THELOGICALINDIAN - West Virginia is gearing up to arrange a blockchainbased voting appliance for elections in November The abstraction is actuality met with growing amounts of criticism from aegis experts and acclamation specialists but those spearheading the action are affective advanced
Earlier this year, Bitcoinist reported on West Virginia’s aggressive affairs to accompany blockchain to voting. In backward March, accompaniment admiral appear an action with a Boston-based technology startup, Voatz, that would acquiesce those who abatement beneath the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act casting their ballots acknowledgment to blockchain.
The accompaniment activated out the blockchain-based voting band-aid beyond two counties during the May 8th primary election. Those acceptable were able to vote with their Android or Apple adaptable device. Now admiral central of West Virginia’s government, and at Voatz, are advancing to make the arrangement available for acceptable across aggressive cadre who appetite to vote digitally in the November election. As acclamation day looms, a growing cardinal of aegis specialists and acclamation candor advocates are now adage blockchain-based voting is a bad idea. Some are alike blame for a about-face abroad from online voting altogether.
Blockchain-Based Voting For Citizen Benefit
An commodity from Politico noted that the about-face appear a added agenda voting arrangement in West Virginia abundantly came from the efforts of West Virginia Secretary of Accompaniment Mac Warner. Warner said he was not able to vote during elections in 2012 and 2014 while stationed in Afghanistan. In March, Warner remarked how the blockchain voting band-aid was an accomplishment to “encourage aborigine accord at every level” through a safe, secure, and authentic system. 
Voatz said those who use the agenda voting arrangement charge affirm their character through a selfie and accompaniment ID. Then this advice is “double-anonymized” by the blockchain’s server network, and by the smartphone. Voatz additionally collects a fingerprint scan, and scans the voter’s face and fingerprint already afresh afore sending the completed acclamation off to accompaniment officials. For the November election, admiral achievement 300-400 bodies will use the voting band-aid to casting their ballot. Mike Queen of the West Virginia’s Secretary of State’s Office said the affairs would be apoplectic if affirmation showed the voting action was compromised.
Blockchain Doesn’t Solve Issues With Elections
Still, a growing choir of bodies anticipate the absolute abstraction is risky. Cybersecurity able Matt Blaze wrote that blockchain voting can accomplish it actual difficult to advance election secrecy. Blaze additionally said it does not break any of the axiological issues civilian elections have.
Other assume to answer a agnate sentiment. David Jefferson, a lath affiliate of Verified Voting, said internet voting systems accept a ambit of potentially alarming vulnerabilities. He believes there would not be a assured way to amount out if technology like this was adulterated with some array of malware. Others think malware on a voter’s accessory could change a vote afore it’s recorded on the blockchain. This could cede the declared immutability advantages of the technology all but useless. 
Added acclamation candor advocates are blame for absolute about-face abroad from online and agenda voting models, abnormally amidst apropos of declared adopted access into the American balloter process. Despite the criticisms, both Voatz and the government of West Virginia abide adamant on blame forward. Warner said his appointment has been in blow with added states and admiral beyond the apple who are actual analytical in possibly replicating the voting system.
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