Blockchain Voting Project Wins $10k Kapersky Labs Prize

A blockchain voting project netted $10,000 in a recent contest organized by cybersecurity firm Kapersky Labs.

AccessTimeIconDec 8, 2016 at 5:44 p.m. UTC
Updated Sep 11, 2021 at 12:44 p.m. UTC
10 Years of Decentralizing the Future
May 29-31, 2024 - Austin, TexasThe biggest and most established global hub for everything crypto, blockchain and Web3.Register Now

A blockchain voting project netted $10,000 in a recent contest organized by cybersecurity firm Kapersky Labs.

Dubbed Votebook, the proposed system connects voting machines via a private blockchain run by, say, a local elections authority. The Votebook concept would enable constituents to check that their votes were actually counted, according to the team, which hails from New York University.

As the team behind the project explained in their pitch, hosted on the website of The Economist:

“Votebook not only satisfies the requirements of an acceptable voting system, it is also realistically feasible immediately, with minimal disruption of voter expectations. We can and should harness the power of blockchain technology to serve democracy today.”

The idea of backing up voting records on a blockchain has long been cited as a potential use case, one previously highlighted during a speech by Delaware judge J Travis Laster. Even the local government in Moscow has been testing possible applications for blockchain-based voting.

published in October by a think tank run by the EU Parliament also explored the concept, going as far as to propose that the bitcoin blockchain be used for this purpose by tying votes to transactions on the network.

Image Credit: Joseph Sohm / Shutterstock.com

Disclosure

Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.

CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by the Bullish group, owner of Bullish, a regulated, digital assets exchange. The Bullish group is majority-owned by Block.one; both companies have interests in a variety of blockchain and digital asset businesses and significant holdings of digital assets, including bitcoin. CoinDesk operates as an independent subsidiary with an editorial committee to protect journalistic independence. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive options in the Bullish group as part of their compensation.


Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk's longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.