A system where it is possible to establish a relation between a function of the cipher texts of two messages m1, m2 and the cipher text of another function of the clear messages. For e-voting the most interesting homomorphic property is the additive property: there is a function f that applied to the cipher texts of messages m1, m2 results in the cipher text of the sum of messages m1 and m2, f (C(m1) C(m2) = C(m1 + m2). Homomorphic cryptosystems, with the additive homomorphic property, can be use to decipher the final tally without decipher the votes, thus providing more guarantees of vote anonymity.
Published in Chapter:
Key Concepts and Protocols in E-Voting
Rui F.L. Joaquim (CCISEL, Portugal)
Copyright: © 2008
|Pages: 8
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-59904-885-7.ch100
Abstract
With today’s technology, it is possible to improve the decision support of our networked and virtual organizations. More specific we are talking about e-voting systems, namely Internet voting systems, which are a convenient way to express actors’ will and/or opinion with all properties of traditional voting, such as: accuracy, democracy, privacy, and verifiability. To look at e-voting systems only as a modern way to conduct political or private organizations’ elections is diminutive of its potential. Whenever people’s privacy is at stake e-voting expertise can come in hand. Examples of such scenarios are quality surveys to improve service quality, for instance banks and other private or public service entities; health related surveys, for instance sexual behavior survey to help in the creation of a plan to fight sexual transmitted diseases, and teaching quality surveys to help adapt classes’ content to students’ needs.