The emergence of the pandemic has triggered change across every sector that may come to mind, and the election one isn't spared. Given the appearance of internet-powered devices, blockchain-ran technologies, and cloud systems, an online voting landscape may easily assist voting operations. As more and more people began learning where to buy Bitcoin and use it for big-ticket or everyday purchases or introduce the asset in their investment portfolio, another category of individuals started looking for ways to integrate the blockchain that supports crypto in the election processes. Now, after the U.S. elections, the potential impact of the revolutionary technology on electors and the final results became the talk of the town among those wondering how future elections can be streamlined. So what could a potential implementation of blockchain remote voting systems mean for the broader audience and the quest's outcome?
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is one of the hottest technologies to date, fundamentally serving as a distributed computer system that facilitates the dispersion and handling of a particular distributed ledger "“ whereas the often-encountered denomination of Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLT). This distributed ledger simplifies the monitorization and registering of transactions within corporate networks, where these exchanges between several subjects employing the same technology are recorded. On another note, blockchain registers have block structures where a said "chain" ties blocks by blocks. Notably, the register's mechanism is what inspired the technology's denomination.
With sharing procedures, consensus, and robust encryption, blockchain guarantees the security of ledgers and transactions. The technology broke into the mainstream in 2008, when Satoshi Nakamoto, the brain behind Bitcoin, used it to create a public transaction with the crypto in question. Bitcoin's chain creation allowed it to be the primary digital currency to address double spending without involving a central server or a governmental or banking authority. Bitcoin then began inspiring other developers to create new applications, many of which emerged under Ethereum, the second and the most popular one for decentralized applications to date.
How can a related e-voting system work?
To vote remotely and online, voters use digital gear like internet browsers and voting machines, some of which are broadly referred to as "e-voting" tools and mechanisms. This is a polling mechanism, whereas i-voting refers to voting employing web browsers like Google Chrome. The blockchain network is able to scrutinize and count votes, and guarantee the result's veracity. Blockchain technology eliminates the risk of double voting, only allows eligible voters to exercise their rights, and assures that elections can't be tampered with.
How does the blockchain function?
As explained, blockchain serves as a virtual ledger where every transfer made within a network is documented, and no authority can interfere with the registers. Instead of a puppet master holding sway over the system, an entire poll of computers manages it, each participant possessing a chain copy. Every conducted transfer is checked by the grid and then logged on the ledger"”an operation that's formally identified as consensus.
The blockchain is see-through, indicating that everyone has the right to view all the transactions completed. Blockchain is, however, secure since transactions are encoded and may only be decrypted with the initiator's private keys. The system can log any type of transaction, like contracts, financial transfers, and, last but not least, votes. It can revolutionize various segments and sectors, improving safety, clarity, efficiency, and integrity. Having seen what blockchain means and how it works, let's now discover the main voting principles and how blockchain can impact the process.
The most crucial voting standards
To ensure the procedure's integrity and efficacy, a few voting standards guide the undertaking, as follows:
- Votes are secret, and no one should have the means to track votes based on the elector's data and traits, such as age, sex, ethnicity, birth location, and so on. Â
- There are as many votes as electors, and no one can vote twice. The system can identify those who don't take part in the ballot, and only eligible voters can make their choices.
- The voting course is well-established, the directions are well-defined and known by every voter, and the process can be inspected by the public.
- Votes are documented and calculated precisely, with rules set in stone and unshakeable and auditable poll tallies.
- The voting procedures must be exact and provable, and safeguards exist to prevent scams, mishaps, and security breaches.
The workings of blockchain voting systems
For blockchain elections to take place, a central authority has to greenlight this practice and introduce the blockchain-led voting system, ensuring the resources to help everyone understand the process, from poll managers to voters. To work perfectly, there must be a way of ensuring that electors are national citizens and within their rights to partake in the ballot. Such an undertaking may be tricky, as electing on decentralized networks implies a dependency on a centralized organization for citizenship confirmation. Importantly, ID authentication is essential since it keeps individuals from casting more than one vote.
How can voters submit votes?
The workings of blockchain-based elections are not that different compared to those of traditional voting. Essentially, the following steps guide and guarantee the process's operability:
- Electors receive a specific blockchain voting app where they set up accounts and undergo the ID authentication process to confirm their citizenship.
- The mechanism relies on the account owner's public key to register and encode the credentials on the network. Each elector wallet receives a ballot token with which to vote.
- Moving on, the beneficiary sends the single token to the wallet or address linked with the party or runner they hope to win, each token making one vote.
- To choose the front-runner, those in charge of counting votes scrutinize and judge against the number of tokens found in each wallet or address.
Bottom line
One may ask why blockchain voting is a valid idea. Numerous advantages exist and draw enthusiasts in, such as the anonymity that ensures minimized corruption and potentially related catastrophes. At the same time, the process is simple and easy to implement.
Finally, voters may be more confident in their votes since these can't be altered without their consent. All these perks can only contribute to a more secure and incorruptible voting system, which is the main point of democracy.