How Blockchain Will Give the American Electoral Process True Transparency

How Blockchain Will Give the American Electoral Process True Transparency

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magine… gaining the ability to vote in the next primary election without setting foot in a voting booth or enduring the long lines outside your polling site waiting to exercise your civic duty as an American citizen. Now, imagine that you can vote from the privacy and comfort of your own home via your desktop computer or mobile device. The idea of skipping the polling pomp and circumstance on Election Day may seem like a far-fetched one, but the reality may be far closer than we think.

Many experts believe that blockchain may be the answer to your Election Day blues. Infusing blockchain into the election process would serve as a way to simplify the process for voters while more importantly ensuring complete transparency of our election systems. Some of these experts even expect that the American people are only a few years out from seeing all significant elections conducted wholly online via blockchain.

Could Blockchain Eliminate Voter Fraud?

As voting technology advances, even the most progressive and prosperous countries across the globe run a higher risk of seeing their election systems compromised and tainted through fraudulent activity or from outside influence. The mere allegations of ballot manipulation reported can cost a great deal of time and money to investigate and uncover or lay to rest. Blockchain technology would secure voters’ identities so that those who participated on Election Day can verify that they are who they say they are and that they are legally allowed to vote in the United States.

Think of blockchain as a digital ledger system made up of many nodes throughout its network that are designed to verify and record every single transaction across the network, amounting to millions. These nodes then simultaneously exist and collectively create a ‘chain’ on which this digital ledger exists, but has no need to be stored in any traditional sense. The blockchain is therefore incorruptible and its records individually verifiable. Since blockchain is an encrypted and decentralized network, it cannot be hacked, penetrated, or influenced by outside sources since it does not and never will exist in one single place.

Blockchain technology as conceived would service the electoral process excellently. Think of the votes as the nodes or the millions of tiny, but essential pieces of information that would be collected to create the ‘chain.’ Thus, leaving the vote collecting and storing system locked tight without the ability to be breached.

Industry experts hope and are determined for this technology will eliminate the possibility of electoral fraud, manipulation, and vote-rigging. With blockchain technology covering and fortifying all of the gaps left in today’s somewhat antiquated electoral and voting process, blockchain would allow every voter to effectively submit their vote without having to give up their identity, and officials can be utterly confident that no fakes exist.

Open data voting will be a trend we see more of in the future as different industries adapt the technology to suit their needs. However, this way of collecting and storing data is not particularly new; the blockchain has proven to be a safe, effective method to track currency transactions across the finance sector. These transactions are available for the public to scrutinize—thus leading many to think that this would be a viable and smart method that would easily offer the same oversight on elections.

More Benefits When Voting Via Blockchain Proponents of blockchain voting also hope that the minimized, simplified voting process will give voter turnout the generous boost that it so desperately needs in our country. After all, it will allow citizens will be able to vote while they live abroad, or while ill or otherwise unable to make it to a polling place.

Blockchain voting would also significantly lower election costs, removing most all expenses associated with vote gathering and counting in the past. The hope is that it can also streamline the vote counting process and ensure nobody is left out.

Trial Runs of Blockchain Voting in West Virginia The public in America elections. their vote

sector is becoming more accustomed to the blockchain--West Virginia became the first state to allow voters the use of blockchain to cast their ballots for this year's primary The state used new technology to ensure voter identity before they were allowed to cast via mobile devices; they accomplished this via biometric tools like thumbprint scans.

While the participation was relatively low, it was intended as a trial run and nothing more.

Barriers to Blockchain Voting Still, many skeptics stiffly oppose the idea of using blockchain for elections. Many public officials turn their ignorant of this technology and how it can provide transparency. While these political officials need proper introductions in order to embrace the technology, other challenges need to be met, too, including the affirmation of: • • • • • •

Privacy Security of Election Computer Security for Voters Preventing DDOS Attacks (Denial of Service) Preventing voter Coercion Removing the inconvenience for local election officials

Keep an eye peeled as we move closer to our next election cycle. I guarantee that not only will the conversation be focused on it, but we will begin to see blockchain technology implemented to enhance the collective security of our country’s next electoral process.

-ADAM JIWAN, CEO of Spring Labs