Blockchain voting is just one of the many amazing services the technology provides. With the current voting system being so flawed and scrutinised, blockchain is here to introduce a new way for people to vote and communicate in their local elections.

Blockchain’s many benefits of security, speed, and efficiency are already applicable to the public sector and governments. The technology’s potential is helping to explain why so many government leaders are actively exploring and implementing blockchain.

Benefiting the government

Voting is one of the most important ways of ensuring there are fair decisions being made and people have equal voices. This then makes for a trustworthy democracy. Because of this importance, it has become more and more difficult over the years to ensure voting system records are accurate and kept securely.

On top of this, there are also issues with the lack of transparency and legitimacy of voting systems. This potential corruption discourages people from voting at all. However, blockchain and its decentralised ledger bring about transparency and security in every stage of the voting process.

With transparency being one of the largest barriers to a successful democracy, it is important that governments find a convenient solution. By using blockchain, this is possible. Blockchain is able to keep a tally of the votes being made, enabling voters to track and count the number of votes occurring. This way, everyone can agree the final vote is legitimate as they can count it themselves. This makes for a very trustworthy voting system.

Security

Voting security has been a largely debated topic amongst many democracies. From technological to political perspectives, everyone agrees that keeping elections safe and secure is of the utmost importance.

As always, this is where blockchain comes in. The technology has the ability to introduce a seemingly unhackable system. All votes could be verified as soon as voting is finished to ensure they are all counted correctly. Without blockchain, this would have to be done by a central body overseeing the process. This causes many questions to arise about the trust of these central bodies.

But with blockchain and its decentralised ledger system, there is no need for a central body. Each vote counted has to be completely verified on the blockchain’s network. This allows officials to go and confirm each voting result as soon as the vote is finished, knowing every vote has been securely checked and registered.

Countries experimenting with blockchain voting

Countries have already started experimenting with blockchain in their voting systems, including Switzerland. In Zug, a blockchain-based eID system has been tested since late last year, while local officials in Schaffhausen began a blockchain-based trial in December, giving residents access via their smartphones to local tax, employment, road traffic, child protection, planning, and other department information.

The Swiss government is looking to boost electronic voting in the country, with the aim of launching it in two-thirds of its cantons by the end of this year.

Denver to test blockchain voting app

The city of Denver will trial a blockchain-based voting app during their 2019 municipal election cycle. The app will allow voters to receive and cast their ballot directly from their smartphone during the election cycle.

The app is called Voatz and it will utilise blockchain encryption to provide security and convenience for those who are unable to vote in person.

Upon submitting the ballot, voters will be able to receive an email receipt with a PDF of their ballot image so they can confirm the information has been recorded correctly.

Final thoughts

As we have seen, blockchain technology has the power to revolutionise an array of sectors. Voting is just one of the many issues it is currently tackling. With a fairer voting system in place, blockchain will allow cities and countries to make better decisions that reflect the will of the people. The current voting system is flawed and can not carry on. Blockchain will bring about the future, and with this, a sense of empowerment and belief that we are creating a better way of life.