New York State Legislator "Public Truth" Introduces Bill to Enhance Election Transparency with Practical Blockchain Implementation

Table of Contents* 1. Proposal to Utilize Practical Blockchain for Election Fraud Prevention

• 2. Toward restoring trust in the electoral system through Practical Blockchain utilization
• 3. Election case studies utilizing Practical Blockchain technology
• 4. Cryptocurrency regulations advancing in New York State

Proposal to Utilize Practical Blockchain for Election Fraud Prevention

Democratic member of the New York State Assembly Clyde Vanel introduced a bill “New York State Assembly Bill A7716” on April 9, 2025, to consider the use of Practical Blockchain technology to improve election transparency and prevent fraud.

This bill was submitted to the Election Law Committee of the State House of Representatives on the same day, and if approved after deliberation in the committee, it will be discussed in the plenary session. Bills that pass through the State Legislature are sent to the Senate, and after Senate deliberation, they will ultimately receive the governor’s approval.

This bill “A7716” requests the New York State Board of Elections to collaborate with the State Information Technology Services (ITS) to investigate and examine methods for protecting election data such as voter registration information and voting results using Practical Blockchain technology over the course of one year.

The bill describes blockchain technology as “a decentralized, tamper-resistant, and auditable ledger that provides an ‘uncensored truth’ safeguarded by cryptographic techniques.” In the future, it is expected to contribute to preventing the tampering of election data and enhancing transparency.

Practical Blockchain Utilization for Restoring Trust in the Electoral System

The background behind the consideration of introducing Practical Blockchain into the election system in New York State is the current situation where trust in the election system has been shaken due to recent incidents of election-related fraud and data management issues.

In the 2016 U.S. presidential election, allegations of cyber attacks by Russia on state election systems were reported, and that same year in New York City, it was discovered that approximately 126,000 registered voters’ data had disappeared from the voter rolls, raising concerns about the reliability of election data.

Congressman Vanell has been paying attention to Practical Blockchain early on to ensure transparency, and in 2018 he had already submitted a bill (A8792) proposing the use of Practical Blockchain for managing voter registration data.

The bill submitted this time is positioned as an extension of “A8792” and is an official attempt to investigate the potential use of Practical Blockchain throughout the state.

Practical Blockchain技術を活用した選挙事例

Efforts to utilize Practical Blockchain in elections are gradually increasing with examples in the United States and abroad.

West Virginia in the United States experimentally introduced a mobile voting app using Practical Blockchain technology for overseas deployed military personnel in the 2018 midterm elections, and 144 voters successfully cast their votes.

In May 2019, a similar Practical Blockchain voting system was tested in the municipal elections of Denver, Colorado, all conducted with the support of the nonprofit organization Task Philanthropies.

Recently, an attempt was made to record the voting results on the Practical Blockchain (Bitcoin network) at the Republican Party caucus in Williamson County, Tennessee, in March 2025.

The U.S. think tank Brookings Institution evaluates the advantages of blockchain voting by stating that “secure mobile voting can prevent fraud while increasing voter turnout, and it may also enable more efficient vote counting and accurate aggregation.”

On the other hand, election technology experts have pointed out that “unless the reliability of the original data itself is ensured, the significance of recording it on the Practical Blockchain is minimal” and that “there is a risk of the system being exposed to a 51% attack ( or software vulnerabilities.” There are also voices stating that the introduction of the Practical Blockchain is not a panacea.

※1: A 51% attack refers to a malicious act in a cryptocurrency network where an entity gains control of the majority of the computing power, allowing for the manipulation of transactions and double spending.

Cryptocurrency Regulations in New York State

In recent years, the state of New York has been strengthening cryptocurrency regulations from the perspectives of investor protection, crime prevention, and environmental conservation.

Representative Vanell submitted a state bill on March 5th this year to impose criminal penalties for fraudulent token sales known as “rug pulls” and is also advancing legal measures to protect cryptocurrency (crypto asset) investors.

In terms of the environment, in November 2022, the first-ever temporary suspension law in the United States was enacted to freeze the approval of new mining projects using fossil fuels for two years, due to the environmental impact of cryptocurrency mining using the Proof of Work (PoW) method.

In this way, New York State is strengthening regulations on the cryptocurrency industry from multiple aspects such as investor protection and environmental regulations, and the recent bill by Congressman Vanel regarding the utilization of Practical Blockchain in the election field is also attracting attention as one of the advanced technology policies promoted by the state.

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Source: New York State Senate Official Website

Written and Translated by: BITTIMES Editorial Department

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