## 7 Improvements to the Existing E-Voting System  
A comparison of the proposed VoteChain system with other blockchain-based evoting systems is presented in this section. The comparison shows the unique advantages of VoteChain in terms of security, scalability, transparency, and query efficiency.  
1. Security  
Via employing decentralized consensus mechanisms and cryptographic protections, blockchain-based e-voting systems provide strong security. However, further security enhancement is provided by VoteChain through the integration of advanced cryptographic techniques, including SHA-256 hashing, elliptic curve signatures, and the Casper proof-of-stake (PoS) consensus mechanism [16].  
In contrast to other systems that rely on traditional proof-of-work (PoW) protocols, Casper PoS [36] ensures that malicious validators face financial penalties for attempting to manipulate the voting process. This makes VoteChain more resilient to attacks while maintaining voter privacy and ensuring that each vote is securely recorded and cannot be tampered with.  
2. Scalability  
Because of the limitations of network bandwidth and consensus protocols, scalability is considered a challenge in many blockchain-based e-voting systems [31]. VoteChain supports a large voter base without affecting performance by utilizing the scalability features of Ethereum, such as sharding and off-chain processing capabilities. Unlike some blockchain systems that face bottlenecks with higher transaction volumes, the architecture of VoteChain ensures running operations smoothly with minimal latency, even during peak voting times, making it suitable for national-level elections.  
3. Transparency  
Transparency [16] is a key requirement of any blockchain-based e-voting system. VoteChain enables authorized observers to audit the entire voting process in real-time by accessing the immutable ledger of the blockchain, ensuring that every vote is verifiable. While some other systems provide transparency, they require a trade-off with privacy or even complex cryptographic solutions to verify vote authenticity. VoteChain, through its balanced use of smart contracts and transparent hashing mechanisms, allows auditing while preserving the privacy of voters.  
4. Query Efficiency  
Querying large datasets when extracting voting-related data from the blockchain is a challenge in many blockchain-based e-voting systems [38]. By integrating advanced query mechanisms, such as vql (verifiable query language) and vchain+, VoteChain will support efficient and secure querying of blockchain data. VoteChain will provide faster retrieval of voting statistics and results without the need for full data replication.  
In contrast, other blockchain-based systems provide limited querying capabilities, which in turn slow down the analysis of voting data, especially in real-time.  
5. User and Administrative Roles  
When comparing VoteChain with other blockchain-based e-voting systems [31] that may support complex or less-defined administrative processes, the roles of the administrators and voters are clearly defined by VoteChain. The responsibilities of administrators, including voters' registration management, monitoring the voting process, and computing results, are integrated into the smart contracts of VoteChain, thus reducing the need for manual intervention and increasing the reliability of the system. The role-based architecture of VoteChain makes it different from other systems, as the actions of administrators can sometimes introduce vulnerabilities or require more manual control.