In brief

  • A city in France is using Tezos blockchain technology to vote on a road planning decision.
  • The voting period lasts between October 1 and October 8.
  • The vote represents an exciting example of blockchain solutions being applied to voting and democracy.

Inhabitants of Verneuil-sur-Seine, in Yvelines, France, are voting on a 60-year-long road project through the Avosvotes application based on the Tezos blockchain. The voting period lasts between October 1 and October 8, 2020. 

This vote is 60 years in the making. The proposed road, RD 154, will cross the communes of Vernouillet and Verneuil-sur-Seine. The decision made about this development has the potential to impact the entire vision of France’s Yvelines region, and after several decades of planning and debating, it’s now time to vote via the Tezos blockchain. 

“In Verneuil-sur-Seine, the decentralized and secure voting evidence on the blockchain—resulting from French researchers at Tezos—will make it possible to guarantee the sincerity of the ballot,” said Florian Ribiere, CEO of Avosvotes.

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Voters will be making their decisions via Avosvotes, a Tezos blockchain-based application. When voting on the proposal, individuals’ identities are verified manually, and the proof of any particular vote comes in the form of a certificate stored on the Tezos blockchain. Those interested can also follow along and track voting participation in real time. 

A house in France
The Tezos blockchain is being used to vote on a road planning decision in France. Image: Shutterstock

Voter fraud and poor voter turnout have long been obstacles to participation in democracy, both at local and national levels. Using blockchain technology, these challenges can be solved. “The vote will be 100% secure and each voter will be able to check that their vote has been taken into account during the digital count,” added Ribiere. 

If only blockchain technology could sort out the problems with elections too.

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