Justus Abonyo, a candidate for IEBC commissioner said that Kenya, considering blockchain technology for election. It could minimize election costs up to 300%. He added that it could even reduce the cost, better security, and provide more transparency, and can increase trust.
Usually, the cost of a ballot in Kenya ranges between US$ 7-US$ 25 (Sh700-Sh2,500). However, blockchain technology can reduce costs down to US$0.5 (Sh50).
Abonyo, also added that if this system does not work, he will step down and let them go with the conventional technique.
Blockchain technology is a digital ledger of transactions that is distributed across the entire network of computers on the blockchain. It is a highly secure, decentralized, anonymized, yet auditable chain of record used for cryptocurrency systems. A similar method could be used to record, and report votes and reduce the fraudulence in elections.
Elections make a fundamental contribution to democratic governance. Elections enable voters to select leaders and hold them accountable for their performance in office. Since conventional ballot techniques reported many cases of fraud, few developed countries came up with the idea of the blockchain method.
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Despite all the security and safety measures, in many countries, including the developed nations, voting still takes place by conventional paper ballots.
