Blockchain is changing the way our world functions. The technology involves a public ledger that can be used to record transactions in a peer-to-peer network. To know the basics of blockchain, you can click here.
Blockchain is widely used in cryptocurrencies and is its most famous application yet. But it has great potential in other areas too, such as in elections and voting.
Drawbacks of Conventional Elections
In the present electoral system, a person has to be physically present to cast his vote in favor of a candidate. While the usage of a paper ballot or an electronic ballot is bearable, the system has its share of limitations. Most people refrain from voting as they do not have the right access to the voting center. This weakens the concept of democracy as every citizen has the right to vote.
Another problem that cripples the idea of a democratic election is fraudulent practices such as illegal voting, which will misrepresent the number of people who are legally eligible to enfranchisement, tilting the victory in favor of an undeserving candidate.
Blockchain To Change The System
Due to the mentioned letdowns, blockchain technology promises to be a compelling option for governments to conduct fair and successful online elections. Let’s jump into the nitty-gritty.
The electoral process would be transparent and impermeable as every vote will be updated in the public ledger. The blockchain is a distributed technology as it exists on computer nodes and not at a single location. This makes the technology unhackable.
Blockchain also helps tally the number of votes alongside checking the legality of the vote. Since the blocks are immutable, wrongdoers cannot add or remove any vote from them. This guarantees a true representation of the electoral outcome and hence, fraudulent practices are kept at bay. The technology also promises faster results as it can provide us with live updates on the performances of the candidates.
Never-ending lines at the polling venue can be avoided by the luxury of mobile voting. The commonplace features of any smartphone can be used to ascertain the identity of the voter. This promises greater voter turnover and better democratic practices in turn.
Is This Tried and Tested?
Yes. Sierra Leone was the first country to use blockchain to verify votes in elections in March 2018.
The new system was implemented only in the most populous region of the country, the Western District. Approximately 400,000 paper ballots were manually entered into the blockchain after the voting process ended. The private blockchain ensured that the election officials were overlooking and in control of the election process.
This small-scale, experimental implementation in Sierra Leone spelled success, proving that Blockchain has immense potential to positively disrupt the way elections are successfully conducted across the globe.
Blockchain is undoubtedly the next big thing that can be used in a variety of industries. With so many revolutionary changes happening in the way the world functions, we can estimate that this technology will make transactions transparent, reliable, and immutable. Hence, Tech Vedika is committed to innovate and be a game-changer in the blockchain.
