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Sunday, March 18th, 2018

The world’s first blockchain-powered elections just happened in Sierra Leone

Author:     Yomi Kazeem
Source:     Quartz
Publication Date:     March 13, 2018
Link: The world’s first blockchain-powered elections just happened in Sierra Leone
Stephan:   Anyone who lives in a fact based world understands that the Russians attempted in several ways to determine the outcome of the 2016 elections. And they have tried it in other countries as well. From a geo-political power perspective, being able to manipulate either directly or indirectly the outcome of the elections of your adversaries who use democracy to create government is irresistible. It can achieve more than a war, it's incredibly cheap, it's non-violent in the sense of explosions, bullets, and physical destruction. And it doesn't destroy infrastructure. The American government doesn't seem to get that. Billions are being spent for old-fashioned war machinery, both offensive and defensive. But, because voting is a state run activity, and because there is no will at the federal level amongst the Republicans to do anything to seriously improve voting, very little is happening. What should happen? This report presents a very interesting option.

Sierra Leone election
Credit: Reuters/Olivia Acland

On Mar. 7, elections in Sierra Leone marked a global landmark: the world’s first ever blockchain-powered presidential elections.

As president Ernest Bai Koroma leaves office after serving two five-year terms, the maximum allowed constitutionally, Sierra Leoneans have had to pick from a pool of 16 candidates including the ruling party’s Samura Kamara, the erstwhile foreign minister, and Julius Maada Bio, former military head of state and candidate of the main opposition party.

Results released by Sierra Leone’s election commission (NEC) suggest a run-off between Bio and Kamara is likely with neither candidate securing the required 55% of votes so far. Sierra Leone’s new president will be tasked with a continued rebuilding given the country’s recent major disasters. In 2014, an Ebola outbreak led to nearly 4,000 deaths and GDP losses estimated at $1.4 billion—a major loss for one of the world’s poorest countries. Last year Sierra Leone’s capital also suffered devastating flooding and mudslides believed to have claimed more than 1,000 lives.

In Sierra Leone’s Western District, the most […]

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