Please describe your proposed solution.
1.- Context.
In developing countries, the adoption/implementation of electronic voting or telematic voting is not yet viable, mainly due to the low levels of confidence in the Electoral Organisms and the socio-political reality of the region.
2.- Current voting systems.
In most of these Latin American countries, the counting of votes in an election process (president of a country or deputies, etc.) is done manually, and these results are transferred to a sheet of paper called tally sheets.
Subsequently, the processing of the tally sheets is carried out in a computer system, in the following phases: scanning of minutes, entry of votes (ICR, Entry of Vores, QA), totalization and dissemination of results.
3.- Blockchain Scrutiny Systems
This project proposes the incorporation of blockchain in a scrutiny system commonly used in Latin America; that is to say that public scrutiny is maintained and the vote is counted one by one in front of the citizens and that later in the computation process blockchain technology is implemented.
a.- Digitize the scrutiny act (Acanning ).
A hash will be obtained from each image of the scanned records and will be published on the blockchain.
The images will be stored decentrally (this point will depend on several factors such as cost, maturity of some decentralized storage solution on the cardano blockchain);
b.- Intelligent character recognition.
The values obtained in the intelligent character recognition process will be assigned to a candidate within the chain of the cardano blockchain;
c.- Cut image in sections
A hash will be obtained from each image of the scanned records and will be published on the blockchain.
The images will be stored decentrally (this point will depend on several factors such as cost, maturity of some decentralized storage solution on the cardano blockchain);
d.- Fingering.
The users of the system called "digitators" will enter the values that are shown in the image (sections of the records that previously had to be cut), it should be noted that a validation of the hash of each existing image in the blockchain is previously performed.
The values entered by the “digitizer” users will be assigned to a candidate within the Cardano blockchain chain;
e.- Quality Control.
The “validation 2 of 3” is done on the Cardano blockchain.
In the case of requiring a new digitization (quality control), the votes entered by the users will be assigned to a candidate within the Cardano blockchain;
f.- Totalization.
The totalization process is the sum of the votes of each candidate and will be carried out in the Cardano blockchain.
g– Publication of results (dissemination of results).
The votes of the candidates will be published from the Cardano blockchain.
SCHEME OF THE PROPOSED SOLUTION
4.- Why implement this solution?
- Real transparency is provided in each phase of the counting process.
- All the information is public, so any citizen can oversee the elections.
- By having complete traceability of all transactions, the results cannot be altered.
- The entire system can be audited, in a public way, control institutions, political organizations and civil society can review the entire structure, flow, operation and data of the system.
5.-Legal validity.
In general terms, there are 3 forms of vote control.
Manual counting, also known as traditional or simply scrutiny, is the classic method of vote counting in an electoral process. In this system, voters cast their votes on physical ballots, which are then deposited in ballot boxes. Once the voting is complete, the ballot boxes are taken to a counting center where each vote is manually counted.
In the process of traditional scrutiny, electoral officials review and manually count each vote on the ballots, ensuring their validity and correctly assigning votes to each candidate or option. Once the manual counting is completed, the results are recorded in scrutiny records and later processed (vote tally) by a centralized system before being officially published or disclosed.
Telematic voting is a voting modality that allows citizens to cast their votes from any location using electronic devices connected to the internet, such as computers, smartphones, or tablets. Instead of physically going to a polling station, voters can vote remotely through secure and authorized online platforms.
Electronic voting is a voting modality in which voters cast their votes using electronic systems instead of traditional paper ballots and ballot boxes. This method utilizes computer and electronic technologies to register, count, and transmit votes efficiently and quickly.
The most common way to implement this type of voting is through electronic voting machines, where voters select their choices on a digital voting machine (physically similar to an ATM), and the system records the votes electronically.
<u>The vast majority of developing countries, such as Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador, have laws that establish manual voting, using physical ballots that are later tallied in a centralized computer system called the scrutiny system. Our project adheres to these specifications, ensuring compliance with all relevant laws and regulations, while adding an additional layer of transparency to the existing systems.</u>
ECUADOR.
Electoral Organic Law (Pages 71,72,73)
https://institutodemocracia.gob.ec/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/codigo_democracia_2013.pdf
PERÚ
Organic Law of Elections (Pages 40,41,42)
<https://pdba.georgetown.edu/Electoral/Peru/leyelecciones.pdf>
BOLIVIA
GENERAL ELECTIONS REGULATIONS (Pages 8,9,10)
<http://www.coordinadoradelamujer.org.bo/protagonistas/archivos/normas/Res.%20021%20(Reglamento%20EG20).pdf>
How does your proposed solution address the challenge and what benefits will this bring to the Cardano ecosystem?
This proposal addresses the challenge from the following aspects:
- It falls under the "National governance systems" category since scrutiny systems are used by nation-states for the election of authorities.
The scrutiny system fits into the 2 areas established in the challenge:
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Creation or improvement of different products: The implementation of Cardano technology in the electoral process addresses a real and significant problem in society, showcasing blockchain as an effective solution for real-world challenges.
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Integrations with other existing services: By integrating blockchain into an existing process like vote counting, it strengthens the adoption of the technology and provides transparency to citizens.
The benefits this proposal will bring to the Cardano ecosystem are:
Validation and strengthening of the technology:
Implementing an electoral scrutiny system in the Cardano ecosystem will demonstrate the blockchain's capability to handle mission-critical applications in a real-world setting. This will validate the robustness and reliability of Cardano's underlying technology, attracting more developers, investors, and users to the ecosystem.
Attraction of collaborations and strategic partnerships:
Implementing an electoral scrutiny system on Cardano can draw the attention of government agencies, electoral organizations, and other entities interested in enhancing transparency and security in electoral processes. This could open up opportunities for collaborations and strategic partnerships with governmental entities and relevant organizations, further strengthening the Cardano ecosystem.
Number of potential beneficiaries:
The potential beneficiaries of the project include the large number of voters in each country, such as Ecuador, Colombia, and Peru, with millions of potential users. This demonstrates the scalability and widespread impact of the proposed solution.
How do you intend to measure the success of your project?
Adoption by electoral authorities:
We will measure the number of electoral authorities showing interest in implementing our Cardano-based scrutiny system. This will give us an idea of the level of acceptance and trust in our solution by electoral authorities.
User opinions:
We will gather qualitative feedback from users, including electoral officials, political parties, and voters, to evaluate their satisfaction with the system. Their opinions and experiences will provide valuable information about the usability and effectiveness of the solution.
Expert and auditor assessments:
We will seek the review and evaluation of independent experts in security and electoral systems. Their opinions and analyses will give us a measure of the effectiveness and reliability of our scrutiny system.
Please describe your plans to share the outputs and results of your project?
The strategy for sharing the outputs and results of our project includes:
Documentation and reports:
We will prepare detailed documentation and reports describing the development process, implementation methodology, and key findings of the project.
Presentations and workshops:
We will organize presentations and workshops to share the project results with government agencies, electoral organizations, and the Cardano communit.
Participation in trade shows: We will participate in trade shows and events related to technology and democracy, where we can share our results with an interested audienc.
Publications and case studies: We will publish articles and studies that highlight project achievements, lessons learned, and best practices. These articles will be shared with relevant industry publications/magazines, academic institutions and research forums for example "Revistas Democracias"
Online and social media presence: We will actively promote the project results through social media, blogs, and online communitie.
Collaboration and partnerships: We will seek collaborations and partnerships with other electoral organizations in Latin America and international collaborative bodie, <u>In our project, we recognize the importance of establishing political connections and strategic collaborations to promote the adoption of this type of system. One significant advantage is that we have connections with consultants and individuals who work directly with international organizations specialized in electoral support, such as the Organization of American States (OAS), the Inter-American Union of Electoral Organizations (UNIORE), and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES).</u>