A Framework for Blockchain-Based Scalable E-Voting System Using Sharding and Time-Slot Algorithm

People in the present era are always engaged in their jobs and other tasks. Any technology breakthrough that lowers their time wastage is greatly appreciated. Voting is an unavoidable process that takes place regularly in a democracy. Voters invest a lot of time in the current voting system for a variety of reasons, like the need for voters to physically be present at the polling booth, long queue for voting, physical procedures involved in casting a ballot, etc. Technologies which are time-efficient and highly secure are required in this era. Several researchers have suggested several blockchain-based electronic voting methods. The majority of blockchain-based electronic voting systems used now include problems of latency and non-scalability. It is a tedious task to implement a blockchain-based electronic voting system (e-voting) that scales well based on transactions per second (tps). Some researchers have suggested using sharding technology to improve scalability. But only with sharding, the system cannot handle the casting of huge amounts of votes, which is greater than the maximum transaction per second (tps) of the system, at the same time. An e-voting architecture which consists of a consortium blockchain, an Interplanetary File System (IPFS) has been proposed. The architecture has incorporated a fog layer to increase scalability by minimising the latency. Additionally, an algorithm has been proposed that enhances the system’s functionality and effectiveness in a nation with a sizable voting population.