The Southern Indian state of Telangana may soon develop and test a blockchain-based electronic voting system to facilitate remote voting. Speaking at a webinar conducted by the Election Commission of India and Tamil Nadu E-Governance Agency, the Principal Secretary of Information Technology Jayesh Ranjan revealed that Telangana might initially experiment with blockchain e-voting on a small scale and later widen the implementation. Members of the Election Commission of India, Ministry of Electronics and IT, India’s citizen engagement platform MyGov and blockchain industry leaders were also a part of the webinar.
The members discussed the possible use of blockchain technology in deploying an e-voting.
The members discussed the possible use of blockchain technology in deploying an e-voting platform for Indian states during the webinar, as reported by the local news outlet Deccan Chronicle. Ranjan said that the Telangana government might persuade smaller bodies such as civil societies, neighborhoods, and sports associations to conduct internal elections using their blockchain-based e-voting platform. “There should be a need for this particular technology,” Ranjan said. “One needs to demonstrate that particular deficiencies can be addressed using blockchain and remote voting,” he added.
Blockchain adoption increases amid the ongoing pandemic.
Amid the ongoing global pandemic, the regulators across countries are looking for safer ways to allow businesses to work that does not require human to human contact. The blockchain technology that underpins most cryptocurrencies has been proved to beneficial in such cases as the technology removes the need for paperwork. Earlier, the US Senate proposed blockchain voting during the lockdown. The proposed bill sought a blockchain-based distribution of medical equipment.
Central banks around the world are also working on CBDCs. Several other countries have acknowledged the potential of blockchain technology and encouraged its adoption. Over 10,000 blockchain companies have been registered in China this year alone so far.
