If properly implemented, a Blockchain-based voting system can end the post-election violence that plagues many African countries.
By Michael Akuchie
In March 2018, Sierra Leone, a West African country, made history as the first nation to allow the use of Blockchain in its elections, though in a controlled capacity. Although the Sierra Leonean National Electoral Commission (NEC) did not officially use the technology, it permitted the Swiss organisation, Agora, to test its Blockchain-based voting ecosystem using citizens’ votes. Agora’s tool excelled in the trial phase by efficiently storing each vote so only authorised people, like electoral officials, could validate the votes.
If properly implemented, a Blockchain-based voting system can end the perennial post-electoral violence that plagues many African countries. In a democratic republic, citizens are expected to vote for their preferred candidate, whether or not they are the popular choice.
However, party loyalists have been known to stir up trouble among the voters when they notice that the voting process is not favouring their candidate. This often leads to trouble that can disrupt the voting process and persist even after the final results have been released.
In March 2008, Kenya experienced one of its deadliest post-election crisis, as a report from the Office of the High Commissioner of the United Nations Human Rights found that 1,200 citizens were killed during the chaos. The report also stated that more than 300,000 people were displaced following the destruction of 42,000 houses. Nigeria has also experienced its fair share of violence after elections since its independence in 1960, but 2011 is forever remembered as its bloodiest election year.
Within 3 days of riots in Nigeria’s northern region that followed the 2011 general elections, reports claim that at least 800 people lost their lives during that period. Fast forward to 2023, the year the country held its most recent election, and a report from the Kimpact Development Initiative, a civil society group, reveals that not much has changed. According to the group, Nigeria recorded 238 independent cases of violence during and after its 2023 elections, which led to the unfortunate deaths of 23 people.
Despite the presence of security operatives, electoral officials, and even international observers, elections across Africa are often tainted with reports of widespread vote-buying, voter intimidation, ballot box stuffing, and many other electoral crimes. These happenings paint an ugly picture of Africa’s democracy. This is where Blockchain enters the picture. Known for being difficult to tamper with, a Blockchain-based voting system should restore confidence in the electoral process across the continent.
For those unaware of Blockchain’s meaning, Investopedia defines it as a secure, decentralised ledger that is used to store records. While it has primarily been used to safeguard cryptocurrency transactions, it also has other use cases. Per this article, it can be used to establish unique digital identities, process insurance claims quicker than before, and prevent patient information forgery in the healthcare system.
As Agora’s trial in Sierra Leone will show, a Blockchain-powered voting process will make it difficult for vote tampering to occur. For instance, during the result verification process in Nigeria’s 2023 elections, ballot papers containing polling unit results were uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IREV).
Through this portal, voters could get physical evidence of ballot papers with final scores in their respective polling units. Although it was a forward-thinking initiative, there was still room for result tampering as reports about certain ballot papers being mutilated by biro ink-filled social media.
In a Blockchain-based electoral process, a controversy like this is unlikely to occur as each vote is stored in a publicly accessible ledger. Essentially, everyone, ranging from an electoral official to a voter, can view and verify that their vote has been recorded and remains untouched.
A major challenge of open voting, a system that many African countries still practise, is that it poses a major accessibility problem for senior citizens and the disabled. Imagine having to queue for many hours under the scorching rays of sunlight to cast a vote. While younger voters may be up for that, older voters may not be able to endure such conditions.
With an electoral process running on Blockchain technology, people can conveniently cast their votes on a digital device such as a smartphone or tablet. This means people, especially those who often can’t leave their tasks to go queue up and vote, can now do so directly from their devices.
Every year, hundreds of millions of local currency are budgeted for elections across Africa. In Nigeria, the country’s electoral body, INEC, revealed that it was given N313.4 billion ($195.4 million) to conduct the 2023 elections. Kenya’s 2022 election is considered to be one of the most expensive in the world, at a total cost of Ksh. 44.6 billion ($345 million). Given the economic situation in both countries, a huge chunk of the aforementioned sums would have been saved by implementing a Blockchain-led electoral process.
With electronic voting, there is a reduced need for physical paper printing, ballot boxes, and other associated costs. This will allow African countries to redirect the funds to other pressing needs such as education, healthcare, and so on.
While Blockchain appears to be the answer to Africa’s long-standing post-election controversies, the road towards that solution is filled with gigantic obstacles. Seeing as Blockchain technology runs on a high-speed internet connection, people living in rural areas will find it difficult to partake in electronic voting. This means that a sizable portion of a country’s population could be disenfranchised.
Additionally, smartphones are not exactly cheap in most African markets. The high cost of mobile gadgets is partly why the continent’s second-hand market is a major success today. As such, people who do not own a smartphone may instantly be disqualified from participating in Blockchain-powered voting.
Another major concern is the regulatory gap between Blockchain technology and approval. Since it is a nascent initiative, getting African governments to trust and adopt it may be quite difficult, especially as not many countries have used it in official elections. Although it has recorded massive success in securing crypto transactions, involving Blockchain in a country’s presidential or gubernatorial election process is an entirely different matter.
There is also the matter of certain political godfathers resisting Blockchain-based voting due to their vested interest in a corrupt electoral process. Such individuals may publicly oppose the implementation of electronic voting as it will make it nearly impossible for them to manipulate results in their favour.
The use of Blockchain in African elections can greatly transform the process by restoring voters’ confidence, cutting the cost of organising elections, among other benefits. However, infrastructural gaps like poor internet access must be fixed so that voters in rural areas can also partake in the process.
Individuals who, for selfish reasons, would want to oppose electronic voting should be shunned. To increase the likelihood of embracing Blockchain in elections, African leaders can consider using the technology to power low-level elections like local government polls. The results from the pilot projects will help the leaders to determine whether Blockchain-led voting should be adopted immediately or after a few years.
Michael Akuchie is a tech journalist with five years of experience covering cybersecurity, AI, automotive trends, and startups. He reads human-angle stories in his spare time. He’s on X (fka Twitter) as @Michael_Akuchie & michael_akuchie on Instagram.
Cover photo credit: Further Africa