Design and Scalability Performance Evaluation of Permissioned Blockchain Architecture for Online Voting System

Abstract

This research addresses critical challenges in online voting systems by integrating blockchain technology, specifically leveraging Hyperledger Fabric. The objectives include designing a permissioned blockchain architecture tailored for online voting systems, developing and implementing smart contracts to manage the entire voting lifecycle, including voter registration, vote casting, and result viewing within the permissioned blockchain environment and assessing the scalability and performance of the proposed voting system architecture using Hyperledger Caliper. The study begins with a comprehensive review of literature and case studies to identify security gaps within existing online voting systems, focusing on both on-chain and off-chain aspects. Subsequently, an online voting system architecture with a single channel blockchain network is designed, using Hyperledger Fabric to enhance the scalability of online voting processes. Then, smart contracts are developed to implement the logic of the voting application. To assess the effectiveness of the designed architecture, extensive testing and evaluation are conducted. Key scalability performance metrics are measured using Hyperledger Caliper on critical operational functions. The Hyperledger Fabric Network was incrementally scaled from a single-peer network to a five-peer network configuration to assess scalability. The performance assessment suggests that a five-peer network is optimal for the proposed online voting system. The findings pave the way for future advancements in blockchain-based solutions, offering a secure, scalable and transparent framework for online voting systems.