Elections have always come with their own set of challenges throughout time. As you know, in Australia, it is compulsory to vote for our governments, yet there are cohorts of voters who can’t physically get to a voting station on election days. Where voting is not mandated; low participation or engagement could sway results. To tackle these challenges head on, Voatz – a mobile voting platform developed in Boston, Massachusetts in the US using blockchain technology is making voting safer and accessible. People can vote via any smartphone or internet enabled device while maintaining the integrity of the electoral process.
According to Bitcoin Magazine, Voatz enables voters to make their voices heard conveniently with tamper-proof record keeping, identity verification and thorough auditing via a secure and immutable blockchain. This, in itself will go some way towards guaranteeing accuracy of internet based voting results. A blockchain is a digital ledger in which transactions made in bitcoin or another cryptocurrency are recorded chronologically and publicly.
Voatz co-founder and CEO, Nimit Sawhney told the magazine, “Voatz is working to connect disenfranchised citizens so that the platform plans to remain accessible to all, regardless of geography or socioeconomic status, such as the poor, elderly, those in remote area or with limited access to infrastructure and uses up to ten different kinds of official documents for the purpose of verifying a voter’s identity.”
Voatz has started testing secured tablet ballot stations in hospitals and elder-care centres and has been incorporated in pilot programs by more than 70,000 voters in elections and voting related events across multiple US jurisdictions.
A few weeks ago, Overstock.com’s subsidiary Medici Ventres announced a USD$2.2 million seed funding to grow the business development team and widen its application across the United States.
Here in Australia, it appears we might not be such a long way off from implementing similar technology. Enter Horizon State who have developed a voting and decision making platform on the blockchain with plans for governments to adopt the software.
According to Business News Australia’s interview with Jamie Skella, cofounder of Horizon State, they are well under way to improve the technology behind this voting platform. They’re planning to revolutionise the way we engage with organisations and governments by using blockchain to verify votes instead of a human middle man.
Horizon State’s technology has been implemented by MiVote – a Melbourne based not-for-profit which hopes to give Australians a direct approach to democracy by giving members a voice in upcoming policy decisions.
It’s very exciting to see these developments on the blockchain – especially as they are leaning towards making life more accessible, safer, unhackable and non-corrupt for all of us. We are moving closer to a brave new world.
