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Russians Offered Gift Card Incentive to Use Blockchain Voting Platform

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Tim Alper

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Tim Alper

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Tim Alper is a British journalist and features writer who has worked at Cryptonews.com since 2018. He has written for media outlets such as the BBC, the Guardian, and Chosun Ilbo. He has also worked...

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Last updated:

June 25, 2023

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Blockchain voting could be set for a faster rollout than expected – both in terms of business management and large-scale democracy, with companies and nations alike looking to resume business as usual. So keen are governments to get voters out of polling booths and onto their blockchain-powered phone apps that they are prepared to pay citizens to stay away from paper.

The coronavirus pandemic has made conventional shareholders’ meetings and paper-based elections impossible in many countries, where indoor gatherings are still banned and social distancing rules remain in place. For many, blockchain democracy and voting – once a far-off dream, has become a reality.

As previously reported, two of Russia’s biggest cities, Moscow and Nizhniy Novogorod, will allow their citizens to cast their votes in a forthcoming referendum on constitutional reform using blockchain-powered apps.

And per Komsomolskaya Pravda, advocates now want to incentivize blockchain democracy: Voters who choose to use blockchain voting platform in the forthcoming nationwide referendum on constitutional reform will receive an “electronic” gift voucher worth between USD 14 and USD 58.

The voucher will be redeemable at some 60 participating stores and outlets.

Blockchain voting begins in Moscow on June 25, and concludes on June 30, with a paper-only vote on July 1.

Muscovites were first allowed to use the blockchain-powered platform last week when local authorities asked citizens to decide whether they wanted to see more parking spaces or green spaces in the Russian capital.

Meanwhile, in Japan, Nikkei reports that a number of major companies are looking to hold their shareholders’ meetings online in the next few weeks and months – and could also turn to blockchain-powered voting to ensure both anonymity and veracity in online votes.

The move follows on from an announcement made by the head of leading domestic crypto exchange bitFlyer, who stated that the company would hold an online shareholders’ meeting – the first firm ever to make use of blockchain-powered voting systems.

Rival exchange Coincheck has previously expressed a desire to use a similar system for its own shareholders’ meetings.

Blockchain voting has been legalized relatively recently in both nations, with Japan changing its blockchain voting rules back in May.