Abstract

Electoral processes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have faced persistent challenges since the first democratic elections in 2006, particularly regarding transparency and trust. Despite the introduc tion of electronic voting machines in 2018 and 2023, concerns remain over electoral fraud, notably the lack of robust mechanisms to prevent multiple registrations and votes by the same individual. These vulnerabil ities continue to undermine public confidence in the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI).

This study proposes a multimodal biometric authentication system to enhance the credibility and security of the electoral process. The proposed system integrates fingerprint and facial recognition technologies with RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) card functionality, aiming to secure both voter registration and vot ing phases.

To evaluate public perception, a survey was conducted among Congolese citizens to assess their experiences with past elections and their trust in CENI’s fraud prevention capabilities. Findings revealed widespread dissatisfaction and a strong interest in adopting biometric technologies.

A prototype of the system was developed and tested with 25 graduate students at Hanyang University. Among the three authentication methods, fingerprint recognition yielded the highest user satisfaction (93.8%), fol lowed by RFID (92.5%) and facial recognition (88.5%), indicating strong potential for improving usability and trust in future DRC elections.

DOI: doi.org/10.63721/25JESD0110

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