A Russian polling research center will use Blockchain to monitor exit poll results for its 2018 presidential elections held later this month, an official press release announced Monday, March 5.

According to the release, the country’s Public Opinion Research Center (VTSIOM) has partnered with local startup 2chain, which reportedly specializes in smart technology and ICO marketing consulting.

The move marks one of the world’s first implementations of Blockchain in official voting. Russian authorities having already keenly pursued the idea at lower levels.

Together, VTSIOM and 2chain will create a Blockchain database of information gathered from the polls, allowing the organization to circumvent DDoS attacks and other common malicious threats, especially on polling day itself, officials say.

“Until now with exit polls we had to practically shut down the website on polling day in order to avoid it being taken down by DDoS attacks and other breakin attempts from numerous anonymous hackers,” VTSIOM general director Valery Fyodorov explained, continuing:

“Thanks to Blockchain we can enhance the level of data protection from cyber-attacks several fold, avoid weak points while transferring information, and guarantee the integrity and immutability of data.”

The concept will have “no parallels” anywhere else in the world upon launch, as similar ideas from Estonia and Ireland are still in their planning stages, according to Fyodorov.

The progress of the Blockchain model will feature real-time updates which anyone can track using a dedicated portal. The project is set to launch March 12, with elections beginning March 18.