由于最近的技术进步，基于区块链的投票可能即将出现

新的和改进的技术很快就会使基于区块链的投票成为选举中纸质选票的可行替代方案。

As technology continues to advance, blockchain-based voting is emerging as a potential alternative to traditional paper ballots in elections. Layer-2 (L2) network solutions, combined with zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs, could provide both the scalability and privacy necessary to conduct elections using blockchain technology.

随着技术的不断进步，基于区块链的投票正在成为选举中传统纸质选票的潜在替代方案。第 2 层 (L2) 网络解决方案与零知识 (ZK) 证明相结合，可以提供使用区块链技术进行选举所需的可扩展性和隐私性。

ZK-proofs are a way to prove an input for a blockchain transaction without revealing the actual underlying information. In the case of elections, this could pertain to voter identity. L2s aim to allow the network to scale to accommodate a large number of voters and information.

ZK 证明是一种在不泄露实际底层信息的情况下证明区块链交易输入的方法。就选举而言，这可能与选民身份有关。 L2 旨在允许网络扩展以容纳大量选民和信息。

Despite several small-scale explorations into blockchain-based voting, some have dismissed the technology as a viable solution, suggesting it may introduce new problems to elections rather than resolve existing ones. Notably, a 2018 consensus study report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine in the United States rejected the use of any internet-based technologies for elections:

尽管对基于区块链的投票进行了一些小规模的探索，但一些人认为该技术是一种可行的解决方案，这表明它可能会给选举带来新问题，而不是解决现有问题。值得注意的是，美国国家科学、工程和医学院 2018 年的一份共识研究报告拒绝使用任何基于互联网的技术进行选举：

“Internet voting should not be used in the future until and unless very robust guarantees of security and verifiability are developed and in place, as no known technology guarantees the secrecy, security, and verifiability of a marked ballot transmitted over the Internet.”

“除非开发出非常强有力的安全性和可验证性保证并到位，否则将来不应使用互联网投票，因为没有任何已知技术可以保证通过互联网传输的标记选票的保密性、安全性和可验证性。”

However, many of these assumptions about blockchain voting are outdated, according to Lasha Antadze, co-founder of the ZK social platform Rarilabs and founder of the election blockchain solution Freedom Tool. He told Cointelegraph that critics have not considered the arrival of effective ZK-proofs and L2s, which could significantly enhance election security by shielding the process from manipulation and accusations of rigging.

然而，ZK 社交平台 Rarilabs 联合创始人兼选举区块链解决方案 Freedom Tool 创始人 Lasha Antadze 表示，许多关于区块链投票的假设已经过时。他告诉 Cointelegraph，批评者没有考虑到有效的 ZK 证明和 L2 的到来，这可以通过保护选举过程免受操纵和操纵指控来显着增强选举安全性。

Antadze believes that blockchain-based voting could be a valuable tool to restore trust in the electoral system, especially in the wake of the 2020 US presidential election, which saw former President Donald Trump repeatedly alleging that the election was rigged. The amplification of these claims on social media has left many Americans distrustful of the election results.

Antadze 认为，基于区块链的投票可能是恢复对选举制度信任的宝贵工具，特别是在 2020 年美国总统大选之后，前总统唐纳德·特朗普多次指控选举被操纵。这些说法在社交媒体上的放大让许多美国人对选举结果产生了不信任。

According to Verified Voting, a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization dedicated to guarding fair US elections, the evidence, audits and investigations upheld the election outcome, concluding that the current paper-based election system functioned effectively.

致力于维护美国公平选举的非营利性、无党派组织“验证投票”表示，证据、审计和调查支持了选举结果，得出的结论是当前纸质选举制度有效运作。

The nonprofit claimed that internet voting is highly vulnerable to a range of cybersecurity threats, which could jeopardize the integrity of votes, enable undetectable vote tampering or expose election servers to hacking. However, new techniques are tackling these concerns.

该非营利组织声称，互联网投票非常容易受到一系列网络安全威胁的影响，这可能会危及投票的完整性，导致无法检测的投票篡改或使选举服务器遭受黑客攻击。然而，新技术正在解决这些问题。

“The 2020 election was a watershed year for election security,” Verified Voting told Cointelegraph, underscoring that paper ballots remain the gold standard for secure elections in the US today.

“2020 年选举是选举安全的分水岭”，Verified Voting 告诉 Cointelegraph，并强调纸质选票仍然是当今美国安全选举的黄金标准。

Antadze’s Freedom Tool is among several blockchain-based voting solutions that aim to address these concerns and enhance the integrity of the electoral process. Freedom Tool enables citizens to cast their votes using their smartphones. To ensure authenticity, users must place biometric chips from their passports or ID documents near their phones to verify their identity, nationality and age. Once these requirements are met, users can vote, and the transaction will be recorded on the blockchain to register the vote.

Antadze 的 Freedom Tool 是多种基于区块链的投票解决方案之一，旨在解决这些问题并增强选举过程的完整性。 Freedom Tool 使公民能够使用智能手机投票。为了确保真实性，用户必须将护照或身份证件上的生物识别芯片放在手机附近，以验证他们的身份、国籍和年龄。一旦满足这些要求，用户就可以投票，交易将被记录在区块链上以登记投票。

Having one’s identity and political affiliation intertwined in an open blockchain may not seem wise. However, “ZK cryptography impedes the vote on the app and the ID document to be related,” noted Antadze. Once the smart contract checks that the voting parameters are met, a unique token proof is created using ZK-proof verification that contains no identifier or link to the personal information.

将一个人的身份和政治立场交织在开放的区块链中似乎并不明智。然而，“ZK 密码学阻碍了应用程序的投票和身份证件的关联，”Antadze 指出。一旦智能合约检查投票参数是否满足，就会使用 ZK 证明验证创建唯一的令牌证明，其中不包含标识符或个人信息的链接。

One common ZK-proof vulnerability was its reliance on centralized servers, which hackers could target. However, since around 2022, new technological updates have made ZK verification possible on smaller smartphone processors.

一种常见的 ZK 证明漏洞是其对集中式服务器的依赖，黑客可以将其作为攻击目标。然而，自 2022 年左右以来，新技术更新使得 ZK 验证在较小的智能手机处理器上成为可能。

“Having a smaller proof that can be verified on a smartphone is a game-changer,” Antadze said, adding that thanks to this new development, it’s possible to offer an entirely fragmented architecture resistant to hacks, as there would be no single point of attack.

Antadze 表示：“拥有可以在智能手机上验证的较小证明是一个游戏规则改变者。”他补充说，由于这一新的发展，可以提供一个完全分散的架构来抵御黑客攻击，因为不会有单点攻击。攻击。

Another crucial requirement for any election system is the capability to audit the election process. The system must be able to demonstrate its integrity and accuracy in the event of any allegations or disputes.

任何选举系统的另一个关键要求是审计选举过程的能力。在发生任何指控或争议时，系统必须能够证明其完整性和准确性。

Verified Voting asserted that the most secure, trustworthy election procedure involves using paper ballots tabulated by certified machines and subsequently verified through risk-limited audits to confirm the election results.

验证投票声称，最安全、最值得信赖的选举程序涉及使用由经过认证的机器制成的纸质选票，然后通过风险有限的审计进行验证，以确认选举结果。

“The fundamental requirements of a democratic election align well with blockchain technology, especially given the absence of a central authority,” Mohammad Hajian Berenjestanaki, a PhD researcher at the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano and co-author of a 2024 study on blockchain-based e-voting systems, told Cointelegraph.

“民主选举的基本要求与区块链技术非常吻合，特别是在没有中央权威的情况下，”博岑-博尔扎诺自由大学的博士研究员、2024 年区块链研究的合著者 Mohammad Hajian Berenjestanaki 说道。基于电子投票系统，告诉 Cointelegraph。

However, there is a catch to this transparency: Enhancing the audibility of votes can complicate efforts to keep them private, noted Berenjestanaki, adding that “ZK-rollups ensure that privacy is maintained while allowing for the verification of votes without disclosing sensitive information.”

然而，这种透明度有一个问题：Berenjestanaki 指出，提高投票的可听性可能会使保持投票私密性的努力变得复杂，并补充说，“ZK-rollups 确保隐私得到维护，同时允许在不泄露敏感信息的情况下验证投票。”

Verified Voting acknowledged that blockchains can secure information after votes are received. However, it pointed out a significant flaw: The potential for offchain threats before votes are entered into

验证投票承认区块链可以在收到投票后保护信息。然而，它指出了一个重大缺陷：投票开始前潜在的链下威胁