Method and system for electronic voting over a high-security network

• US 20060000904A1
• Filed: 06/29/2005
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Original Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Inventors: Bonamour, Antoine, Vernay, Francois, Traore, Jacques
• Granted Patent: US 7,819,319 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/42 Anonymization, e.g. involving pseudonyms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/466 Electronic auction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3257 using blind signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823

Abstract

A method and system for electronic voting over a network, from a terminal (Te) connected to an administrative server (SA) and to a vote-counting server (SCV). An authentication certificate (CA) and a single-use password (UPWe) are calculated and transmitted (A) from the server (SA) to the voter (Eu), an electronic ballot paper (EB) and an anonymous reference (AREu) are transmitted (B) from the terminal (Te) to the server (SCV) and, upon verification (B₁) of the anonymous reference, the vote and the paper are validated (B₃), the paper is counted, a confirmation of receipt (ACW) and an electoral register document (DVR) are transmitted from the server (SCV) to the terminal (Te). The terminal (Te) signs the register and transmits (C) the signed register (SDVR) to the server (SA) which closes (D₁) the vote of the voter (Eu).

Claims

1. Method for electronic voting over a high-security network, for a voter using a voting terminal connected via a network to at least one administrative server and to a vote-counting server, wherein it consists at least in:

calculating and transmitting from the administrative server to the voting terminal an authentication certificate; and

transmitting from the voting terminal to the vote-counting server an electronic ballot paper selected by this voter and an anonymous reference; and

, upon verification with the true value of the anonymous reference,

validating the electronic ballot paper and the electronic vote of this voter and counting this electronic ballot paper in accordance with the face value thereof;

transmitting from the vote-counting server to the voting terminal a confirmation of receipt; and

calculating and transmitting from the voting terminal to the administrative server an electoral register document signed electronically by means of said authentication certificate, the administrative server bringing about, upon verification with the true value of the signed electoral register document, the closure of the voting operation for the voter using this voting terminal.

2. Method according to claim 1, and comprising an operation which consists in transmitting an electronic electoral register document from said vote-counting server to said voting terminal.

3. Method according to claim 2, wherein the operation which consists in calculating and transmitting from the administrative server to said voter a single-use password, the transmission of said single-use password being not simultaneous with the transmission of said authentication certificate.

4. Method according to claim 3, wherein the operation which consists in calculating and transmitting an authentication certificate is carried out upon request for authorisation to participate in the vote by the using voter from the voting terminal, the authorisation request comprising at least personal identification data of the voter, the authentication certificate being calculated and transmitted upon verification with the true value of the personal identification data by the administrative server.

5. Method according to claim 1 wherein the operations which consist in calculating and transmitting a single-use password dedicated to this voter are carried out conditionally upon verification with the true value of the personal identification data by the administrative server and following the transmission of the authentication certificate.

6. Method according to claim 3, wherein the operation which consists in calculating and transmitting a single-use password is carried out from a dedicated server independent from the administrative server and the vote-counting server, the dedicated server calculating one single-use password, and only one, associated with the voter.

7. Method according to claim 6, wherein the exchanges of messages between the administrative server, the vote-counting server and the dedicated server are carried out between each of them following a successful zero-knowledge authentication protocol.

8. Method according to claim 1, wherein the transmission of an authentication certificate and a single-use password dedicated to this voter is carried out by means of separate transmission channels.

9. System for electronic voting over a high-security network for a voter using a voting terminal which is connected via a network to at least one administrative server and a vote-counting server, wherein it comprises at least:

at the level of the administrative server,

means for calculating and transmitting from the administrative server to the voting terminal an authentication certificate; and

at the level of the vote-counting server

means for receiving and processing a message which is transmitted from the voting terminal and which contains at least one electronic ballot paper selected by this voter and an anonymous reference;

means for verifying, with the true value, the anonymous reference received;

means for validating the electronic ballot paper and the electronic vote of this voter and means for counting the vote of this electronic ballot paper in accordance with the face value thereof;

means for calculating and transmitting to the voting terminal a message of confirmation of receipt.

10. Administrative server for electronic voting over a high-security network, for a voter using a voting terminal, wherein it comprises at least:

means for calculating and transmitting to the voting terminal an authentication certificate;

means for calculating and transmitting an anonymous reference for the using voter;

means for receiving, from the user terminal, an electronically signed electoral register document; and

means for closing the voting operation of the voter using the voting terminal upon verification with the true value of the signed electoral register document.

11. Server according to claim 10, wherein it comprises:

a first administrative server for controlling the electoral lists, in accordance with the districts and the applicants for the ballot;

a second administrative server, a dedicated server independent from the first administrative server and the vote-counting server, the dedicated server calculating one single-use password, and only one, associated with and transmitted to the voter.

12. Server according to claim 11, wherein the administrative server and the second administrative server, a dedicated server, comprise at least:

means for storing data representing the list of ballots, the list of applicants for these ballots, connected to one or more districts;

means for calculating a group of mini-applications in the form of a list, a mini-application being associated with a district and containing the list of applicants and the encryption keys of the electronic ballot papers;

means for transmitting the mini-applications to the first administrative server.

13. Server according to claim 12, wherein the first administrative server comprises at least:

means for storing the list of mini-applications;

means for compiling the mini-applications and for signing the compiled mini-applications;

means for extracting and publishing the list of applicants for each district and each mini-application;

means for transmitting the signed mini-applications to the second administrative server, a dedicated server, and to the voting terminal for each voter concerned.

14. Server according to claim 10, wherein the administrative server and the second administrative server further comprise coding means which allow the single-use password which is calculated and transmitted to the voter to be protected by means of a code.

15. Server according to claim 10, wherein the administrative server or the first administrative server comprises means for storing public keys which allow the transmitted messages to be merged and encrypted, in particular the electronic ballot papers, in order to ensure the confidentiality thereof, the public keys being transmitted with the mini-applications.

16. Server according to claim 11, wherein the first administrative server and the second administrative server, a dedicated server, each comprise means for generating a list of authentication keys, a pair of authentication keys being allocated to each voter using a voting terminal, which pair is formed by:

a first authentication key produced by the second administrative server, a dedicated server; and

by

a second authentication key produced by the first administrative server;

the first administrative server producing a list of second authentication keys and transmitting to the second administrative server, a dedicated server, data pairs formed by a voter identity value for a voter applying to vote, and by a hash value for the second authentication key associated with that voter; and

the second administrative server, a dedicated server, carrying out a pairing operation of the hash value of the second authentication key with the first authentication key and calculating a hash value of the first authentication key and transmitting a pair formed by the hash value of the first and second authentication key to the vote-counting server.

17. Server according to claim 11, wherein the first administrative server further comprises:

means for calculating a list of authentication certificates in order to authorise only the identified voters to participate in the vote; and

means for controlling a revocation list for the authentication certificates; and

means for transmitting to the voting terminal the authentication certificate associated with the identified applicant voter using this voting terminal.

18. Server for counting the votes of an electronic vote over a high-security network, for a voter using a voting terminal, wherein it comprises at least:

means for receiving and processing a message which is transmitted from the voting terminal and which contains at least one electronic ballot paper selected by this voter and an anonymous reference;

means for verifying with the true value the anonymous reference received;

means for validating the electronic ballot paper and the electronic vote of this voter and means for counting the vote of this electronic ballot paper in accordance with the face value thereof;

means for calculating and transmitting to the voting terminal a message of confirmation of receipt and an electronic electoral register document.

19. Server according to claim 18, wherein it comprises means for calculating and transmitting an electronic electoral register document to said voting terminal.