Utah launches blockchain-based online voting system

Rage Comment : Although a big country like the United States is also afraid of the risks that digital currency may bring. However, the research and development around blockchain technology has been continuously upgraded. And the US government, driven by some members of Congress, has also begun to gradually open up the application areas of Bitcoin blockchain technology. Coincident with the US election, the security loopholes and complexity of previous voting methods have given rise to the blockchain online voting system. As this article says, the system developed by Smartmatic is of great significance in the history of digital currency technology. I think that no matter what the current attitudes of governments and industry participants towards this technology are, once new market demands emerge, blockchain will seize this development opportunity and appear in areas that no one expected.

Translation: Annie Xu

The Republican Party in Utah, USA, uses a blockchain-based online voting system to vote for presidential candidates.

For a long time, people have been discussing whether to introduce blockchain technology into online voting systems. Until now, this discussion has remained in the theoretical or experimental stage. However, now it is about to become a reality, earlier than expected! The first blockchain-based voting system in the United States is about to be born!

Utah is the first state to use blockchain technology to select Republican candidates for the US presidential election. Instead of going to a polling station to vote, Utah voters can vote online from their computers at home or anywhere else. This method is open to two types of voters: whether they are in Utah or any other state; whether they are in the United States or abroad.

This voting system was designed by Smartmatic and is simple and convenient. To participate in voting, you only need to visit the Utah Republican Party website and register. Once your identity is confirmed, you will be given a key. This key is the ballot held by the voter. Voting online requires voters to enter this unique key.

The voting page includes candidate information and voting buttons. The page provides a full list of Republican candidates to help voters who are not familiar with the candidates compare. You can change your vote as many times as you want before confirming it. However, once submitted, the ballot cannot be withdrawn.

Smartmatic is headquartered in London and has offices in eight countries. According to the website, six of the eight countries have voting technology support, including Belgium, Brazil, Estonia, the Philippines and Uganda. The reason why the application was first launched in Utah is that many residents of the state are missionaries of the Church of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) who work overseas all year round.

Currently, the Republican online voting system is just one of such initiatives. Until now, American missionaries and military personnel overseas have voted by mail, and the security integrity of their votes is not guaranteed at all. The specific reasons are self-evident. However, now they don’t have to worry about this problem, because with this blockchain-based voting system, it can be as convenient and secure as surfing the Internet.

Voters can cast their ballot any time between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. MDT on March 22, 2016.

Blockchain technology has been under development for several years, and the launch of this voting system is a crucial record in the history of digital currency technology.