A renewed effort is underway in New York to investigate how blockchain technology could enhance the security and integrity of U.S. elections. Assemblyman Clyde Vanel has introduced legislation proposing a dedicated study.
The bill, designated AA7716, directs the New York State Board of Elections to formally examine the potential uses of blockchain for safeguarding sensitive voter information and ensuring the verifiable accuracy of election outcomes. This exploration highlights a growing interest in leveraging distributed ledger technology for core democratic processes.
Currently, the proposed legislation is under review by the Assembly Election Law Committee. For the study to commence, the bill must successfully navigate votes in the Assembly and the State Senate before receiving the governor’s final approval.
Should the bill become law, the State Board of Elections, in partnership with the Office of Information Technology Services, would be tasked with conducting the comprehensive study. The legislation emphasizes the need to consult experts in blockchain, cybersecurity, election systems, and voter fraud prevention.
The findings from this study, including examples of similar technological adoptions by other states, would be due within one year of the bill’s enactment. This structured approach aims to provide a data-driven basis for any future decisions on implementing such technologies.
Assemblyman Vanel, known for his advocacy for digital assets and blockchain, previously introduced a similar bill in 2017, although it did not pass. His continued efforts, alongside recent calls with other state lawmakers for clearer federal crypto regulations, underscore his commitment to exploring technological solutions.
The concept of using blockchain for voting systems is not entirely new. For instance, in March 2024, the permissionless zero-knowledge registry Rarimo introduced its Freedom Tool, a digital identity protocol designed to enhance electoral systems using blockchain’s inherent security features.
Such systems aim to provide anonymity and verifiability for each vote cast, addressing common concerns about traditional voting methods. The Freedom Tool, leveraging blockchain and identity management, represents one approach to achieving this goal.
This technology saw a real-world application in October 2024 when the United National Movement, an opposition party in Georgia, deployed ‘United Space’. This identity application, built on Rarimo’s protocol, was used ahead of parliamentary elections to offer voters enhanced privacy and protection against potential manipulation, showcasing a level of anonymity often difficult to achieve in conventional systems.