A Japanese metropolis is popping to blockchain expertise to permit residents to vote on-line in native elections.
In accordance with an announcement on Thursday, Tokyo-based blockchain agency LayerX and digital ID options supplier xID have teamed as much as construct a “protected and handy” voting platform for the town of Kaga in Ishikawa Prefecture.
The town hopes the initiative will tackle some considerations with voting on-line and make it extra handy for aged folks dwelling in additional distant elements of the jurisdiction to vote on metropolis insurance policies.
LayerX has developed an e-voting protocol that “that balances the transparency of the voting course of and the confidentiality of voting content material.” In the meantime, xID focuses on digital identification methods.
LayerX mentioned “it’s doable to construct a extremely handy digital voting expertise” by combining the 2 options.
Whereas voting through digital means is already out there and authorized in Japan, the soundness and value related to sure voting units are a difficulty, in accordance with the businesses.
“Voting over the web presents extra challenges, equivalent to stopping double voting, excessive technical hurdles to maintain voting secrets and techniques, and the price of voting units.” The businesses mentioned blockchain was chosen by Kaga metropolis as a result of it’s “tamper resistant” and “clear.”
Blockchain voting is a generally cited use case for the expertise and there have been numerous initiatives launched for the aim. Most notably maybe, voting platform Voatz has been concerned in a number of U.S. metropolis and state elections however has additionally been criticized over safety points with its app.
In Kaga, if the voting effort proves successful, different choices for blockchain tech can be thought-about as a way to resolve different issues within the metropolis.