Call for Evidence for blockchain based election systems for India

[Zainab Bawa]

Hello everyone,

The Kaarana community has launched a Call for Evidence to produce a report on the pros and cons of introducing blockchain in India's electoral system.

https://hasgeek.com/kaarana/blockchain-based-voting-systems-and-electoral-democracy/sub/

Electoral democracy is often marred by lack of confidence in the process of elections. Aside from reports of coercion, errors in tallying there also include elements of institutional manipulations. These result in erosion of confidence in democracy and the principles of good governance.

EVM and EVM-VVPAT (Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail) have been the sets of technology which have been discussed extensively in various forums. Now, looking ahead to the 2024 elections, the (outgoing?) CEC mentioned about an ongoing project which explores using blockchain technology to address the topic of remote voting. The ECI and TNeGA have also organized webinars with experts to discuss this and similar topics. 

Individuals from social sciences, computer science, law, humanities, ethics background and public interest technologists are invited to contribute to the Call for Evidence. Please share this among your colleagues and networks so that the project can receive Evidence Submissions from diverse groups. The project also invites case studies from parallels in voting systems where blockchain has been applied and the outcomes.

Regards,

Zainab