This is The Block. What would the world be like if elections were guaranteed fraud-free, with one-vot
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November 6 · Issue #67 · View online
Weekly curated news and commentary.
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This is The Block. What would the world be like if elections were guaranteed fraud-free, with one-vote per person, instantly updated across the network, anonymous and verified authentic? Would that change the equation of how we view our democratic participation? Would turnout increase? Would we see more trust in the outcomes? Blockchain has long been held as a potential solution to various challenges facing countries with free and fair elections, but what would that look like, and what are the pitfalls that await a technology-centric approach to what are emotionally fraught events? Should we cede such important pieces of our democracy to a trust-less, decentralized mechanism? Are we ready to let crypto disrupt a cherished and hallowed part of our republic? Lots of questions, and a few answers below. If you haven’t voted, get out and do so, but make sure you understand the candidates’ positions and any ballot measures, props, or amendments in your locales. It’s important not just to vote, but to understand WHAT you’re voting on!
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How Can We Increase Voter Turnout? Bitcoin May Be The Answer.
Only 56% of the US voting age population cast ballots in the 2016 presidential election. It’s not apathy, it’s the friction involved in the process. So how will we finally be able to vote at home through our mobile devices? The blockchain technology behind Bitcoin may play a very important part.
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Beto is bigger than bitcoin and Beyoncé on Google but trails Cruz in Texas
O'Rourke is winning national attention, but in Texas search volume roughly mirrors polls that show incumbent Cruz is likely to win narrowly.
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Is Bitcoin Secretly Messing with the Midterms?
Four years after bitcoin was allowed in federal elections, most states are still in the dark about how to handle the donations.
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Can Blockchain Voting Protect Election Integrity?
Blockchain tech can immutably record votes, creating a single version of electoral results and increasing trust in elections.
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West Virginians abroad in 29 countries have voted by mobile device, in the biggest blockchain-based voting test ever
Nearly 140 West Virginians living abroad in 29 countries have cast their election ballots in an unprecedented pilot project. The project uses a mixture of smartphones, facial recognition and the same technology that underpins bitcoin — the blockchain — in an effort to create a large-scale and secure way for service members, Peace Corps volunteers or other Americans living overseas to participate in the midterm elections.
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Hackers reportedly target election officials, voter data ahead of midterms
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Why Applying the Blockchain to Voting Is Too Risky
The blockchain has become the tech-bro, blanket solution of the future. But with its enormous possibility comes the potential for damage, especially with voting. Hackers, vote buying, and the finicky nature of technology make applying blockchain to voting a risky investment for the future.
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Blockchain-based elections would be a disaster for democracy
Opinion: Blockchain-based voting would destroy public trust in elections.
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No, blockchain isn't the answer to our voting system woes
But the distributed, data-protecting storage technology already is being used in the midterm elections.
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Some Crypto Researches Say Blockchain Might Make Voting Worse -- Not Better
Three researchers with IC3 have argued that, although it has many positive applications, blockchain technology could make voting worse – not better.
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That’s it for today. Go Democracy!
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