West Virginia will use blockchain in upcoming elections

The state of West Virginia used an application based on blockchain technology in the last elections of May, which allowed citizens abroad to participate in the electoral process. For the upcoming November elections, it also proposes to use the blockchain.

However, the idea has been criticized by cybersecurity experts, who say that voting through blockchain can make it very complex to keep the electoral secret. Matt Blaze, competent in the matter, assures that the application does not solve any of the fundamental problems that the civil elections have.

For its part, Verified Voting Foundation, a non-governmental organization designed to preserve the democratic process with the advances in voting, was also concerned. David Jefferson, a board member of the foundation, said that Internet voting systems have several potentially dangerous vulnerabilities.

Some think that a malware on a voter’s device can change a vote before it registers in the blockchain. This could make the alleged advantages of immutability of the technology almost ineffective.

The tool was developed by startup Voatz, based in Boston. It allows voters registered in 24 countries to cast absentee ballots, through cell phones, whether it is an Android or iOS device.

Despite the innumerable criticisms, the state considered the May pilot plan successful. Therefore, they decided to continue using the application. In effect, West Virginia government officials are already preparing the system for the upcoming elections.

L.Sáenz

Source: Coincrispy

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