cageymaru
Fully [H]
- Joined
- Apr 10, 2003
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- 22,092
West Virginia has enabled blockchain secured voting through a smartphone app for service members serving overseas. The state has one of the highest rates of military service per capita and the postal service in some parts of the world is so bad that military service members couldn't vote in the 2012 and 2014 primary elections. The app's creator, Voatz, says that if the app detects malware on the phone then it won't run. Votes are stored on the blockchain ledger until election night and the app surpasses "federal standards for software development, regular maintenance and security upgrades, in-depth penetration testing, source code auditing and audits of the system's cloud infrastructure." As reported before, many do not trust mobile voting.
The app also requires several authentication steps before a voter receives a ballot. First, an eligible user is sent a six-digit code over text message that's required to be entered to unlock the app. After that, Voatz requires users to upload a selfie and a government-issued photo identification. Ballots are issued after the two images are verified. Once ballots are submitted, users receive emails confirming their choices. Only after the votes are confirmed are they sent to the local election offices back in West Virginia.
The app also requires several authentication steps before a voter receives a ballot. First, an eligible user is sent a six-digit code over text message that's required to be entered to unlock the app. After that, Voatz requires users to upload a selfie and a government-issued photo identification. Ballots are issued after the two images are verified. Once ballots are submitted, users receive emails confirming their choices. Only after the votes are confirmed are they sent to the local election offices back in West Virginia.