Denver adopts blockchain mobile voting for municipal elections

Blockchain-based voting is coming to Mile High City.

Tusk Philanthropies, a non-profit organization founded by venture capitalist Bradley Tusk, announced on Thursday that the City of Denver would implement a blockchain-based mobile voting pilot in its municipal elections this May. The pilot will offer active-duty military members and overseas voters the ability to vote using their smartphones. This is the second pilot launched by Tusk Philanthropies. In 2018, the non-profit partnered with the State of West Virginia to offer the same option for the state's primary and general elections. 

"The one thing everyone agrees on is that our democracy is broken, and politicians make policy decisions based on political inputs and usually nothing else," said Bradley Tusk, founder and CEO of Tusk Philanthropies.

"With turnout this low in national elections, of course we're stuck with rampant polarization and dysfunction. That only changes if turnout soars. That only happens if we move into the 21st century and let people use the tool already in their pockets: their phone. Blockchain makes it secure and feasible. And the Denver Elections Division deserves a tremendous amount of credit for being one of the first to implement an innovative and convenient solution to fix the underlying issues in our government."