Few technologies have captured the attention of so many people around the world like blockchain. Some of us understand how it works. Others pretend to understand it. Most know it has something to do with Bitcoin (it does).  Some even say it could revolutionize the future of entire sectors of the global economy.  Whether we fully understand it or not, it actually works very simply, and it has the potential to change how industries work.

Everyone gets that it’s an almost impenetrable way to store and send information. At a time when so many Americans have begun to question the security of the way elections are run in the United States, it makes sense that governments would be attracted to the idea of using an “impenetrable” method of voting that would provide instant results while guaranteeing a clean, fair election. Maybe that’s why the U.S. Postal Service filed a patent application for a blockchain-based voting system in 2020.

Blockchain Goes Postal

Americans can rest assured that their vote is overwhelmingly safe because nearly all voting is done by paper ballot. Every state literally has a paper trail of how many votes each candidate gets, and all voting is overseen by bipartisan election officials. Whenever something goes wrong, an issue is addressed by two of those officials. But why, some might ask, do we not have electronic voting in the 21st century? The answer is that cybersecurity experts across the country unanimously agree that there is currently no way to ensure the security of an internet-based election. 

Your mailman isn’t developing blockchain tech (maybe he is, but that’s unrelated), but the office he works for sure is, and why not? Behind the long lines and painfully slow postal workers that seem to be a relic of the “good ol’ days,” there is a massive and advanced logistical apparatus that can guarantee to get a package posted at 4 p.m. in Dayton, Ohio to Manhattan the very next day. You can even track each stop that package makes from your mobile phone – and if it’s not there the next day, they give you your money back. Even Domino’s doesn’t guarantee a pizza anymore. 

The Patent Process

So when the USPS filed a patent in 2020 for a secure voting system that combined the power of blockchain technology and the reliability of the U.S. Postal Service to create a system that would both ensure anonymous votes while maintaining the integrity of American elections, we should have taken notice. 

“A voting system can use the security of blockchain and the mail to provide a reliable voting system,” the application’s abstract reads. “A registered voter receives a computer readable code in the mail, confirms identity, and confirms correct ballot information in an election. The system separates voter identification and votes to ensure vote anonymity and stores votes on a distributed ledger in a blockchain.”

If that didn’t clear things up for you, you aren’t alone; don’t worry. The U.S. election system requires just a few key elements. Votes have to be anonymous, and voter intimidation or coercion should be prevented (this is why electioneering is forbidden at certain distances from polling places). Votes should be easily cast, tabulated, and readily available for recounting. All of these things can be addressed through blockchain technology. 

But What is Blockchain Exactly?

Blockchain is a digital record-keeping system stored in blocks across an entire network. Each block contains the same information or transaction record, like a page on a ledger. Once a block is full, it’s linked to the next block, creating a chain (hence, blockchain). Each block also contains a unique code that ties it to the previous block of information. But before a new block can be added, all participants in the network must agree that the transactions in the block are valid. 

Here’s where the security comes in. Since everyone involved has a copy of the entire blockchain, If someone in the network tries to tamper with one of the blocks, it won’t match the other copies on the network, so any changes can be easily detected and rejected. Once a block is added to the chain, it can’t be changed, making a blockchain record secure and transparent. 

If blockchain is so great and secure, one might ask, why isn’t everyone using it? While its security is undoubtedly good enough for cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, it does have limitations. The first is that blockchain networks can be slow due to their computer demand. It just needs to be faster for many financial transactions. The computing power blockchain demands also means more electrical energy is demanded to power the computers computing those transactions. At this point, you probably also see its most pertinent limitation: it’s really complex and challenging to understand, even for some tech gurus. 

Cyber Security

While the technology certainly has its limitations, implementing a blockchain-based voting system that is actually secure could be a game-changer for American elections. One of the problems local, state, and federal governments face during elections is low voter turnout. Voters must ensure they’re registered to vote (if they’re legally allowed to vote), which means filling out a voter registration form, something a surprising number of voters need to do. Even if they are registered, some voters don’t bother to vote when Election Day rolls around. Long lines, foul weather, and other excuses have kept many voters from casting their ballots. 

On top of low voter turnout, the bulk of American elections are handled locally. There are around 9,000 electoral offices around the country, producing local, municipal, state, and federal ballots. Localities handle their own election processes, security, and the machines necessary to cast and count ballots. It can all get pretty pricey for some local governments, limiting the number of polling stations and poll workers, leading to long lines, and affecting voter turnout. 

Future Tech

Although a government organization not traditionally known for being on the cutting edge of technology, the USPS might have the answer. According to its patent application, the Post Office’s blockchain-based voting system works to overcome both security concerns and low voter turnout. Once registered, a voter would receive a QR code by mail, which they would input into “A user operated mobile computing device.” The code would access the user’s ballot, allow them to make selections, digitally sign it, and send it securely to an official election system based on an election identifier. 

There will be no long lines, no weather, and no voter intimidation. There’s also a guarantee of anonymity while the federal government foots the bulk of the cost of developing the voting system. The only cost to local governments is registering voters and maintaining a digital record of the voter rolls, something they currently do anyway. The only problem is that blockchain technology, while hailed for its security, needs to be more secure. 

Long Live the Hacker

A researcher at Cornell University has figured out multiple ways to fool blockchain technology. Other, less scrupulous tech geniuses have figured it out too. Hackers broke into a Tokyo-based cryptocurrency exchange in January 2018 and made off with some $500 million in crypto, one of the largest heists in history. The problem of not fully understanding the technology can be detrimental as well. The Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) lost $80 million worth of Ethereum when a hacker exploited the programming language used to write blockchain “smart contracts,” a program that automatically executes the terms of an agreement between two parties.

For the foreseeable future, be prepared to fill out a paper ballot. But just because there’s no way to guarantee secure online voting right now doesn’t mean there isn’t someone trying to figure out a way – and that person is your mailman.