Blockchain Elections and Metaverse Voting: Is It Possible?

Elections and democracy have been around for a very, very long time.

The concept of giving the right to the public to vote for a common purpose or motive allows the common people to feel comfortable with decisions and accept the policies of public-chosen systems, compared to dictator-like systems.

Traditional Elections and Voting Systems

While the idea of the metaverse has been a driving force in recent times, the world of politics and elections has remained somewhat untouched. However, the future of elections and voting can heavily be dependent on technology, as witnessed by the Russian impact on the previous electoral polls of the United States.

The traditional electoral system involves voters, candidates, voting ballots, and votes that will indicate the result of the elections, i.e., the winner for the unique position. Unfortunately, this system can be extremely easy to rig, and voter fraud is common in some countries. For this reason, the world has moved towards dedicated electronic voting systems that are supposed to ensure transparency.

Did Electronic Voting Prevent Voting Fraud?

Today, highly advanced technology is at our fingertips. We cannot function without its involvement in our daily lives — electronic voting is one of the most promising wonders of technology that has been bestowed upon us. Although the benefits of electronic voting are many, including faster results, affordability and increased attendance, it also has some drawbacks: namely, voter fraud.

When people vote electronically, the possibility for voter fraud exists. Maybe the electronic voting system doesn’t require IDs for in-person verification, maybe people will take advantage of the system and use other peoples’ credentials.

Advantages of Electronic Voting

• Increased attendance is a definite advantage of internet-based voting.
• Long-term benefits of cost-effectiveness with regards to the scope of the vote.
• Results of electronic voting are much faster than that of paper-based voting.

Disadvantages of Electronic Voting

• If the security is weak, hackers can easily compromise the system.
• Initial costs for digital voting are higher than paper-based voting mechanisms.
• The votes are non-verifiable.

How Is Blockchain Revolutionizing the Future of Elections & Voting?

The evolution of technology has impacted many fields, and voting is not an exception. Already when we talk about the current metaverse movement, the idea of employing blockchain technology in the cutting-edge space like electronic voting has been put into practice.

The use of blockchain technology in the electoral processes can change the way traditional voting is done due to integrating a decentralized system. However, at this point, we cannot predict if blockchain voting would surpass the conventional means of voting — but given its tremendous benefits, the security and integrity of electoral processes can be promised through eliminating electoral fraud.

Major initiatives like FollowMyVote and The Integrity of Elections are the key to sustainable democratic government. This is why integrating the more secure decentralized technology is in practice.

However, regardless of its vast advantages, blockchain integration in the electronic voting system remains a dilemma. Due to its technological complexities and decentralized structure, many government representatives are still reluctant about its complete implementation. But as the world evolves and adapts to the changing situations, blockchain voting will soon become a reality.

A Sneak Peek Into Election and Voting in the Metaverse

Irrespective of whether people accept it or not, the metaverse is the future of the internet, and people need to feel comfortable with the idea of an online world.

What Is a Metaverse?

One easy way to think about the concept of a metaverse is to picture a 3D virtual environment that can be accessed virtually from any part of the world to communicate and interact with people worldwide. However, as technology is constantly evolving, the scope of metaverses is increasing rapidly and is a lot more than just a medium for communication.

Backed by blockchain technology and with every transaction monitored by dedicated blockchain systems, security protocols in metaverses are becoming more and more enhanced. These advancements attract large-scale investors to become first-movers in investing in various  metaverse platforms.

Some of the notable players in the metaverse space are as follows:

Bloktopia (BLOK)

Inspired by the concept of a utopian environment, Bloktopia is a metaverse platform that has provided 3D virtual environments to its users. The initial idea of Bloktopia is to manage a shopping mall-like structure that will provide a layered playground for users to deploy their desired 3D models. With the consistent increase in the audience on the platform, Bloktopia is considered one of the essential metaverses that can be an alternative to real-world blockchain-less voting.

Decentraland (MANA)

Powered by the Ethereum blockchain, Decentraland is a metaverse that allows the users to trade lands in the 3D virtual environment. The goal of Decentraland is to provide its users with a play area to construct a world or setting of their dreams and unlock their creative side to decorate a version of the world that they want to live in.

The Sandbox

The Sandbox is a play-to-earn (P2E) game based on blockchain and integrating both DeFi and NFTs. The three-dimensional metaverse allows users to earn from the games provided by the organization.

Spatial

Spatial allows users to display their NFTs in a virtual environment to meet other buyers and sellers. In addition, it will enable users to integrate dedicated links to reputable NFT marketplaces, including Opensea and Foundation.

Acceptance of Voting Mechanisms in Metaverse

People are becoming more and more comfortable with the metaverse environments. For this reason, if they are ensured that a reputable blockchain network backs the voting events being held in a metaverse, they are likely to trust the process.

There is no denying that the metaverse is the future of the digital world. With the variety of activities and facilities available in the virtual worlds of the metaverses, it won’t be long before we witness the majority of the real-world activities also taking place in the metaverse.

Since the metaverses allow worldwide access, they will diminish geographic limitations and enable event organizers to cater to worldwide audiences. As for blockchain-based voting mechanisms, the involvement of people without geographic limitations will have defining results in years to come.