Assemblyman Clyde Vanel (D-33) has recently introduced a new bill to the New York State Board of Elections, pushing for the integration of blockchain technology in the electoral process. Vanel’s Bill A7716, if passed, will mandate the board to conduct a comprehensive study of blockchain use for securing election results and voter records, and subsequently report the findings, including potential benefits and risks, to the governor and the state assembly.
The bill also instructs the board to collaborate with states and countries that have successfully implemented blockchain in securing their democracies, and to seek insights from industry leaders in blockchain, cybersecurity, voter fraud, and electoral technology. Vanel is advocating for the use of both public blockchains and private, permissioned ledgers, convinced that blockchain provides an “immutable, auditable and uncensored truth.”
Once the Election Law Committee reviews and votes on Vanel’s bill, if endorsed by a majority, it will proceed to the Assembly floor, thereafter to the Senate, and finally to Governor Kathy Hochul for her signature. This is Vanel’s second blockchain-related bill this year. The first one, Bill A06515, proposed stringent penalties for crypto founders orchestrating ‘rug pulls,’ a fraudulent act which caused investors a loss of over $500 million last year as per a Merkle Science report.
Vanel’s initiative is part of a broader wave of blockchain and digital asset adoption in the U.S. The sector has seen unprecedented growth since Donald Trump’s tenure, which saw new appointments and legislation favoring the industry. Other states have followed suit, passing blockchain-friendly laws in line with the former President’s agenda such as Utah’s HB230, which protects residents’ rights to operate blockchain nodes, make digital payments, and use self-hosted wallets.
Blockchain in elections is not exclusive to the U.S. Recently, the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), a major political party in Malaysia, adopted blockchain technology for its internal elections to ensure transparency and security. The party has introduced a two-step verification process, with the second step involving e-voting using blockchain technology to encrypt each registered voter’s ID uniquely.
PKR has nearly 300,000 members eligible to vote in this election, with only 3% opting for physical voting. The rest will be utilizing the blockchain-driven e-voting system. “This step makes PKR the first political party in Malaysia to implement a comprehensive technological approach in the internal democratic process. It strengthens our role as a pioneer of progressive political reforms based on technology,” said Zaliha Mustafa, head of the party’s Elections Committee.
Countries like Romania have also implemented blockchain technology in their national elections. The Eastern European nation used blockchain to secure voters’ digital fingerprints in its presidential elections conducted last November.
These developments signify a growing global trend towards integrating blockchain technology into the electoral process to enhance transparency, security, and integrity.
