next stage would be the implementation of the algorithm in a final product.

Advantages

The advantages of the developed electronic voting system are:

  • The protocol distributes (decentralizes) the responsibility of reconstruct, and carry out the final tally, among a number of competing parties.
  • The method provides higher availability and resilience. Also, due to the distribution of the ballot among the competing parties, the method does not allow unauthorize vote.  
  • The method has low time complexity, and therefore readily scales, and it easy to implement.

This system is supported by perfect secrecy, which is a mathematical feature that ensures that the system to the access to be secure, even in a post-quantum scenario.

Applications

Scenarios where confidence on the results emerge from collaboration between competing entities. Scenarios or processes that address distributed decision-making, general election, appointment of new manager positions, conduction of anonymous surveys, etc.

Desired Colaboration

Company interested in being granted with a license for the appliance of this technology.

A collaboration leading to a commercial exploitation of this invention is wanted. By agreeing with system producers either exclusive or non-exclusive transfer of usage of this technology by means of a license. Of course, format, terms, and conditions of collaboration should be openly discussed with interested partners.