Sierra Leone: blockchain was only tested during our recent elections, not fully implemented
Messages coming from the press about blockchain used as a key component during the recent polls in Sierra Leone are now being rejected by the local National Electoral Commission. According to the statement, the organization called Agora was simply trying out the new technologies independently and not across the whole country.
#NEC Chair Mohamed Conteh makes clear that "the NEC has not used, and is not using #blockchain #technology in any part of the electoral process.” #votesalone
— National Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone (@NECsalone) March 18, 2018
Previously, business and digital currency-related outlets celebrated what they thought was the first use of blockchain in the actual state elections. Some articles regarding this matter have already been updated. Citizens of Sierra Leone were reportedly surprised to see misleading titles.
Bitnewstoday has not described the involvement of Agora and blockchain technologies in the elections in Sierra Leone due to the fact that even if true, the tech behind the blockchain voting can be difficult to apply in bigger countries and thus the event is not ground-breaking. As it turns out, it has not been even applied in this small country in West Africa. This indicates how far we are from actual blockchains in voting systems, although some American entrepreneurs already try to take the local niche and raise millions of dollars.
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons