Desenvolvimento de um sistema de votação electrónica baseado em blockchain para o Núcleo de Estudantes de Direito da UEM

Abstract

At Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM), the student nuclei play a fundamental role in student representation, and their elections are an important part of the democratic experience in the academic context. However, these electoral processes have been facing challenges related to organization, transparency and the trust of participants. Given this scenario, this paper proposes the development of a blockchain based electronic voting system prototype, with the Eduardo Mondlane University Law Students Nucleus (NED) as a case study. The proposal aims to demonstrate how blockchain technology, initially conceived for the financial sector, can be applied to the modernization of electoral processes, ensuring greater transparency, security and auditability. To achieve this, the goals were to describe the current electoral process at NED, present the main blockchain concepts and techniques applicable to voting, and develop a functional prototype that demonstrates the technical viability and benefits of applying blockchain to electoral processes. The research adopted a mixed methodological approach, combining a literature and document review with interviews aimed at the NED student community. The development of the system followed the cascade model and resulted in a web application integrated with the Ethereum platform, using smart contracts to manage the main events of the electoral process. The obtained results suggest that the adoption of blockchain in electoral contexts can strengthen the integrity of democratic processes, even in environments with limited infrastructure and low institutional trust. In addition, the work paves the way for future research and improvements aimed at the gradual implementation of electronic voting systems based on emerging technologies.