From Ballots to Blockchains: the Evolution of Peer-to-Peer Voting

Peer-to-peer (P2P) voting systems have emerged as a promising alternative to traditional centralized and paper-based voting methodologies. These systems leverage the advantages of decentralized architectures – often in conjunction with blockchain technology – to improve transparency, security, and resilience in decision-making processes. In this paper, we present a comprehensive review of P2P voting systems. We begin by defining P2P voting and discussing its motivation and necessity in light of the limitations found in traditional systems. We then provide an overview of the technical architectures that underpin these systems, including blockchain-based approaches and alternative decentralized protocols. Next, we address the primary challenges that need to be overcome, such as security threats (e.g., Sybil attacks and vote manipulation), scalability, privacy concerns, and legal and usability issues. Finally, we discuss potential future directions and technological improvements, including enhanced consensus algorithms, improved authentication methods, and novel privacy-preserving techniques. Our review suggests that while significant challenges remain, the advancements in blockchain and distributed computing technologies hold considerable promise for the future adoption of secure and efficient P2P voting systems.