Voting and smartphones seems a match made in electoral heaven. It could solve one of the biggest problems with elections, low turnout, particularly in mid-term elections like the one coming up in November. Typically, fewer than 40 percent of eligible voters turn out for the mid-terms. In 2014, only 36 percent voted.
Given the ubiquity of smartphones, there are those who believe it makes sense to let people launch an app, validate their identity, and then tap a few buttons to vote. Add in blockchain to guarantee security and it seems like a slam-dunk.
West Virginia is so much of a believer that it has launched a pilot program to allow overseas military members to cast absentee ballots via a smartphone app — the first state to allow that. Using an app from a startup called Voatz, members of the military are already casting their ballots.