A framework for simple, secure and cost effective online voting system

Abstract

Voting is a fundamental right of every citizen and to strengthen this fundamental right, it is necessary to provide a facility to each citizen to cast their vote. Due to socio-economic problems people are moving from their native places for jobs and prosperity. It results in inability to exercise the above fundamental right. As reported by the Press Trust of India (2012, April), the Election Commission of India has expressed lack of faith in online voting by citing a number of valid reasons including non-compliance with coercion-protection. This paper while taking care of those and other concerns proposes a framework through which online voting may still be successfully carried out in India or in other such diverse settings. This framework seeks to address key concerns such as security of voters, confidentiality of votes and non-duplication of votes. By conducting online elections as per this framework, there is potential to reduce cost and time drastically. A significant benefit of this framework is that it permits cutting across diversity variables and applies equally to gender, age, literacy, income level and others. This paper describes voter registration, vote casting, and a compatible framework for both computer literate and illiterate users. It also describes use of video surveillance for the conduct of free and fair elections. Latest technology like biometrics is shown to aid voter authentication and to control unfair voting, among others. This paper describes how a parliamentary elections at various levels can be conducted in just a little more than half of the current budget, thereby delivering huge savings on costs alone. The framework proposed by this paper continues to be compatible with existing processes. It also describes how election process can easily be managed with the help of significantly very less number of security personnel and rather few polling staff. In the method proposed by this paper, most Government offices and institutions would not be affected by elections and therefore may continue to work as normal. Use of this framework will release public/private transport from the burden of elections and transportation will not get affected and which will result in no inconvenient to general public.