The small Swiss city of Zug will trial a blockchain-based voting procedure for citizens in June 2018. Results of the test will significantly determine the use of a distributed ledger technology for future governance purposes.
Small Size, Large Impact
The 118,118-citizen strong constituency of Zug, as per 2014 statistics, is known in cryptocurrency circles as a blockchain incubator, and the latest development makes evident the city’s welcoming attitude towards the emerging technology and asset class.
According to a report by Swissinfo, The city’s eID system, set up in November 2017 and used by 200 citizens at the time of writing, will shift to a blockchain-based backend in June 2018 as a means to test the technology on a significant level. Voters will be able to use the mobile-only application on their devices to vote for political representatives and local developments.
The test will take place between June 25 and July 1. Notably, the results are non-binding for city authorities, as the application is strictly a beta test.
The voter will be asked their preference on two public events: holding a fireworks show at the city’s Lakeside Festival and issuing digital ids for library and parking use. Additionally, test takers will be questioned if the blockchain-based digital ID system should be used for regular referendum votes in future.
Source: Cryptocurrency Friendly Swiss City to Trial Blockchain-Based Voting System | BTCManager