Blockchain technology has various applications in various fields and different aspects. Blockchain technology is being used in the voting system, and significant developments are being made for its application in voting systems.
In this article, we will discuss the workings of the blockchain voting system, and its advantages like transparency, security, and Accessibility.
The article also mentions some limitations like scalability, verification issues, and risk of cyber-attack. In the end, we have also discussed in detail about few real-life examples of this system already being used.
Table of Contents
How Blockchain Can Be Used in Voting Systems
- Voter Registration:
Unique digital identities are used by voters that are verified against government records or biometric data. Once verified, they will be given a cryptographic key or token that will allow them to vote precisely once.
- Voting Process:
Through a digital platform (web or mobile app), a voter casts his ballot. Each vote is encrypted and sent as a transaction on a blockchain network.
- Decentralized Ledger:
Public or permissioned blockchain is used to record votes, which are immutable and transparent. Different from a blockchain, each block carries with it the list of recorded votes, and since they’re timestamped there’s no room for tampering with the transaction history.
- Verification of Votes:
You can learn whether your vote was recorded correctly without giving up your anonymity, which voters and independent observers can verify. It can automate the vote counting and validation, to process such transactions in real time.
- Result Tallying:
Blockchain’s distributed nature facilitates instant and tamper-proof tallying of votes. While everyone in the network has the final election results at hand and cannot be altered.
Advantages of Blockchain Voting Systems
- Transparency and Trust
With Blockchain, these votes are all traceable but anonymous, delivering trust to the system. The voting process can be audited at any time by stakeholders (voters, observers, and authorities).
- Security and Immutability
Once a vote is entered into the blockchain, it cannot be deleted or changed. By eliminating the risk of election fraud, such as double voting or ballot stuffing, fraud is eliminated in its most elemental form by the blockchain.
- Accessibility and Participation
Remote participation (e.g. voters abroad, or in remote areas) is supported by blockchain voting. This disposes of geographical and to some extent logistical, barriers to higher voter turnout.
- Cost Savings and Efficiency
This allows more voters to participate without forcing more physical infrastructure (polling stations, paper ballots, and manual counting). Vote tallying in real time eliminates manual error and reduces delay.
Challenges of Blockchain Voting Systems
Scalability Issues
High transaction volumes may cause current blockchain networks (Bitcoin or Ethereum) to lag during national elections. Making millions of votes work at scale requires specialized blockchain solutions.
Digital Divide and People with Disabilities
But not all voters have internet or smartphones which may be the reason they get excluded. These gaps need to be addressed by governments to make sure that plentiful access to digital platforms is achieved.
Verification vs. Voter
Anonymity It is a hard thing: to have anonymous votes that can be verified. But cryptographic stuff such as zero-knowledge proofs can keep the votes anonymous while still verifying them.
Risk of Cyberattacks
Although the blockchain itself is secure, the components (like voter devices or registration systems) could all be subject to hacking. End-to-end protection needs a multi-layered security approach.
Legal and Regulatory Issues
However, Election laws and regulations may have to be updated to accommodate a blockchain-based voting system. The system must also comply with data privacy laws, and governments must take care of that.
Practical examples of the application of blockchain in voting
- West Virginia, USA (2018)
During the primary election of 2018, the state of West Virginia used a blockchain-based mobile application named Votaz app for military personnel to vote in the election while stationed overseas.
- Over 400 military personnel abroad registered through the Voatz app and authenticated with biometric authentication (fingerprint and face) for the Voatz secure login.
- The votes were recorded on a permissioned blockchain and cast through the mobile app by voters.
- With end-to-end encryption and secure transmission of votes, blockchain ensured voting was cast and counted accurately, and elections authorities could verify those votes.
- The site piloted increased accessibility for overseas voters, an especially challenging demographic when it comes to paper absentee ballots.
- It established that blockchain could ease logistical difficulties for remote voters — but also triggered a few security questions about the app itself.
- Moscow, Russia (2019)
During the Moscow city Duma election which is a local government election in Moscow, an Ethereum blockchain-based e-voting system was used.
- A blockchain system was offered to voters for voters to vote online and ensure that each vote was unique into the blockchain and could not be tampered with.
- Blockchain automated vote counting meant votes were cast quickly and results were released shortly after.
- Network delays were common during voting hours.
- Voter privacy critics also complained about the encryption method used.
- Zug, Switzerland (2018)
Residents of the area of Zug dubbed “Crypto Valley” used blockchain to participate in a non-binding vote and say their opinions on public services and digital identity.
It was an Ethereum-based blockchain used for voting. With the digital ID system on the blockchain, voters cast their votes.
- The trial proved that blockchain can reduce administrative costs and enhance transparency.
- The vote was only a pilot, but it showed that people were happy to use digital voting platforms that were secure and transparent.
- South Korea – Korea National Election Commission (NEC)
South Korea’s NEC ran trials with blockchain for conducting elections online on a smaller scale (in Electoral College member votes, shareholder votes, or even student votes). The platform used was a technology firm in collaboration with a proprietary blockchain system.
- Another example of the efficiency blockchain can deliver for elections was highlighted in South Korea’s trials.
- Tapping into the scalability potential of the technology, the NEC plans to utilize the blockchain in larger-scale elections in the future.
Actual applications of these real-world applications prove blockchain voting is feasible, especially in remote and local elections.
West Virginia, Moscow, and Zug boast that blockchain can improve security, transparency, and efficiency. While full-scale implementation in national elections is likely but few technical challenges (such as system glitches, and privacy concerns) have to be overcome first.