We hear a lot of talk about blockchain being used in areas such as finance and currency as referenced with Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. We also hear a lot about it being used in health care, smart contracts and personal identification, among other areas.
One additional, cutting-edge space where blockchain is being considered is elections. I wrote about this in a recent Business Journal column discussing the benefits that we would have from using Blockchain technology.
After that article was published, I was contacted by John Patrick, Ph.D., who is the author of the book Election Attitude. In that book, he cites the problems with our current system and options to improve it using technologies like blockchain and others. He also deals with common objections to using technology for voting.
His ideas were so intriguing that I asked him if I could interview him and share his ideas with the world. I wanted you, my Business Journal readers, to be able to benefit from the wisdom and sage advice that this man has. You can watch the full interview here.
I did not realize how many people don’t vote simply because they cannot get to the polls. We think this might be an error, but the reality is that many people who want to vote are not able to.
Using blockchain technology, we can make sure that those who are voting are who they say they are and are legally allowed to vote. Plus, by using blockchain technology, anyone who knows how to use a cell phone can understand the technology required for voting.
There are those who contend that using technology opens the election process to fraud and manipulation. Blockchain can make the election process more secure than it currently is while allowing greater participation for all legally-registered voters.
Notice the way Patrick explains the benefits of this in the interview. Further, in his book he lays out a strong case for the benefits of technology in voting and the need to embrace this now in our election process.
