## 8 Conclusions and Future Work  
This research presents an innovative blockchain-based e-voting system that employs smart contracts to facilitate secure and cost-effective elections while safeguarding voter privacy in the state of Palestine. Our demonstration on an Ethereum private blockchain underscores the transformative potential of blockchain technology in addressing the inherent challenges associated with traditional e-voting systems. By utilizing blockchain, VoteChain not only guarantees the security and integrity of elections but also significantly enhances transparency, making it a groundbreaking advancement in the field of electronic voting. The transparency provided by the blockchain enables election audits and analysis, making all election processes more accessible and reliable. The proposed VoteChain enhances traditional e-voting systems by providing robust solutions to challenges such as privacy, eligibility, receipt freedom, ease of use, and verifiable. Regarding privacy and secrecy, VoteChain employs advanced cryptographic hashing techniques to protect voter anonymity, adding a sophisticated layer of complexity to traceability. This ensures that voter identities remain secure, preventing the risk of misuse. Further research is needed to explore enhancements in security measures, user experience improvements based on feedback, and scalability for diverse electoral contexts, particularly in the unique political landscape of Palestine. Collaborating with governmental bodies for real-world pilot implementations can provide valuable insights and empirical data to refine and validate the VoteChain system. By continuing to innovate and adapt, VoteChain aims to become a leading solution in the future of secure and transparent elections. This research on VoteChain opens up several avenues for future exploration and development. While the current system demonstrates the feasibility of blockchain-based e-voting in the context of Palestine, further advancements are required to fully address the challenges of large-scale national elections. Future work should focus on scalability and performance optimization, exploring techniques such as sharding or off-chain transaction processing to reduce latency and increase transaction throughput, making VoteChain more suitable for larger electoral contexts. Additionally, quantum-resistant encryption is a crucial area for future development, as quantum computing may render current cryptographic algorithms vulnerable. Incorporating quantum-resistant encryption methods, such as lattice-based cryptography, could ensure the system's long-term security. Integration with privacy-preserving protocols like Blockshare, zero-knowledge proofs, and homomorphic encryption should also be explored to enhance privacy without compromising transparency. These techniques will allow for secure, verifiable elections while maintaining voter confidentiality. A real-world pilot implementation in collaboration with governmental bodies is another essential step. Such pilot projects would provide practical feedback on usability, security, and scalability, offering opportunities for further refinement and validation of the system. Conceptualization, E.D. and A.H.; Methodology, A.H.; Software, A.H.; Validation, E.D., A.H. and M.A.H. ; Formal Analysis, E.D. and M.A.H. ; Investigation, E.D. ; Resources, A.H.; Data Curation, E.D. ; Writing--Original Draft Preparation, E.D. ; Writing--Review and Editing, M.A.H. ; Visualization, A.H. and M.A.H. ; Supervision, E.D. ; Project Administration, E.D., A.H. and M.A.H. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. This research received no external funding. The source code for the smart contracts used in the VoteChain system has been made available for review and public access.