Switzerland’s first municipal blockchain vote hailed a success
The city of Zug is currently examining various possible applications of its blockchain-based digital identity system.
@ KEYSTONE / ALEXANDRA WEY
The authorities of the city of Zug on Monday announced that the Alpine nation’s first local blockchain-based test vote had been successfully completed.
This content was published on
2 minutes
The small scale consultative vote utilised the city’s eID system which was first set up in November of last year.
“The premiere was a success”, said Dieter Müller, head of communications for the city of Zug to the Swiss News Agency.
Voters were able to vote via their smartphones by downloading the already existing app to register.
The technical details of the test will now be evaluated over the coming months, he said.
The focus of the vote’s evaluation will be the protection of privacy, voting secrecy, as well as the ensuring that the voting results can be verifiable, unchangeable and comprehensible.
The city of Zug has been issuing its residents with digital identities since winter 2017, and is currently examining various possible applications of the blockchain technology.
In contrast to other e-voting systems, the voting process in the city of Zug did not take place via a single central server, but was distributed using blockchain across many computers.
The vote trial started on June 25, and finished on Monday evening. The voting questions were invented, and since it’s only a test, the results of the vote are non-binding for the city authorities.
Out of a total of 240 who would have had access to registering with the online voting system, 72 took part.
“The number of participants could have been higher”, said Müller.
Almost all participants found it easy to vote digitally. Only three people indicated otherwise in their questionnaire.
Some 22 of respondents would use the digital identity to complete their tax returns or to take part in regular surveys in the future. A further 19 indicated that they would like to pay parking fees using their digital ID, and another three said they would theoretically use it to borrow books from the library.
These are all examples of other applications or services which could potentially be handled using the digital identity in future.
More
More
Cantons draw on eID to attract foreign firms
This content was published on
Two Swiss cantons, which both pride themselves on being magnets for international companies, have introduced digital ID to enhance services.
Have you heard something about Swiss diplomacy that you’d like us to fact check?
Not all information circulating about Switzerland’s foreign relations is accurate or well understood. Tell us what you'd like us to fact check or clarify.
EU cuts aid to Hungary, Switzerland continues to pay
This content was published on
Earlier this year, the European Commission withdrew planned EU aid to Hungary because of violations of the rule of law. Switzerland shares the EU's doubts, but continues to pay its cohesion contribution to Hungary.
‘One million stars’ against poverty light up Swiss parliament square
This content was published on
Swiss charity Caritas lit thousands of candles on parliament square in Bern on Saturday evening to mark the "A Million Stars" solidarity campaign, a reminder that many people in Switzerland still live in poverty.
This content was published on
The Eurovision Song Contest shows are in high demand, with the result that profiteers are hoping to make a quick franc by buying up lots of tickets.
Former Swiss finance minister slams report on Credit Suisse collapse
This content was published on
Former Swiss Finance Minister Ueli Maurer has criticised a parliamentary report on UBS's takeover of Credit Suisse, rejecting accusations that he hid the seriousness of the situation from the government.
This content was published on
Researchers in Zurich have developed an electricity-free dehumidifier. It is a building element that allows walls and ceilings to absorb moisture from the air and store it temporarily.
Swiss man found dead in Iranian prison had allegedly collected soil samples
This content was published on
The Swiss man who died in an Iranian prison is said to have secretly taken soil samples beforehand, according to Iranian media.
This content was published on
Hackers have attacked the Swiss federal administration. Among other things, telephones, email and various federal websites and specialist applications were affected.
More and more Swiss celebrities and institutions leaving X
This content was published on
The short messaging service X has also lost its reputation in Switzerland. More and more personalities and institutions are turning their backs on tech billionaire Elon Musk's platform.
This content was published on
Pierre Rom is a sprightly 93-year old who has joined a movement of politically engaged young people: He is part of the “Army of comment-writers.”
This content was published on
Until now, 14 cantons have at various times allowed Swiss living abroad to vote electronically. Three cantons (Neuchâtel, Geneva and Basel City) have operated e-voting systems for Swiss-based citizens. Up to two-thirds of citizens who have been eligible to vote electronically have grabbed the opportunity, proving that strong demand exists, the government said. The current…
This content was published on
Around 97,000 Swiss-based voters and 57,000 Swiss abroad will be able to use e-voting in the next nationwide vote on February 12, 2017.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.