International Journal of Safety and Security Engineering

Vol. 14, No. 1, February, 2024, pp. 91-98

Journal homepage: http://iieta.org/journals/ijsse

Student Voting on ICP Blockchain: A Decentralized Web3 Approach-An Infrastructure

Protection System
Koteswara Rao Kodepogu* , Mudigonda Dharmateja, Jillela Manoj Kumar, Muraboina Hari Pavan Gopi Krishna,
Kodali Ramu

CSE Department, PVP Siddhartha Institute of Technology, Vijayawada 520007, India

Corresponding Author Email: [email protected]

Copyright: ©2024 The authors. This article is published by IIETA and is licensed under the CC BY 4.0 license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

https://doi.org/10.18280/ijsse.140109 ABSTRACT

Received: 29 November 2023 In this exploration, our paper delves into the intricate implementation of robust
Revised: 26 January 2024 authentication and transaction management within educational blockchain systems. Our
Accepted: 12 February 2024 project showcases a commitment to privacy and integrity, safeguarding interactions
Available online: 29 February 2024 through advanced cryptographic techniques. The multifaceted capabilities of blockchain
technology are showcased through the seamless maintenance of student records, the
facilitation of secure voting processes, and the optimization of token transfers, collectively
Keywords: contributing to an ecosystem characterized by enhanced security, transparency, and
ICP, student voting, decentralized, consensus, efficiency. Our study uncovers insights into blockchain's transformative potential in
cryptography, encryption, SHA-256 algorithm education, redefining paradigms by introducing security measures and transparency to
student-admin interactions. We highlight the successful implementation of blockchain-
based authentication and transaction management systems, leading to enhanced
educational processes. Additionally, we briefly outline our research design and
methodology, emphasizing the rigorous approach to exploring blockchain applications.

1. INTRODUCTION approach to student voting, with a specific focus on the

university level. Our aim is to address the challenges
Democracy and trust in electoral processes are fundamental associated with traditional voting methods by proposing an
to the stability and prosperity of any society [1]. Transparent, innovative e-voting system tailored for student elections.
secure, and equitable voting systems are at the heart of this Leveraging the power of blockchain technology, specifically
democratic ethos. Traditional voting methods have their the Internet Computer Protocol (ICP) blockchain, and
limitations, including the potential for tampering, scalability adopting a decentralized Web3 approach, we propose an
issues, and concerns related to transparency [2]. Recent innovative and secure e-voting system tailored for the unique
developments in blockchain technology have presented needs of student elections. In this context, we aim to draw
promising solutions to address these challenges [2]. upon the valuable insights from two key papers in the field.
This paper presents a pioneering approach by leveraging Our paper introduces a decentralized application built on the
blockchain technology, specifically the Internet Computer ICP blockchain, known as the Student Voting system. This
Protocol (ICP) blockchain, to revolutionize student voting system is designed to ensure transparency and anonymity for
systems. By adopting a decentralized Web3 approach, our student voters and consists of two essential stages: the voting
proposed e-voting system offers unprecedented transparency, process itself and the subsequent validation. This approach
security, and scalability. It offers the potential to create aligns with the evolving landscape of e-voting technologies,
transparent, secure, and tamper-resistant voting processes [2]. offering increased security and efficiency. By utilizing
However, while blockchain-based e-voting systems have blockchain tables and a centralized database, our solution
shown immense potential, they have also faced their share of eliminates the need for complex consensus algorithms,
criticisms and challenges [2]. enhancing practicality while maintaining privacy and security.
At the national level, implementing blockchain-based The proposed architecture emphasizes separation of layers
voting systems, with their inherent complexities and and roles to prevent any undue influence on the voting process.
scalability concerns, remains a formidable task [3]. The scale A unique hash ensures the anonymity of voters while
of such elections, coupled with the significance of their guaranteeing the integrity of the vote, with no link between
outcomes, makes them vulnerable to interference and security voters and their choices stored in the ICP Canisters. With this
risks. While the adoption of e-voting in universities has shown approach, we uphold the principles of transparency and
promising results in terms of increased voter turnout and auditability, free from hidden components or potential fraud.
efficiency [4], university-level elections can also benefit from We aim to contribute to the ongoing evolution of e-voting
more reliable and secure e-voting systems [4]. systems, particularly in university contexts. This paper
The primary goal of this paper is to introduce a novel outlines the development of a practical and secure e-voting

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solution for students, taking advantage of blockchain outcomes but did not directly relate to blockchain-based
technology and the decentralized Web3 approach to provide a voting systems. By incorporating verifiability features, our
trustworthy and efficient platform for university-level proposed blockchain-based voting system can provide voters
elections. and stakeholders with greater confidence in the accuracy and
legitimacy of election results.
Albertson and Guiler [12] focused on conspiracy theories,
2. LITERATURE SURVEY election rigging, and support for democratic norms, which,
while important, were not directly related to blockchain-based
Numerous studies and initiatives have explored the voting systems.
integration of blockchain technology into voting systems to Shah et al. [13] discussed the Block Chain Voting System
address the challenges inherent in traditional voting methods. but did not address the specific challenges and contributions
In this section, we review notable research efforts in this field of blockchain-based voting systems.
and emphasize their contributions. Chaum et al. [14] presented an end-to-end voter-verifiable
Oprea et al. [1] introduced a digital voting system optical-scan voting system, emphasizing verifiability. In our
leveraging blockchain technology for implementation in proposed system, we streamline the verification process,
technologically advanced environments. While their system enhancing voter trust through registered student IDs [1],
assumed the trustworthiness of external entities, it making the voting system more secure and transparent.
acknowledged the security vulnerabilities associated with this McCorry et al. [15] developed a smart contract for
approach. The practical implication of this finding is the boardroom voting, focusing on maximum voter privacy. The
recognition of the importance of implementing stringent practical implication of their work is the recognition of the
authentication and authorization protocols to safeguard the need to integrate strong privacy protections into blockchain-
integrity of voting systems against external threats. based voting protocols to safeguard voter confidentiality and
Farooq et al. [2] presented a system that aimed to make the prevent unauthorized access to sensitive voting data.
voting system transparent using blockchain technology. Pawlak et al. [16] worked towards intelligent agents for a
However, their approach raised questions about the blockchain e-voting system, emphasizing the role of
transparency of the system itself. technology in the voting process.
Chang et al. [3] reviewed the past, present, and future of Fusco et al. [17] introduced Crypto-voting, a blockchain-
global health financing, highlighting the importance of based e-voting system. By incorporating design principles and
financial structures. However, this work is not directly related security features inspired by Crypto-voting, our proposed
to blockchain-based voting systems and their challenges. blockchain-based voting system can provide a robust and
Hossain et al. [4] developed an e-voting system using trustworthy platform for conducting elections.
blockchain technology but didn't address the issue of voter The current landscape of blockchain-based voting systems
privacy and complex computations. reveals that while several endeavors have aimed to create
Shahzad and Crowcroft [5] proposed trustworthy electronic secure, efficient, and transparent voting mechanisms, a
voting using adjusted blockchain technology, focusing on comprehensive solution encompassing all these requirements
security aspects. The practical implication is the adoption of has yet to be realized.
cryptographic primitives such as digital signatures and hash Park et al. [18] explained about how can, "Going from bad
functions to provide end-to-end verifiability and integrity to worse: From internet voting to block chain voting in all
assurance in electronic voting protocols. aspects.
Hjálmarsson et al. [6] introduced a blockchain-based e- Khan et al. [19] explained about "Secure digital voting
voting system but didn't address issues related to voter identity system based on block chain technology” in all aspects.
and voter verification. In our proposed system, we streamline Adiputra et al. [20] explained about “A proposal of block
the verification process and enhance voter trust using chain based electronic voting system," in all aspects.
registered student IDs [1], thus improving security and
transparency.
Suki and Suki [7] studied decision-making and satisfaction 3. GAPS IN LITERATURE
in campus e-voting systems, emphasizing trust in the system.
Culnane et al. [8] discussed undetectable electoral fraud in While various studies have explored the integration of
internet voting systems, emphasizing the security challenges. blockchain technology into voting systems, there are distinct
Our proposed system leverages the ICP blockchain's security gaps in the existing literature that your paper aims to address.
and transparency, providing a solution to some of these Notably, the majority of previous research, suggested a
challenges. conceptual architecture for e-voting at the university level was
Specter et al. [9] conducted a security analysis of Voatz, an presented, but it primarily relied on a centralized database for
internet voting application. Our research can build upon this vote storage and management. While this approach may work
by incorporating robust security measures inspired by Specter in certain scenarios, it falls short of leveraging the full
et al.'s findings to enhance the resilience of our blockchain- potential of blockchain technology, particularly in the context
based voting system against cyber threats and attacks. of voting systems.
Lewis and Rice [10] studied voter turnout in undergraduate In contrast, our paper offers a decentralized approach that
student government elections but did not address blockchain- leverages the Internet Computer Protocol (ICP) blockchain.
based voting systems. The practical implication here is the The decentralized nature of the ICP blockchain brings
recognition of the need to design voting systems that not only significant advantages to the forefront. By deploying our
ensure security and transparency but also actively engage and project within the ICP blockchain, our Decentralized
encourage voter participation. Application (Dapp) runs in a canister, accessible through
Haines et al. [11] explored methods for proving election HTTP requests and responses. This eliminates the need for a

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centralized authority or intermediary entities that are ICP blockchain, updates and data are securely stored across
traditionally involved in blockchain voting systems. distributed canisters, ensuring both the integrity and
One of the key contributions of our paper is the removal of availability of critical information. An essential element of our
intermediaries in the practical implementation of the voting architecture is the use of the Motoko programming language,
system. By utilizing the ICP blockchain, we establish a the built-in language for ICP's smart contract development.
trustless environment where votes are securely recorded and The adoption of Motoko streamlines the creation of secure and
counted without the need for trust in external entities, as efficient smart contracts, ensuring the precise recording and
opposed to systems relying on centralized databases. This not tallying of votes, thus cementing the reliability of our voting
only enhances transparency but also minimizes the risk of system.
manipulation, as the immutability of the blockchain ensures This architecture combines user-friendly interfaces, strong
the integrity of the voting process. Moreover, a comparative cryptography, blockchain technology, and smart contract
analysis highlights that while centralized databases introduce development, creating a comprehensive and trustworthy
vulnerabilities and limitations in digital voting systems, our voting system for students. The architecture of the student
decentralized approach offers inherent advantages in terms of voting can be seen in Figure 1.
security, transparency, and scalability.
Furthermore, while previous research, including the study
of Oprea et al. [1], encountered challenges in terms of
scalability and voter privacy, our proposed system addresses
these concerns. Recent studies have highlighted the limitations
of traditional blockchain-based voting systems in managing
large-scale elections and ensuring voter privacy. The ICP
blockchain's built-in consensus mechanism and cryptographic
hashing optimize latency, ensuring efficient management of a
large number of voters. The blockchain's decentralization and
immutability strengthen user trust, addressing the limitations
found in centralized databases.
In summary, the existing literature primarily relies on
centralized databases, introducing vulnerabilities and
limitations in digital voting systems. Our paper bridges this
gap by offering a decentralized approach that leverages the
ICP blockchain, eliminating intermediaries and enhancing the Figure 1. Student voting system architecture
security, transparency, and scalability of the voting process.
This contribution represents a significant step forward in the 4.2 Workflow of the proposed model
field of blockchain-based voting systems.
4.2.1 Decision proposal
The administrative staff (Admin) proposes decisions with a
4. PROPOSED SYSTEM set of voting options.

The proposed system aims to revolutionize the conventional 4.2.2 Voting process
voting methods by harnessing the exceptional capabilities of Students actively participate by casting their votes on the
the Internet Computer Protocol (ICP) blockchain. It utilizes available decisions.
the decentralized nature and immutability of the ICP To cast a vote, students should have a minimum number of
blockchain to establish a secure, efficient, and transparent tokens in their account.
voting process. This blockchain-based voting system is When a student casts a vote, a constant amount of tokens
designed to overcome the critical challenges associated with are deducted from their account.
traditional voting systems, ensuring a resilient and trustworthy The system ensures that students cannot vote again for the
electoral process. same decision.

4.1 Voting system architecture 4.2.3 Vote counting

The Admin can access the system to view the number of
The architecture of our innovative voting system begins votes cast for each option within a specific decision.
with a user-friendly interface developed using React Admin. The voting system keeps a tally of the votes for each option.
Students can effortlessly log in to the system, facilitating a
seamless and intuitive voting experience. What sets our system 4.2.4 Decision making
apart is the robust security measures implemented for user When the voting period concludes or at the discretion of the
verification. Each user is verified using SHA-256 Admin, the system determines the option with the majority of
cryptography, ensuring the integrity of their identity and votes for each decision.
preventing unauthorized access. This cryptographic layer adds The option with the most votes is declared the winner.
an extra dimension of security, crucial for maintaining the trust After a decision is made, the voting data for that particular
and integrity of the voting process. decision can be cleared from memory.
Once verified, students gain access to the Decentralized
Application (Dapp) hosted on the Internet Computer Protocol 4.3 System advantages
(ICP) blockchain's canister. This Dapp is the core component
of our system, facilitating the entire voting process through Our proposed system stands out by capitalizing on the
HTTP requests and responses. By harnessing the power of the immutability of blockchain technology. This makes the entire

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voting process resistant to tampering and secure against any 5.3 ReactJS
single point of failure. Notable advantages of the proposed
system include: ReactJS stands as a JavaScript library dedicated to
- Transparency: Every transaction is recorded and constructing user interfaces. Originating from the labs of
accessible on the blockchain, providing voters with a Facebook, it currently undergoes joint stewardship by
transparent view of the voting process. Facebook itself and a collaborative community comprising
- Security: Through cryptographic hashing, secure networks, individual developers and various companies. This library
and robust consensus algorithms, the system minimizes the empowers developers in crafting reusable UI components,
risk of intrusion. thereby simplifying the intricate process of constructing
- Efficiency: The flexibility of consensus algorithms and dynamic and interactive web applications. ReactJS was chosen
smart contracts optimize the system's efficiency, ensuring that over alternatives like Angular and Vue.js due to its efficient
votes are counted accurately and in a timely manner. virtual DOM implementation and the flexibility it offers
- Accessibility: Voters can participate from anywhere in the developers in managing application state.
world, and the system maintains the integrity of their votes.
- Trust: By enhancing voter trust through end-to-end
verification, our system ensures that voters have confidence in 6. DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION
the voting process.
Our proposed system offers a comprehensive solution to the In this section, we present the design and implementation
challenges faced by traditional and digital voting systems. It details of our blockchain-based voting system. Our system
combines the benefits of blockchain technology with a flexible leverages the Internet Computer Protocol (ICP) blockchain
and adaptable architecture to create a highly secure, efficient, and a React-based frontend to provide a secure and user-
and transparent voting management system. friendly voting platform. We describe the algorithms for
student creation, casting votes, secure login, and additional
critical functionalities. We also discuss how the system
5. TECHNOLOGIES USED handles exceptions or errors and its scalability.
5.1 Internet computer protocol blockchain 6.1 Algorithms
The Internet Computer Protocol (ICP) functions as a 6.1.1 Student account creation
communication protocol employed for the transmission of The student creation algorithm allows eligible students to
data across the internet. This reliable and connection-oriented register for voting. Students are verified against the Canister
protocol enables applications to initiate, sustain, and conclude data (ICP Blockchain decentralized data storage unit) before
connections between devices. ICP is integral to the functioning they can participate in the voting process. In case of exceptions
of the Internet Computer blockchain network, providing the or errors, such as a student trying to register with an already
underlying communication infrastructure. In contrast, registered StudentID, the system throws an error message and
Blockchain stands as a decentralized and distributed ledger prompts the student to try again with a different ID. The
technology designed to facilitate the secure, transparent, and caption of the student voting can be seen in Figure 2.
immutable documentation of transactions. Although
frequently utilized in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin,
Blockchain finds application in diverse sectors such as supply
chain management and voting systems. While there are certain
parallels between them, these technologies diverge in their
intended functions and operational mechanisms. These
technologies work in tandem, with ICP enabling efficient data
transmission and Blockchain ensuring secure and transparent
transaction recording.

5.2 Motoko programming language

The Motoko programming language emerges as a

contemporary and type-safe language tailored for developers
aspiring to construct the forthcoming wave of distributed
applications intended for execution on the Internet Computer
blockchain network. Specifically crafted to accommodate the
distinctive attributes of the Internet Computer, Motoko
furnishes a programming environment that is both familiar and
resilient. In its capacity as a nascent language, Motoko Figure 2. Caption of student voting
undergoes continual refinement, incorporating support for
novel features and various enhancements. While other 6.1.2 Cast vote
languages like Rust and JavaScript could have been used, The casting vote algorithm records a student's vote and
Motoko was chosen for its seamless integration with the ensures that they can only vote once. If a student tries to vote
Internet Computer’s architecture and its ability to handle the more than once, the system throws an error. The process of
unique demands of distributed computing. casting vote can be seen in Figure 3.

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 6.2.2 Create decision
- Admin proposes a decision and provides options for which
students have to participate.
- Decision ID specifies the decision and options for that
decision should be entered in Options input, they should be
separated using commas. The system can handle multiple
decisions and options, demonstrating its scalability. The
process of create decision can be seen Figure 6.

Figure 3. Casting vote

6.1.3 Secure login

The secure login algorithm ensures that only authorized
users gain access to the system, preventing unauthorized Figure 6. Creating decision
access. If a user enters incorrect login credentials, the system
throws an error and prompts the user to try again. The secure 6.2.3 Student voting
login can be seen in Figure 4. - Eligible students cast their votes using their StudentID.
- Votes are recorded on the blockchain, ensuring
transparency and immutability. The system is capable of
recording a large number of votes, further demonstrating its
scalability. The Process of Choosing the options can be seen
in Figure 7.

Figure 4. Secure login

Figure 7. Choosing options for a decision
6.2 System workflow

6.2.1 User login 7. PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

- Students register using their StudentID.
- Eligible students are assigned a unique StudentID. In the performance evaluation of our paper, we employ
- Student data is stored in the blockchain. The system is response time as a crucial evaluation metric for our voting
designed to handle a large number of student registrations, system. Our testing environment simulated a network of 1000
ensuring scalability. The User login can be seen Figure 5. nodes to mimic real-world conditions. To provide a
comprehensive assessment, we present two key graphs. The
first graph illustrates the response time in relation to the
number of queries, ranging from 1 to 1000. This graph vividly
demonstrates how our system handles varying levels of user
queries, showcasing its responsiveness. The second graph
highlights the relationship between the number of updates, i.e.,
write operations on the blockchain, and the associated
response time, also spanning from 1 to 1000. These graphs
collectively offer a clear and quantitative representation of our
system's performance, emphasizing its efficiency and
scalability.
We also tested our system under adverse conditions, such as
Figure 5. User login network outages and data corruption scenarios. Our system

95
demonstrated resilience by recovering and continuing predictable.
operation without significant impact on response times. The 2. Predictable Scalability: The predictable and incremental
number of updates and time taken seen in Table 1. nature of the time increase indicates that our DApp is scalable.
It can accommodate additional updates without experiencing
Table 1. Number of updates and time taken sudden spikes in processing time, which is vital for
maintaining a smooth user experience during periods of high
S. No. No. of Updates Time Taken (Seconds) activity.
1 1 2.10 3. Consistency: The performance of our DApp is consistent,
2 10 2.15 which is a positive sign for users. They can expect a uniform
3 100 2.20
experience regardless of the number of updates, as there are no
4 250 2.25
5 500 2.30
sudden spikes or dips in processing time.
6 1000 2.35 4. Stability: The stable and gradual increase in processing
time suggests that our DApp is stable and capable of handling
Table 2. Number of queries and time taken a growing number of updates without causing disruptions.
In summary, this analysis indicates that our DApp exhibits
S. No. No. of Queries Time Taken (Seconds) consistent and predictable performance when dealing with
1 1 0.026 various numbers of updates. It demonstrates scalability,
2 10 0.026 maintaining stable processing times as the update load
3 100 0.026 increases. This reliability ensures that users can rely on our
4 250 0.027 DApp for efficient and consistent interactions, which is crucial
5 500 0.028 for the success of a voting application.
6 1000 0.029

As Figure 8 shows, on the x-axis, we have the "Number of

Queries," which represents the quantity of interactions or
requests made to our DApp. On the y-axis, we have "Time
Taken (seconds)," which indicates the amount of time it takes
for our DApp to respond to these queries.
Analysis of the performance based on thegraph:
1. Consistency: One notable aspect is the consistency in
response time. Even as the number of queries increases from
1 to 1000, the response time remains relatively stable. This
suggests that our DApp maintains a consistent level of
performance, which is a positive sign.
2. Scalability: Our DApp seems to handle an increase in the
number of queries quite well. The slight increase in response
time as the number of queries grows suggests that our system
is scalable, which is essential for accommodating more users
or transactions in the future. Figure 8. Time taken for updates vs. number of updates
3. Efficiency: The response times, ranging from 0.026 to
0.029 seconds, indicate that our DApp is responding quickly
to user queries.
This efficiency is crucial in providing a smooth and
responsive user experience.
4. Reliability: The consistent response times across
different query quantities reflect the reliability of our DApp.
Users can rely on it to perform consistently, regardless of the
workload.
Overall, based on this analysis, our DApp demonstrates
good performance in terms of consistency, scalability,
efficiency, and reliability. This bodes well for providing users
with a seamless and dependable voting experience.
The number of queries and time taken can be seen in Table
2.
In Figure 9:
- On the x-axis, we have "Number of Updates," representing Figure 9. Time taken for queries vs. number of queries
the quantity of updates or changes made to our DApp.
On the y-axis, we have "Time Taken (seconds)," indicating
the time it takes for our DApp to process these updates. 8. CONCLUSIONS
Analysis of the performance based on the graph:
1. Incremental Time Increase: As the number of updates In conclusion, this project has successfully leveraged the
increases, we can observe a gradual and incremental increase power of blockchain technology and modern web
in the time taken for these updates. This suggests that our development to create a secure, transparent, and efficient
DApp's performance remains relatively stable as the update platform for enhancing governance within educational
load grows. The increase in processing time is consistent and institutes. By utilizing the Internet Computer Protocol (ICP)

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