Security and Threats in the Brazilian e-Voting System: A Documentary Case Study Based on Public Security Tests

Democracy is one of the processes that has become electronic over the years, and Brazil, as one of the countries with the largest democracy in the world in terms of number of voters, has also started the informatization of the voting process. However, it is important to note that, in addition to advantages that an all-electronic voting process brings to an election, such as rapid vote tabulation and the availability of results, there are technical issues to be addressed to prevent fraud and system failures, ensuring a fair process. In this sense, this paper presents a case study that analyzes what are the problems faced in the Brazilian electronic process by studying public reports released by the authorities. Brazilian e-voting system has several security mechanisms, such as voter authentication by biometrics, and is capable of detecting unauthorized modifications. Our findings show that, despite the Brazilian e-voting technological evolution, the system still faces some problems that can compromise the outcome of an election, and also bring some doubts about the procedures defined for carrying out public security tests in the e-voting system.