Darren Soto, the US Representative for Florida’s 9th district, has voiced his excitement about blockchain mail-in voting patent filed by the United States Postal Service (USPS).
Soto said:
“I think it’s a great idea. I’m real excited that the post office is working on this issue.”
He added:
“It’s something that was a pleasant surprise for many in congress.”
It has been reported that currently, a hotly debated topic, mail-in voting could potentially quell voter’s social distancing concerns amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
However, Soto described the USPS’s blockchain patent as timely, although he said that he did not know whether or not it will come into play in time for the 2020 presidential election.
He said:
“Certainly I could see it being utilized very soon, over the next couple of election cycles.”
Soto said that the blockchain mail-in voting system would call on collaboration between the USPS and other governing entities who oversee election activities.
#BlockchainCaucus co-chairman @RepDarrenSoto weighs in on the #USPS #blockchain mail-in voting patent, @benjaminpirus reports. https://t.co/FvLdzehKEe — Cointelegraph (@Cointelegraph) August 25, 2020
He believes that the transition would begin gradually, applying the new system to locations in which digital voting is already active, such as e-mail voting by US military participants located in other countries.
Also, Soto explained:
“The USPS and their technology would be sending out QR codes and storing digital IDs and votes on the blockchain. They’d even be able to separate ID from votes, to preserve anonymity.”
As per the report, Soto also inferred that the system could allow voters to print out proof of their completed votes, based on the equipment used to cast their ballots, computers, etc.
It has been analyzed that Soto sits as co-chairman for the Blockchain Caucus, a governmental group focused on blockchain-related policy.
Thus, he concluded:
“Because we’re talking about the underpinnings of our democracy, it’s something that would be a slow and steady rollout.”
Source: Cointelegraph | Image: The Diplomat in Spain
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