As a USPS-filed patent for voting via blockchain integrated with mail-in voting; voter suppressors should be worried as it will increase the turnout exponentially.
As the 2020 Presidential elections are nearing, the debate of the voting procedure is also becoming the talk of the town with every passing day. Amid the pandemic, the need for an alternative voting method other than the traditional methods is greater than ever.
Mail-in voting was the most likely scenario, and it is still going to be; however, the recent talks about voting on blockchain has transformed American politics in a new way. This technology can affect the election results unexpectedly and can also increase the turnout exponentially.
The Republican-based President Donald Trump has talked against the mail-in voting culture again and again despite casting his own vote by mail back in 2018. Now, as the United States Postal Service (USPS) has filed a patent named “Secure Voting System” to explain the benefits of using blockchain for voting integrated with the mail-in voting system, it will surely increase Trump’s worries, and this could be the worst thing he could expect for the upcoming elections.
How will voting on blockchain increase the cry of voter suppressors?
Donald Trump took to Twitter and wrote that in mail-in voting, “The ballots will be forged and even illegally printed out and fraudulently signed.” In another tweet, he wrote that mail-in voting “does not work out for Republicans.” The Republican’s voter suppression strategy, which they always use to get instant benefits from the polls, is bound to fail with the introduction of blockchain voting.
People will be able to vote from mobile phones, which will increase the turnout greatly. Democrats are highly expected to get the advantage of the mail-in voting due to these higher turnouts. In fact, anything that eases the voter problems on the day of the election will ultimately help more people cast their votes, which could be an encouraging sign for Democrats.
Nearly three-quarters of Americans are expected to vote by mail in the upcoming elections, which is increasing the worries of Republicans. Hence, voter suppressors will try to act in every possible way to oppose digitalized voting.
For instance, the 2018 midterm election had a turnout of 50.3 percent, the highest for any midterm election since the 1914 elections. This whopping turnout proved fatal for Republicans, as they lost the lower house of Congress. Similarly, the voter turnout in the 2016 presidential election was just 55.4 percent, which was the lowest in any Presidential election in the last two decades. This low turnout helped the Republicans in winning the White House.
Read More : Using Blockchain Services for Online Voting: A Looming Threat to American Democracy?
For those who disagree with mail-in voting, they can surely not afford to use blockchain for voting, as it will make the voting process so easy. Therefore, if the voting on blockchain becomes a reality, it will surely increase many worries of the Republicans.
USPS Patent for blockchain secured mail-in voting: A major reason for worry for Trump:
Trump’s rhetoric against the mail-in voting is completely expected, considering that states like Utah, a stronghold of the Republicans, are also going to implement the universal mail-in voting system in the 2020 elections. To add fuel to the fire, the USPS has filed a patent named “Secured Voting System” to protect mail-in voting with blockchain technology. Now, the availability of blockchain for voting would surely be the last thing that President Trump would want to hear. As a matter of fact, USPS is in a severe financial crisis that could affect the vote of millions of Americans in the November election. To stop USPS from taking more actions, Trump has raised the alarm by saying that he would reject a $25 billion emergency grant for the USPS in a bid to sabotage mail-in voting.
Read More : How Will the Blockchain Vote System Change the way Americans Vote?
Amid all the financial crises that USPS is facing, the efforts for voting on blockchain by integrating the required technology with mail-in voting will be affected drastically. However, with all the technology around, use of blockchain for voting purposes will be a reality in one state or another, despite Trump’s tactics of trying to stop it. One of Trump’s topmost worries is that the voter identity on blockchain usage is difficult to verify; therefore, the credibility of votes will be questioned. Trump also decried that it would lead to “double votes” or the manipulation of votes after vote casting.
The Republicans’ voter suppression strategy is bound to fail in the wake of the prevailing culture of mail-in and blockchain voting. With people voting from the comfort of their couch, the turnout can increase up to 75-80 percent, which will be the last thing that Trump can imagine. This is the reason why Democrats are praising the technology. Nancy Pelosi, the Democrat-based Speaker of the House, said, “He (Trump) knows that on the legit it’d be hard for him to win, so he wants to put obstacles of participation.” As the voting on blockchain looks imminent, those crying for mail-in voting ballots should save their tears for blockchain voting, as this could increase the number of voters dramatically and make Voter Suppressors in a much worse place than they are currently in.
Eli is a Political Data Scientist with over thirty years of experience in Data Engineering, Analytics, and Digital Marketing. Eli uses his expertise to give the latest information and distinctive analysis on US Political News, US Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, and Racial Justice equipping readers with the inequivalent knowledge.