One of the big areas of everyday life that could potentially benefit from blockchain technology, is online voting.
For many years, there have been calls to implement online voting.
This would lead to increased numbers of people voting in a given election due to the related convenience. They will no longer have to take considerable time out of their day to visit the local polling station. Instead, they can simply cast their vote using their mobile device or desktop computer.
Unfortunately, there are many reasons why this concept is not feasible in its current form. There is a lack of integrity and trust in these systems.
In face, many elections in recent times were marred by scandals relating to others trying to influence elections. Therefore, elections are potentially more vulnerable to illicit activities if voting is held online.
Could Blockchain Technology be the Answer?
Many in the blockchain space believe that this technology is the answer to online voting issues. There are, of course, many different forms of this technology currently out there. However, no-one doubts the potential of this technology curb lower levels of election fraud.
To achieve this, the process must establish time-stamped and immutable records. Therefore, this data provide a single version of truth for each voter. Third parties and machines will no longer be responsible for this process. Instead, a tamper-proof, decentralized network of nodes can complete the procedures, operating on previously agreed protocols.
However, several changes are necessary before this can happen. For one, the registering of voters will have to occur off chain. Authorities will have to decide who can and cannot participate in the voting process. Then, they can provide a voter with a token to cast a single vote should they be eligible.
If there was more confidence in the integrity of an online voting blockchain-based system, it is likely that voter turnout will greatly increase. This would be due to the added trust in the process.
Similarly, attempts to control the specific blockchain network will prove quite a challenge to hackers. They will need to control over 51% of the network, which will be almost impossible to achieve. Therefore, the application of blockchain-based online voting systems show considerable promise. It is certainly worth watching closely to see what transpires in the future.
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