## 4 Methodology and System Design
Vql provides efficient and verifiable cloud query services, allowing stakeholders to query large datasets on the blockchain without having to store the entire ledger locally, improving both performance and accessibility. Similarly, vchain+ optimizes verifiable blockchain queries, enabling stakeholders to query voting results based on preferences, regions, or demographic data while keeping voter information secure. By using these advanced query services, VoteChain enhances the process of extracting and verifying election data, increasing both security and performance. Ethereum was chosen as the underlying platform for VoteChain due to its strong smart contract capabilities and decentralized structure, which are essential for creating a secure and transparent e-voting system. Ethereum's smart contracts, developed in Solidity, automate key aspects of the election process--ranging from voter registration to vote counting. These contracts enforce election rules automatically, reducing the need for manual intervention and minimizing the risk of fraud. Ethereum's ability to handle complex, programmable smart contracts makes it a reliable platform for managing the election process in a secure and verifiable way. Ethereum's decentralized architecture ensures that no single entity can control the system, which helps prevent tampering and reduces the risks associated with central points of failure. Additionally, Ethereum's active developer community continuously enhances its security features, making it a platform that adapts to the latest blockchain advancements. Its wide adoption and proven security record make Ethereum a trusted choice for critical applications like e-voting. As for scalability, Ethereum is constantly addressing challenges with innovations like sharding and layer-2 technologies. These developments ensure that VoteChain can scale to accommodate growing numbers of voters while maintaining high performance and transaction throughput. This flexibility in Ethereum's infrastructure allows VoteChain to evolve as the demand for voting changes. VoteChain also employs various cryptographic techniques to secure the voting process, protect voter privacy, and defend against different types of attacks. The following points summarize these techniques:  
1. SHA-256 hashing generates a unique cryptographic hash for each vote, ensuring the immutability of voting records. Any attempt to modify a vote will produce a completely different hash, flagging the tampering attempt. Moreover, if a malicious actor tries to alter votes or create fake identities (such as in a Sybil attack), the blockchain's hashing mechanism would immediately detect these changes. Each block's hash is cryptographically linked to the previous one, meaning a Sybil attack would require altering every subsequent block--an almost impossible feat given the computational power required;
2. The Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA) is employed to authenticate voter identity by allowing only authorized voters to sign their votes with their private keys. This guarantees non-repudiation, meaning a voter cannot later deny casting a specific vote since their private key was used to sign it. In addition, since votes are signed with private keys, even if an attacker intercepts the vote in a MitM attack, they would be unable to alter or impersonate the voter without access to their private key, preventing vote manipulation during transmission;
3. Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs) enable a voter to prove their eligibility to vote without revealing any personal details or the contents of their vote. This ensures that the voting system can verify a vote's legitimacy while maintaining voter privacy. Since ZKPs conceal the actual vote content, they help prevent coercion or collusion, ensuring voter privacy even from election organizers and other third parties;
4. Homomorphic encryption allows computations, such as vote tallying, to be performed on encrypted votes without needing to decrypt them.