Blockchain was declared unsuitable for holding elections

Researchers from the Initiative for CryptoCurrencies and Contracts, who study traditional and blockchain voting, do not share the enthusiasm of many and believe that blockchain will not only not help improve the voting process, but will also significantly worsen the situation.

Blockchain technology for voting has already been used in West Virginia, Japan, Switzerland, and in many countries this possibility is being tested. However, scientists believe that it will not be a salvation and a 100% guarantee of democratic elections. Moreover, four factors can significantly worsen the existing situation.

Vulnerability of computing devices and Internet connections

Even modern computing devices today do not provide a complete guarantee of security. Most software is riddled with hidden security flaws and is not updated regularly. Devices are vulnerable, just like networks. Deliberate, targeted attacks on Internet traffic can lead to serious disruptions to democratic institutions on a national scale.

Hacking Attacks

Hackers backed by foreign governments will always find and exploit any technical flaws available to them. Without a paper option, the very possibility that someone could secretly change votes would further undermine public confidence in democratic elections.

Blockchain's dependence on computing devices for voting

A blockchain-based vote counting system does not protect the voter's phone or computer. The results of a vote may be reliably recorded in the register, but this means nothing if the vote was incorrectly allocated in the first place. If a voter's device is infected with malware that automatically switches their vote from Candidate A to Candidate C, it doesn't matter how secure the rest of the voting system is. 

Vote Buying

Vote buying rarely occurs in large-scale U.S. elections, in part because secret ballots make it very difficult to verify purchased votes and because there are serious criminal penalties. Online voting threatens to undermine these protections entirely. Recording votes in a register eliminates the secrecy of the voting booth.. Encryption doesn't help: The software can mathematically prove to a vote buyer that the voter's device has encrypted the name of a particular candidate. 

Officials and companies that promote online voting are creating a false sense of security and putting the integrity of the election process at risk, scientists say. By seeking to use blockchain as a security element, they may actually create new threats to the mechanism of democracy.