West Virginia will use blockchain smartphone voting in 2018 midterms
A new pilot program in West Virginia aims to take voting into the technological future. In doing so, the state has cast its eye toward one of the most popular tech buzzwords of 2018.
West Virginia has contracted the Boston company Voatz to enable voting via smartphone for troops overseas in the 2018 midterm elections, according to CNN. Members of the military will be able to cast their ballots using an app, with voting data recorded on a blockchain.
Troops will still be able to cast paper ballots if they prefer.
SEE ALSO:Now you can see all of Apple's hidden tweetsTo use the app, voters will have to submit a photo of their government issued ID, as well as, um, a selfie video. Voatz' facial recognition technology will ensure that the person voting in the selfie video matches the ID.
But the use of smartphone-, app-, and blockchain-based voting prompts concerns, because these technologies may not be consistent with the recommended way to secure an election. Joseph Lorenzo Hall, the chief technologist at the Center for Democracy and Technology, even told CNN that it was a "horrific idea" because of the security vulnerabilities it opens up.
The industry standard for election security is to use devices that produce a paper trail. That way, there is a non-digital, and non-vulnerable back-up, should anything go awry. Facilitating voting via a (hackable) smartphone, and aggregating that data digitally sanspaper trail — whether on much-evangelized blockchain technology or not — opens up too many avenues for attack, Lorenzo Hall said.
And attack is nowhere near out of the realm of possibilities for the 2018 midterms. U.S intelligence agencies concluded that in the 2016 election, Russian hackers attempted to hack the voting systems in 21 states, and were successful at accessing voter data in at least one, Illinois (however, there's so far been no evidence the data was altered or votes were changed).
Federal officials warn Russia is now attempting to interfere with the 2018 midterms. And while they do not see hacking election machines as the main vulnerability, they're keeping an eye on it.
But the U.S. may not be doing enough to bolster the digital integrity of election infrastructure. Last week, the Senate voted down a bill that would provide $250 million to states to modernize and secure the voting process, because they said it was not clear how states had used the $380 million already allocated. Still, experts say the initial funds are nowhere near enough to fully secure America's elections.
It might just be too soon to rest our faith in American democracy on the blockchain.
Featured Video For You
Bye-bye, Bitcoin. It's all about bananacoins.
-
'Black Myth: Wukong' PS5 review in progress: A potential masterpieceSenate agrees to $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package.US Consumer Product Safety Commission Twitter account confirms birds are realElmo is the first viral celebrity of 2022The MeasurersProtesters demand end to lockdowns ccross U.S.: “Fire Fauci!”Apple's iPhone 14 event is officially confirmed for Sept. 7Apple's new MagSafe battery pack unlocks a secret iPhone 12 featureThis shark lives for centuries. Scientists discover how it resists aging.Police accelerate probe into Itaewon disaster
下一篇:Sinner vs. Michelsen 2024 livestream: Watch US Open for free
- ·Scientists detect water sloshing on Mars. There could be a lot.
- ·S. Korea to hold memorial event in Busan for UN war veterans
- ·Britain to face Australia in BJK Cup semi
- ·Nation reels from Itaewon disaster
- ·Best smart home deals this week
- ·Slate News Quiz: coronavirus, Viktor Orbán, museum heist, Tomie dePaola.
- ·Twitter, Facebook delete world leaders' misleading coronavirus posts. Could Trump be next?
- ·The Trump Bench: Justin Walker jabs “nonbelievers” in bizarre decision.
- ·How to watch 'Kinds of Kindness': When is it streaming?
- ·TikTok is Twee now
- ·强化金融支持 释放消费潜力
- ·British Prime Minister Boris Johnson admitted to hospital for coronavirus.
- ·50 Years Later: The Revolutionary 8008 Microprocessor
- ·More than 50,000 Chevy Bolt EVs recalled because of fires — again
- ·Trump's coronavirus social
- ·Joe Biden says Facebook is 'killing people' with COVID misinformation
- ·“大体老师”的故事:以生命点亮生命
- ·强化金融支持 释放消费潜力
- ·Poll: Biden, Trump in statistical dead heat for the White House.
- ·Elmo is the first viral celebrity of 2022
- ·Listeners encouraged to go wild with Le Sserafim's 4th EP
- ·New unemployment report shows nearly 17 million Americans have now lost their jobs.
- ·Bernie Sanders endorses Joe Biden.
- ·唱好“双城记” 打好“旅游牌”
- ·NYT Strands hints, answers for August 29
- ·Trump's coronavirus response is still grossly inadequate.
- ·Best smart home deals this week at Amazon
- ·The Razer Zephyr Pro adds voice amplification to its light
- ·20 Snapchat tips and tricks you might not know about
- ·Coronavirus, Donald Trump, and the Wizard of Oz presidency.
- ·10 Big Misconceptions About Computer Hardware
- ·Yoon apologizes to nation over Itaewon crowd crush
- ·Britain to face Australia in BJK Cup semi
- ·Bernie Sanders endorses Joe Biden.
- ·23 Peculiar Places of 2023
- ·CDC calls on NY, NJ, and Connecticut residents to “refrain” from nonessential travel.