Online Voting (Rust POC)

⚠️ Work in Progress This project is a learning exercise and proof-of-concept. It is not intended for production use.

Overview

This repository is an experimental implementation of a secure online voting system, written in Rust. The goal is to explore how modern Rust patterns and libraries can be used to build a system that could, in theory, meet the stringent requirements of French electoral regulations.

Key objectives:

• Learn Rust by building a real-world, security-focused application
• Experiment with cryptographic primitives and secure protocols
• Model a system architecture that could scale and be auditable
• Document challenges and solutions for educational purposes

Project Structure

online-voting/
├── src/                  # Core shared Rust code
├── voting-core/          # Core domain logic, models, and cryptography
│   ├── src/
│   └── tests/
├── voting-server/        # Server-side logic (API, orchestration)
│   └── src/
├── voting-client-cli/    # CLI client for interacting with the system
│   └── src/
├── Cargo.toml            # Rust workspace manifest
├── Cargo.lock            # Dependency lockfile
└── digest.txt            # (WIP) Documentation, notes, or digests

Features

Implemented

• Modular Rust workspace structure
• Core voting models (Election, Voter, Ballot)
• Cryptographic primitives (ElGamal encryption, commitments, zero-knowledge proof skeletons)
• Secure vote casting and tallying logic (in-memory, not networked)
• CLI client for simulating voting and tallying
• Unit tests for core election and crypto flows
• Prevention of double voting
• Ballot receipts and inclusion proofs (basic)

In Progress / Planned

• Real server API for vote orchestration (currently only CLI and in-memory)
• Persistent storage (database integration)
• End-to-end cryptographic proofs (full ZK, verifiable tally)
• Compliance with all French legal requirements (currently only modeled, not enforced)
• User authentication and authorization
• Secure network communication (TLS, etc.)
• Audit logging and transparency features
• More robust error handling and input validation
• Scalability and performance testing
• Documentation of security and regulatory considerations

Why Rust?

• Memory safety: Rust's ownership model helps prevent common bugs and vulnerabilities.
• Performance: Suitable for high-throughput, low-latency systems.
• Modern ecosystem: Great libraries for cryptography, web, and testing.

Security & Compliance

This project aims to:

• Use strong cryptographic primitives (see voting-core/src/crypto/)
• Model auditable and transparent voting flows
• Explore regulatory requirements for online voting in France

Disclaimer: This code is for educational purposes only. It is not audited, not production-ready, and should not be used for real elections.

Getting Started

1. Install Rust (see rustup.rs)
2. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/your-username/online-voting.git
   cd online-voting

3. Build the workspace:

   cargo build

4. Run tests:

   cargo test

Contributing

Contributions, feedback, and suggestions are welcome! Please open issues or pull requests to discuss improvements or questions.

License

MIT (or specify your preferred license)

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Note: This project is not affiliated with any official French electoral body. It is a personal learning project and a technical exploration.