The government of South Australia will organise the first elections based on blockchain technology. The government awarded the contract for this important project to Horizon State. The company has a proven experience in blockchain implementation for elections.

How Can Blockchain Technology Improve the Voting System?

According to Micky.com.au, Horizon State will implement its voting system, based on blockchain technology, for the Recreational Fishing Advisory Council elections. There are 45 candidates running for 5 positions. The blockchain has already been implemented on the online polling website of South Australia.

The CEO of Horizon State, Nimo Naamani, spoke to Micky.com.au of this breakthrough:

This is an exciting first government use of our tech in Australia, and a great way to validate the blockchain use for this purpose. Honoured that the government chose them to provide the technology, Naamani adds that the South Australian government is very forward thinking.

The CEO of the company also affirmed that blockchain technology is the right choice for this type of complex election. Specifically because the election is preferential with reserved seats, and also has a significant cohort of candidates.

Australia – A Strong Believer in the Blockchain Technology

Speaking on the topic, the Minister for Primary Industries in the South Australian government, Tim Whetstone, said:

The Marshall Liberal Government has been committed to an open, transparent process in establishing a new representative body for recreational fishers in South Australia. Blockchain is an exciting emerging technology which is extremely secure and already used all over the world to perform valuable transactions, he also added.

His opinions are in line with those of the Prime Minister of the state, Steven Marshall. Furthermore, he even expressed his view that South Australia should become the blockchain capital of the country . He also believes that blockchain technology will become increasingly important for the management of global supply chains.

Blockchain is an exciting emerging technology which is extremely secure and already used all over the world to perform valuable transactions.

The Federal Government of Australia supports this outlook, as well. In October 2018, the South Australian state received a grant to develop a ‘hive’ for blockchain technology in the capital Adelaide.

Not the First Use of Blockchain Technology in Elections

While the upcoming blockchain elections will be the first for South Australia, it won’t be a premiere for Horizon State. For example, New Zealand has already used their blockchain-based voting system. In December 2018, The Opportunity Party chose this type of voting for their leadership election.

The Government of India also announced that they would contract Horizon State. Their plan is to deploy blockchain technology for consultations with citizens before implementing policies.

In Australia, MiVote platform has also been using Horizon State’s technology. This is an information platform that allows citizens to have their say on issues under debate in the Australian Parliament.