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 SCOOP

Keep up with the latest news, trends, charts and views on crypto and DeFi with a new biweekly newsletter from The Block's Frank Chaparro

By signing-up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
By signing-up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

"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."

About Author

Steven Zheng is a researcher for The Block. He joined The Block in August 2018. Steven graduated from St. John’s University with a degree in economics. Previously, he covered blockchain and crypto at Radicle, a startup analytics firm. He also had brief stints at Cheddar, a media startup, and Bowery Capital, a venture capital firm. He owns bitcoin. Follow Steven on Twitter at: @Dogetoshi

More by Steven Zheng