Nevada Adopts Blockchain to Secure Elections After Electoral Fraud Scandal
Date: 2024-12-11 Author: Henry Casey Categories: BLOCKCHAIN, IN WORLD
On December 10, Nevada Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar announced the implementation of blockchain technology in the state’s election certification process. The move comes a month after the 2024 US presidential election, raising questions about the reasons for the delay. However, according to Aguilar’s office, the innovation is aimed at ensuring the reliability of the election process in the future.
Blockchain to Secure Elections
In his statement, Aguilar emphasized that the state is committed to holding the most secure elections in the country, and blockchain will be a key element of this process.
“Blockchain provides additional security by making it extremely difficult to forge or alter key documents. This ensures transparency and trust in the certification process. We are proud to be leaders in using advanced technology to protect the integrity of elections,” he said.
It is currently unknown whether Nevada will use its own blockchain technology or turn to commercial or open source solutions. Representatives from the Secretary of State’s office did not immediately provide additional comment.
The election certification process is expected to be recorded on an immutable blockchain ledger that will serve as the state’s official election archive.
Nevada will be one of the first U.S. states to use blockchain to certify elections after the program is approved by the state and national archives. Similar projects have been launched in Alaska and Georgia, with others in development.
The move comes as charges are filed in 2023 against six Nevada Republicans suspected of attempting to illegally change the results of the 2020 presidential election. The scandal surrounding the so-called “fake electors” ended with the charges being dropped in court.
Two of the defendants, Nevada Republican Party Chairman Michael McDonald and Clark County Party Chairman Jesse Lowe, later became official electors in the 2024 presidential election.
Nevada officials are confident that the introduction of blockchain will help avoid similar situations in the future and strengthen trust in the electoral system.
