Agora Blockchain

Introduction

Agora is a library of voting algorithms like Moore's, Oklahoma , Borda , IRV etc. Some of these voting algorithms are already implemented by AOSSIE in a centralized manner using Scala as their backend. Our vision is to take these algorithms on a decentralized platform, so that, crucial votes of the voters could not be tampered with by admins, hackers, or anyone with access to the database. Blockchain technology would make the ballots immutable and hence more secure.

Tech Stack

• Backend

  • Solidity: A programming language used for developing smart contracts on the Ethereum ecosystem.
  • Hardhat: A development environment for testing, deploying, and managing smart contracts.
  • ChainLink: Facilitates cross-chain interoperability within the ecosystem.
  • EIPs: Utilized for implementing the latest Ethereum Improvement Proposals.
  • OpenZeppelin: Provides a collection of well-audited, secure smart contracts that are easy to integrate and use.

• Client

  • Next.js: A React framework used for developing the frontend of the application.
  • Node.js (v10.16 or later): A JavaScript runtime required for server-side development.
  • MetaMask: A browser extension for managing Ethereum accounts and interacting with the blockchain.
  • Vercel - The platform used for deploying the Next.js frontend, offering seamless deployment and hosting with serverless functions.
  • Wagmi: A set of React hooks for working with Ethereum contracts.
  • TailwindCSS: A utility-first CSS framework for efficient styling.
  • zustand: A state management library for React, used for managing global state in the Next.js application.

Here's a refined version of the development guide:

Development Guide

Running Locally

Clone the Repository:

git clone https://github.com/AOSSIE-Org/Agora-Blockchain

Backend

1. Navigate to the Blockchain Directory:

   cd blockchain

2. Install Dependencies:

   npm install

3. Test the Contracts:

   npx hardhat test

4. Create an .env.local file with the following environment variables:

   PRIVATE_KEY=<your_private_key>
   RPC_URL_SEPOLIA=<your_sepolia_rpc_url>
   RPC_URL_FUJI=<your_fuji_rpc_url>
   ETHERSCAN_KEY=<your_etherscan_api_key>

5. Compile & Deploy Contracts:

   npx hardhat ignition deploy ./ignition/modules/<ContractModule> --network <Network> --verify

Frontend

1. Navigate to the Client Directory:

   cd client

2. Install Dependencies:

   npm install

3. Run the Application:

   npm run dev

4. Create an .env.local file with the following environment variables:

   NEXT_PUBLIC_PINATA_JWT=<your_pinata_jwt>

5. Visit the Live App at: localhost

About smart contracts

The architecture of your Election Factory contract is designed to facilitate the creation and management of elections on the blockchain, incorporating cross-chain voting capabilities through Chainlink's Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP). Below is a detailed explanation:

Overview

The ElectionFactory contract serves as the core component of the election creation and management system. It is responsible for generating new election instances, handling cross-chain voting, and maintaining a record of active elections. The contract leverages several other contracts and libraries to achieve its functionality, including the Election, BallotGenerator, and ResultCalculator contracts, as well as Chainlink's CCIP components.

• Key Features:

  • Election Creation: Utilizes a clonable election template (electionGenerator) to efficiently create new election contracts.
  • Ballot and Result Handling: Generates ballots using the BallotGenerator contract and calculates election results with a dedicated ResultCalculator contract.
  • Cross-Chain Voting: Implements Chainlink's Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) to allow voting from multiple blockchain networks.

• Efficiency and Security:

  • Clonable Contracts: Reduces deployment costs and resource usage by cloning a pre-deployed election template.
  • Owner Management: Ensures only the election creator can delete or modify their election, providing security and control.
  • Whitelisted Cross-Chain Communication: Only allows approved contracts to send votes across chains, preventing unauthorized access.

Deployed Instances

• Election Factory: Sepolia Testnet
• CCIP Contract: FUJI Testnet
• Frontend: Live URL

How to Contribute

1. Create an Issue: For any feature requests, bugs, security concerns, or other issues, please create an issue in the repository and wait to be assigned before proceeding.
2. Branch Management: Always create a new branch on your forked repository to commit your changes.
3. Pull Request Descriptions: When submitting a pull request (PR), provide a detailed explanation in the description, outlining all changes and the reasons behind them.
4. Community Engagement: Post your issues and PR updates on the Agora-Blockchain Discord channel for visibility and discussion.

Additional Points to Remember

1. Testing and Code Quality: Ensure all changes are thoroughly tested, and avoid introducing code smells.
2. Small Changes: If a frontend change involves fewer than 20 lines of code or if you are making documentation updates, you may directly create a PR without prior assignment.
3. Assignment Requirement: Do not submit unassigned PRs; they will be closed without review.
4. Avoiding Overlap: Before starting work, check existing issues and PRs to avoid duplicating efforts or conflicting changes.
5. Open Review Period: A new issue or PR will remain open for one week to allow other contributors to review and suggest improvements.
6. Mentor Notification: If your PR is left unattended for more than 1-2 weeks, depending on the contribution size, feel free to tag the mentors of Agora-Blockchain to get their attention.
7. Completion Timeline: An issue is expected to be completed within 5-30 days, depending on its complexity. If not completed within this timeframe, it may be reassigned to another contributor.
8. Progress Updates: If your work on an issue is taking longer than expected, ensure you provide regular updates in the issue’s or PR's comments to keep everyone informed.
9. Working on Blockchain Components:
   • Error Interface Changes: If modifying an interface for errors, ensure the corresponding error is added to client/app/helper/ErrorMessage.ts.
   • Contract ABI Updates: For changes to ElectionFactory, Election, or CCIPSender contracts, manually update the ABI files in client/abi/artifacts/ (do not configure Hardhat to generate these paths automatically in the client directory).