Blockchain App as a solution for voting in the US

Overstock is promoting a Blockchain app for voting in the US regarding the 2020 presidential elections, this, despite some setbacks in terms of vulnerabilities that occurred on previous occasions.

Specifically, it is the mobile voting startup Voatz, based in the United States, which uses an operating model with Blockchain technology to accompany electoral elections and in this way, facilitate all citizens to exercise their right to vote.

A controversial blockchain app as a solution

The truth is that Overstock.com has taken the mission of promote voting on blockchain through the aforementioned app and for this, Jonathan Johnson, head of the app, has chosen to leave the following phrase inviting reflection: «If [voting] doesn’t work as well as it should, next week think about how Voatz could have solved that.»

In this order of ideas, what is known is that the app is supported by Medici and that it is facing the publication of criticisms issued by MIT security researchers about the cybersecurity safeguards that accompany it, given this, the firm expressed that these are unfair and inaccurate revelations.

Here it should be mentioned, the interruption of the Voatz service that on one occasion was enough to threaten to derail the student races for the Tufts University Senate, after which, there is no way to ensure or deny that the operation of the app is as good as is being said these days.

Failures in Blockchain?

Use Blockchain to vote is a safe alternative as long as it is accompanied by a properly armored identification system, since that is where the most significant failures usually occur.

As for the option of using the blockchain for voting systems, it is something fully functional thanks to the fact that it is responsible for storing the data in such a way that it is automated and becomes resistant to manipulation attempts, since any type of modification will immediately be visible in one of the copies that are gradually distributed.

However, it must be insisted that in the hypothetical case that someone steals the credentials of a legitimate voter and votes, this would not be a failure of the Blockchain but of the identification system.

Advantages of blockchain in voting

To better illustrate the benefits of a distributed single registry across nodes, Blockchain for voting days, it must be highlighted how profitable it is in terms of data processing and speeding up the count.

On the other hand, accessibility is a clear point in favor, since, regardless of the voter’s geographical location, they can easily cast their vote by simply using the app provided for this purpose. Security and anonymity will always be visible and this is explained thanks to the keys that are available in the encrypted blocks and that, despite any attempt, cannot be modified.