A Blockchain based Polling solution
The work is based on Elinor Ostrom's eight design principles for common-pool resource governance, and Coase's transaction cost theory. It aims to identify the benefits and implications of blockchain technology in enhancing citizen engagement, data management, and public process optimization.
In the search for enhancing governance processes, Ostrom's eight principles (1990) and Coase's transaction cost theory were analyzed in the context of blockchain implementation. This analysis revealed blockchain technology's potential, specifically smart contracts, to enable transparency, security, and verifiability. Moreover, the research indicates that embedding smart contracts can significantly minimize search, information, bargaining, decision-making, monitoring, and enforcement costs, underpinning the insights of Coase's transaction cost theory. This finding has important benefits for efficiency and cost effectiveness in local governance and public service delivery.
Building on the current knowledge of blockchain technology from the findings of the BLING project and the conducted literature review, key technical requirements and evaluation criteria were identified, paving the way for developing a blockchain-based e-voting system. This system employed a smart contract to execute polling and enable pseudonymization, which represents the first iteration of an agile development process of a blockchain-based e-voting system. In conclusion, this study contributes to the ongoing discourse on Blockchain's transformative potential in local governance and public services. Combining theoretical frameworks with practical applications provides valuable insights for policymakers, practitioners, and academics interested in leveraging blockchain technology to optimize governance processes.
Want to know more? Read the The Blockchain Book, a collection of key learning from all the BLING use-cases focused on blockchain implementation in local and regional governments.
BLING has also launched a new website - a digital catalog that allows you to browse through the lessons learned from our real-life use-cases. Also, make sure to fill out the ‘self-test’ to asses the blockchain readiness of your organization.