USPS propose to combine the vote-by-mail infrastructure with a blockchain layer that sits on top, used mainly to provide anonymous provenance. However, this does not solve the problem that most blockchain voting systems proposed so far suffer from they are inherently flawed because they are not easy to verify.
The verification process is cumbersome and requires a technical aptitude that makes it challenging to roll out for mass usage.
The voter needs to personally verify that their vote was counted because the chain is visible. The nice aspect is that counts can’t be rigged because the entire chain is public (as long as every voter verify their votes). However, this technical solution creates an opening for buying a vote. The fact that person voted in the right fashion could be verified by 3-rd party much more quickly (screenshots/whatever). The voting booth’s privacy could give at least some chance to change mind/lie to the third party.
We’ll see if this ever gets implemented, but this a great example of the non-hype uses for blockchains being explored.
January 03, 2021