USA Focuses on Blockchain For Elections 

Overview-

• The state of the U.S, Virginia, is looking to study blockchain for the blockchain for elections.
• A new bill to be submitted in Virginia’s State Assembly on January 8th, 2020.
• Virginia is not the first state to implement blockchain-based voting; earlier to Virginia, the neighboring state, West Virginia, city of Denver, Colorado, and Utah County, Utah, has implemented a blockchain-for elections successfully.

The state legislature of Virginia in the United States is now looking to study blockchain to implement the blockchain for the elections.

A bill, ”House Joint Resolution,23,” is to be submitted in Virginia’s State Assembly on 8th January 2020 and was pre-filed on December 27th, 2019. The Department of Elections will decide whether the blockchain technology should be used for the voting systems for the improvement and security of the voter’s data.

Relevant differences and benefits of using blockchain technology in the voting system over the traditional voting methods need to be shown for the Department of Elections to decide on the bill. Also, the department has to estimate the cost of investment and also recommend how the technology can be implemented.

Hala Ayala, the cybersecurity specialist and politician representing the 51st district in the Virginia House of Delegates, is the patron for this bill. Currently, the bill is awaiting the committee assignment and still has a long process ahead before it can become law.

Virginia is not the only state looking for blockchain-based voting, and the neighbouring state West Virginia was the first state to offer blockchain-based cellular in a federal government-run election in the U.S. history in May 2018. After West Virginia, Denver, Colorado, and Utah County, Utah have all implemented blockchain-based voting systems successfully in the U.S.