Blockchain Voting System Anonymity and Integrity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current electronic voting systems face challenges in ensuring the integrity, accessibility, and fairness of elections, particularly in large-scale democratic processes, as they often rely on trusted entities for voter registration, authentication, and vote tabulation, which can lead to reduced voter turnout and potential manipulation.

Innovation Solution

A distributed blockchain-based anonymous mobile electronic voting system that utilizes a voter client, registrar server, and moderator server to anonymize voters, encrypt ballots, and utilize smart contracts on a blockchain for secure and verifiable voting, allowing voters to cast and verify their votes remotely while maintaining secrecy and preventing coercion.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If in-person isolated poll-sites with rigorous monitoring are used, then election integrity is improved, but voter accessibility and availability deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveelection integrityVSAvoidvoter accessibility
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces physical poll-site infrastructure with a blockchain-based electronic voting system. Voters cast ballots remotely through digital devices, eliminating the need for physical presence at polling locations while maintaining election integrity through cryptographic verification and distributed ledger technology.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces blockchain technology as an intermediary between voters and election results. The distributed ledger acts as a trusted mediator that verifies votes without requiring physical monitoring, enabling remote voting while preserving election integrity through transparent and tamper-proof record-keeping.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If computerized systems such as optical scanners and DREs are used, then verifiability is improved, but computer vulnerabilities and trust requirements worsen

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevote verifiabilityVSAvoidsystem security
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces centralized computerized voting systems with a decentralized blockchain-based system. Instead of relying on vulnerable centralized databases and software, the system uses distributed ledger technology where multiple nodes independently verify and store vote data, eliminating single points of failure and reducing vulnerability to hacking.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent enables voters to independently verify their own votes through the blockchain ledger. Each voter receives a unique identifier and can personally confirm that their ballot was recorded correctly on the distributed ledger, providing self-service verification without requiring trust in centralized election authorities or complex computerized systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Productivity

If centralized election management is used, then coordination is improved, but single points of failure and manipulation risks worsen

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveelection coordinationVSAvoidsystem resilience
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the centralized election management function into multiple distributed nodes across the blockchain network. Instead of a single central authority, vote recording, verification, and tallying are distributed across numerous independent participants, eliminating single points of failure while maintaining coordinated election operations through consensus mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS12118828B2Blockchain-based voting system
Publication Date: 2024.10.15 BOARD OF TRUSTEES OPERATING MICHIGAN STATE UNIV
  • US12118828B2 patent drawing
  • US12118828B2 patent drawing
  • US12118828B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A control system for conducting an election may include a voter client configured to be used by a voter to cast a vote for a candidate, a registrar server, and a moderator server. The moderator server may be configured to obscure the identity of the voter. The registrar server may be configured to randomly assign a ballot to the obscured voter. The registrar server may be configured to encrypt the ballot. The moderator server may be configured to transmit the encrypted ballot to the voter client. The voter client may be configured to decrypt the encrypted ballot to recover the ballot. The voter client, in response to the voter selecting a desired candidate, may be configured to generate a ballot associated with a vote. The voter client may be configured to encrypt the ballot using a public key of the registrar server and a public key of the moderator server.