Moscow Turns to Blockchain to Protect Voting Privacy
Electronic voting terminals in Russia’s capital will rely on blockchain, anonymizers, and encryption keys to ensure ballot secrecy.
Moscow is expanding its electronic voting system with new security measures, connecting 14 out-of-district polling stations to a platform built on advanced data encryption and storage technologies, according to the city’s official portal, mos.ru.
At the core of the system is blockchain, the decentralized ledger best known for powering cryptocurrencies. Here, it provides a tamper-proof record of digital information in linked blocks, each connected by unique digital fingerprints. This design makes it impossible to insert extra data or fraudulent votes. To further prevent double voting, election officials will use a digital list of voters who had registered by September 8 to cast their ballots in the capital.
The system also employs an anonymizer, which strips away any identifying information from user actions. Once a voter accesses a digital ballot through a terminal, their activity moves into an anonymous zone, and the ballot itself is never stored.
Encryption and decryption keys add another layer of protection. These keys are generated shortly before voting begins, ensuring that no one can view ballots while they are being cast. The decryption key is divided into several parts and distributed among different custodians. Only after voting ends are the parts combined and applied to the blockchain to reveal results.
